Entrance porch designs

[Kurt Richardson]

Hi

I wonder if anyone could recommend a site or book that offers a variety of entrance porch designs. I have a small area (~ 6' x 6') at the top of my entrance steps and would like to add a small entrance porch there.

I assume I need planning permission, yes?

Thanks, Kurt

[Retiredff]

Well, that would depend on where you live. And the only way to the true and correct answer to that would be by calling your local officials and asking.

Otherwise, you would be depending on answers from people who don't live anywhere near you, and possibly not even in the same country as you.

[Kurt Richardson]

Good point! Thnx

[AJScott]

Actually, unless you live in a house that's on a state or federal register of historical places, I doubt you'd need permission anywhere one lives in the US to make plans or drawings for such an addition. You would, however, certainly need a permit and approval of the drawings by the town building commissioner to actually build it, tho.

AJS

[AJScott]

Speaking only as a pedestrian, I would imagine your choices would be pretty limited given that 6x6 is quite the small space. Methinks you might only have two design choices: Normal pitched roof or a shed roof, and whether the porch will be somewhat open or totally enclosed.

But then, nobody here has any idea what your house actually looks like, either, so ...

AJS

[Tom Baker]

As noted by others, building permits are a local matter. However, odds are you or your builder will need a permit.

There are no ready made porch designs to my knowledger. I suggest you look at houses of similar design and decide whether or not you like what they have. Not knowing anything bout the location, setting, style, or age of the house in question, I suggest a search through some books of house style for examples.

If you are serious about the entrance, you could pay an architect a fee to make some suggestions.

Tom Baker Charleston SC

[Kurt Richardson]

Thanks Tom... just what I was looking for...

I'm starting a course on Construction Technology in a couple of weeks and hoping I can do everything myself... I have a couple of qualifications in technical/engineering drawing that I haven't used for years, and so I can hopefully develop the plans myself as well as build the porch too.

My real job is a researcher, but since buying a house I'v gotten the DIY bug... Whenever I get a new 'bug' I tend to get carried away and go as far with it as I can - I'm hoping to get whatever licenses I need to be a contractor (though not actually become one)... After the evening classes I may find I'm kidding myself though... :-)

Thanks again, Kurt

BTW I live in Mansfield MA...