How it works
How a porch job goes
Five steps. You see the plan and the price before anything starts.
- 01
Step 1: The visit
Two of us come, measure, and look at the sun, the slab or deck, the roofline and the view. You hold two sample screens against your own light.
- 02
Step 2: The written plan
A drawing, the materials by name, what's left out and a price for each part. It comes in writing after the visit, never over the phone.
- 03
Step 3: Permit and approvals
We apply to the building department, and to your HOA if you have one. Nothing is ordered until both say yes.
- 04
Step 4: The build
Footings, framing and roof first, then screen, trim and finish. The crew sweeps up every day.
- 05
Step 5: The walk-through
We show you the door, the panels you'll lift out before a storm and the hose-down routine, then leave you the porch.
The first visit
What happens when we come over
About an hour. We measure the space and look at the light, the slab or deck, the roof and the view. You hold two sample screens against your own porch and tell us which one you can see through.
Have ready if you can
Your HOA's rules, if you have one
The year the house was built
Any photos of the porch in the rain
A list of what bothers you now
Storm weeks
When a named storm is coming
We secure the site
We stop work, tie down or store loose materials and leave the framing as safe as we can.
You take down the panels
Standard screen panels come out in minutes. We show you how at the walk-through.
We re-set the schedule
The agreement says how dates move after a storm, so nobody has to guess.
Questions about the process
Do I need a permit?
Usually, yes. Building a new porch or enclosing an existing one is normally permitted by the City of Mobile or the county where you live. We prepare the drawings and apply; your building department has the final say.
Does my homeowners association have a say?
If you have one, almost always. We give you drawings and material samples in the form your architectural review board asks for, and we don't order anything until it approves.
How and when do I pay?
In stages, written into the agreement before work starts: a deposit, payments as each part of the work is done, and a last payment after the walk-through. Alabama doesn't set one number for every job, so we state the amounts and the stages in your plan.
Ready for the first visit?
Tell us about the porch and when you're free.