Hours vary Ham Lake (763) 331-2247
Powerbuilt Construction Inc.
Open Porch Builder, North Metro Twin CitiesPowerbuilt Construction

Family-owned · Ham Lake Local

Open Porch Builder, North Metro Twin Cities

Licensed general contractor Bob Powers builds open front porches, covered porches, and screened porches across the Twin Cities North Metro.

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Open Porches Built to Hold Up Here

You want an open porch, a roofed outdoor structure you walk out onto, not a glassed-in room. That's a specific build, and it's what we do here. An open or covered porch is a roof, columns, a deck or slab, and a correct tie-in to the house. It stays open to the air. Powerbuilt Construction holds MN General Contractor License #BC533891, pulls permits, and has 4.9 stars across 27 Google reviews from North Metro homeowners. Call Bob directly at (763) 331-2247 before you start planning. If you actually want the space enclosed and glazed, that's a sunroom and it's a different page.

Most open porch jobs we build fall into three shapes: a new front porch added onto an existing home, a covered porch or roofed entry that gives you shade and keeps rain off the door, and a screened porch that keeps the bugs out while staying open to the air. Each one has a different permit path and a different structural question to answer first. Does the existing foundation support what you want to build? Does the roofline need to be modified so water sheds the right way? We sort those questions out before a single board goes up, not after. Scope, materials, and finish level are what move the number most. Every job is different, contact Powerbuilt Construction for an accurate estimate.

What a Licensed GC Handles on a Porch Build

From permit application to final inspection, Powerbuilt manages the whole project.

  1. 01

    Permit Pulling and Code Review

    Minnesota requires permits for most attached porch structures. We pull them, schedule inspections, and make sure the finished build passes.

  2. 02

    Foundation and Footing Assessment

    Frost depth in Anoka County is 42 inches. A porch that shifts after one winter usually has footings that didn't go deep enough. We get this right the first time.

  3. 03

    Structural Tie-In to the House

    An attached porch has to connect to the existing structure correctly. Ledger boards, flashing, and load paths all matter. We don't skip the ledger inspection.

  4. 04

    Finish Work and Final Inspection

    Trim, railings, screens, or windows depending on the project scope. We close out with the city before we close out the job.

Project Types

Open, Covered, and Screened Porches

01

Open Front Porch Construction

New open front porches on existing homes: roof framing, columns, railings, and steps. Wood or composite decking. We tie the roof correctly into the house so water doesn't find its way in two winters from now.

02

Covered Porch Build

A covered porch is a roof over an outdoor space, open to the air, built for shade and to keep rain off the door. The roofline tie-in and the post footings are what make it last. We build it so it sheds water where it should and stays standing through the freeze-thaw.

03

Screened Porch Addition

Screened porches stay open to the air but keep the bugs out. The framing has to handle Minnesota wind loads and screen tension. We frame the openings right so screens don't bow and the space works the way you pictured it. Want it glassed in instead? That's a sunroom.

04

Porch Replacement

Rotted sills, failed footings, soft decking. If the existing porch is giving out, we demo it and rebuild. Keeping the old bones when they're failing costs more in the long run.

Screened and Covered Porches in the North Metro

screened porch addition with tight screen framing, built by a porch contractor in the North Metro Twin Cities
A screened porch is the build most people in the North Metro actually want once they think it through. You get the roofed outdoor room without feeding the mosquitoes that own June and July out here. The structure is the same as a covered porch, roof, columns, and a proper tie-in to the house, but then we frame the screen openings so the panels stay tight and don't bow. That framing is where a lot of screened porches go wrong. Screen bays spanned too wide sag and pull away from the stops after a couple of seasons. We size the bays to the screen and back them up right the first time. As a porch contractor, we also plan for Minnesota weather on a screened build: how the roof sheds snow load off the porch, where the water goes, and how the screen frames handle wind without rattling. A covered porch skips the screens and leaves the space fully open to the air, which some people prefer for a front entry where airflow and the open look matter more than keeping bugs out. We build both, and we'll walk the site with you before deciding which fits your house and how you'll use the space. This page is covered and open porches only. If you want it glassed in and heated to use in winter, that's a different build, see our sunroom addition page.

Know the Difference

Open vs. Covered vs. Screened Porch

01

Open Porch

Fully open to the air with a roof overhead. No screens, no glass. This is the classic open front porch or back porch: columns, railings, a deck or slab, and a roofline tied into the house. Best when you want airflow, the open look, and a covered spot by the door. It's the simplest of the three to permit and build.

02

Covered Porch

A roof over an outdoor space, open on the sides, built for shade and to keep rain off an entry. Structurally the same bones as an open porch with the roof doing the work. Good for a front porch where you want weather cover without closing the space in. The roofline tie-in and post footings are what make it last through freeze-thaw.

03

Screened Porch

Same roofed structure as a covered porch, with screen bays framed into the openings. Keeps bugs out while staying open to the air, which is why it's the most-requested porch we build out here. It is not heated or glazed and it is not a usable winter room. If you want to hold a temperature in winter, you want a sunroom, not a screened porch.

Our Process

How an Open Porch Project Actually Goes

Three steps, and none of them get skipped on an open porch build.

  1. 01

    Site Assessment First

    We look at what's there before we give you any number. Foundation condition, roofline, existing structure. That's what sets the scope.

  2. 02

    Permit and Plan

    We pull the permit, review the code requirements for your specific project type, and walk you through what gets built and in what order.

  3. 03

    Build and Inspect

    We build it, schedule the required inspections, and don't wrap up until the city signs off. You get a finished porch that's on record.

Porch Work We've Done Alongside Other Projects

front porch construction work, professional service in Ham Lake, MN
Porches often come up as part of a broader project. A homeowner adding a porch might also be looking at a deck build out back, or a bathroom remodel inside. Bob handles both residential and commercial construction, so coordinating across project types isn't a problem. If you've got more than one thing going, bring it all to the same conversation. One contractor, one schedule, one point of contact. That's the practical benefit of working with a full-scope licensed GC instead of piecing it together from separate trades.

What You Get With a Licensed GC on Your Porch

MN License #BC533891 isn't just a number to print. It means someone is legally accountable for how this gets built.

Powerbuilt Construction is a licensed general contractor, not a handyman operation and not a framing-only crew. Bob Powers runs the project directly. When you call, you're talking to the person making the decisions, not a sales rep relaying messages.
MN GC License #BC533891
Verified with the state, look it up
4.9 stars, 27 Google reviews
Real homeowners, real projects
Permits pulled on every applicable job
No cutting corners on inspections
Bob answers the phone directly
Call (763) 331-2247

Open Porch Questions

Can you build a screened-in porch in the North Metro?
Yes. A screened porch is one of the most-requested builds we take on across the North Metro Twin Cities, in Arden Hills, Blaine, Ham Lake, and out toward the Stillwater side. It's the same roofed structure as a covered porch with screen bays framed into the openings. The part that matters is sizing those bays correctly so the screens stay tight and don't bow after a season or two. We handle the permit, the framing, and the screen install, and we build it to shed Minnesota snow load and handle wind without the screen frames rattling.
What's the difference between an open, covered, and screened porch?
An open porch is fully open to the air with a roof overhead, no screens and no glass. A covered porch is the same thing, built mainly for shade and to keep rain off an entry. A screened porch adds screen bays into the openings so you keep the bugs out while staying open to the air. All three are outdoor structures, not heated rooms. They share the same structural bones and differ in how the openings are finished. If you want the space glassed in and heated for winter use, that's a sunroom, not a porch, and it's a different build.
Do you build front porches and back porches?
Both. A front porch build is usually about the entry and the look of the house from the street, so the roofline, columns, and railings have to match the home. A back porch is more often about outdoor living space off a kitchen or living room, and it frequently ties into an existing deck. The structural questions are the same either way: does the foundation support it, and does the roof shed water correctly. We build front and back porches across the North Metro, open, covered, or screened.
How much does it cost to build an open porch in Minnesota?
Open porch costs depend on size, structure type, and finish level. A basic open front porch is a very different number than a large covered porch with a full roofline tie-in. Frost-depth footing requirements in Minnesota add to the foundation cost compared to warmer climates. Every job is different, contact Powerbuilt Construction for an accurate estimate.
Do you need a foundation for a porch in MN?
Yes, in most cases. Minnesota's frost depth in Anoka County runs around 42 inches, which means attached porch footings need to go deep enough to avoid heave. A porch on floating blocks or shallow concrete pads will move. We pour or dig to proper depth on every project, and the permit inspection confirms it.
Is an open porch the same as a sunroom?
No. An open porch is a roofed outdoor structure that stays open to the air, whether it's fully open, covered, or screened. A sunroom is enclosed and glazed with windows, built to be a usable room. They're different builds with different framing and different permit scopes. This page covers open porches. If you want the space enclosed, see our sunroom addition page.
Do you need a permit to build a porch addition in Minnesota?
Almost always, yes. Any attached structure that adds roofed square footage to a home typically requires a building permit in Minnesota municipalities. The permit process includes a framing inspection and final inspection. Skipping permits on a porch addition creates real problems at resale. We pull every permit required and schedule all inspections.
Can you convert an existing deck into a covered or screened porch?
Yes, but the deck framing has to be evaluated first. Decks aren't always built to handle the load that comes with adding a roof. We assess the existing structure, identify what needs to be reinforced or replaced, and build the covered or screened porch from there. Don't assume the deck framing can carry a roof without having it checked.
How long does an open porch construction project take?
A straightforward open front porch addition typically runs one to two weeks of active construction once permits are in hand. Larger covered porches or projects with significant structural tie-in can run longer. Permit timelines vary by municipality. We give you a realistic schedule before we start, not a number designed to win the bid.

Ready to Build Your Porch?

Call Bob directly and talk through what you're planning.

Call (763) 331-2247 Call (763) 331-2247

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