How Much Does it Cost to Build a Porch?

Job	Description	Labour
1	Construct a concrete base for an off the shelf PVCu porch. This will take 1 man I day. The porch itself will be fitted by the local double glazing company.	£200
	Plus materials etc. for the above £100, and dont forget the porch at about £2750	£2850
2	Build a porch to your design on a concrete base, with brickwork below, a wooden framework and door with a letterbox, single safety glazing with an opening window (double glazing isn’t necessary in a porch) and a polycarbonate ridged roof. The guttering will divert rainwater onto the garden (it was going there before wasn’t it)? The whole lot will all then be painted inside and out. This will take 2 men 8 days	£2300
	Plus materials etc. for the above	£750
3	Build a “Cover” Porch – just the tiled roof bit with a wooden frame, to shelter you when opening your front door. 2 men 2.5 days	£700
	Plus materials etc. for the above	£150

“Labour” at £175 a day (tradesman) £100 (labourer), includes incidental fixings etc. and tipping charges. “Materials” if mentioned, are larger things (a boiler) and stuff only you can choose (tiles etc). Also VAT must be added all round.

Information Sheet on Building a Porch

Funny things porches, usually they’re too small to be of any use and if they are big enough, they can ruin the look of the house. Considering their original use was to stop draughts and nowadays almost every house in the country has a plastic (draught free) door, I’m wondering why they get built at all. £2000+ is a lot of money for a “welly” store. Anyway, that’s just my blinkered “ifitaintbrokedontfixit” opinion. You want a porch and my job is to price it for you! Firstly though, you must check if you need planning permission.

If you want a PVCu one, it will probably be “off the shelf” supplied and fitted by a local double-glazing company, all your builder can do is lay the base for it.

If you want one built to your design, it will probably have brickwork at the bottom and wood or PVCu framework above. If you are doing the design work think about ventilation, they get very hot in summer. Then there’s the roof type, do you want a central ridge, or a lean to, or a flat roof? Also, will the roof be glass or “multiwall” polycarbonate (plastic), or if flat, felt or pre-formed fibre glass?

Lastly, make sure your new door has a letter box and don’t forget the guttering and also, where the devil is the rain water going to go?

FAQs 'traffic light' guide

What's easy about this job…
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Simple for a double-glazing firm.

What's tricky about this job…
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Do you need planning permission?

Potential problems with regards to this job…
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Planning could be refused. If you go ahead without planning, the council may make you put it down at a later date.