How to Add a Porch to a Simple Ranch

Obtain porch design ideas by reviewing home design books and magazines and by driving through neighborhoods to see what is appropriate for a ranch-style home. Picture a porch that fits your house in size, but look at ways to add generous overhangs, railings and steps to dress up the porch.

Measure your house, and define the porch footprint. Use graph paper to sketch the porch shape you desire. Keep in mind that the porch must fit the house facade. For example, draw a basic A-shape for the roof, square porch posts and side railings for a porch with only two steps leading up from the sidewalk. Plan a more complex porch if the house facade has cut stone, brick or multiple materials that call for a more expanded porch design.

Dig a level area for the porch's concrete floor base. Lay concrete blocks on an 8-inch footing to build the porch base height. Use an 8-inch footing to support the weight of the porch structure over time, which will include roof weight. Lay the concrete blocks to a height that could be used when walking out of the home’s door; the height probably will be just 2 or 3 feet above ground level. Fill the concrete block area with soil and gravel to raise it for a poured concrete walking surface.

Nail wood framing boards around the concrete blocks to form a box sufficient for 4-inch deep concrete. Roll metal grid work on top of gravel to give strength to the concrete.

Prepare concrete mix according to its package directions. Pour the mixed concrete to a depth of 4 inches in the wooden box you created with framing boards. Smooth the concrete with a trowel. The concrete will form the porch's floor. Wait for the concrete to dry.

Construct a porch roof shape that ties in with house's attic rafters. Build an A-frame porch from 2-by-6-inch rafter boards to form the roof shape. Allow generous overhangs that will look seamless with house overhangs and support porch guttering, making the porch look original to the house design, not added later.

Cover the roof rafters with ½-inch thick plywood sheathing. Add tar paper and roofing material that is the same as the house's roofing material. Don’t use a contrasting roofing material, such as metal or cedar shakes, if the house's roofing material is asphalt shingles. Use the identical material used on the rest of the ranch house roof.

Install a support post or two to help hold up the roof weight. Use round or square pre-made posts or columns. Install square posts for a less formal look if, for example, your ranch house is covered in basic siding. An option is to use round columns if you have a brick ranch house, which will give it a more formal appearance.

Build steps or use pre-made concrete steps for the porch's exit. Add stucco material over exposed concrete blocks to give the porch base a finished look.

Paint the porch's walking surface light gray, which will blend with any house material. Paint the porch columns and steps white, for example, to blend with other house colors. Use high-quality paint for all porch surfaces so it will not peel over time.