How to Add a Screen Porch in Charlotte

Hire a Charlotte-based architect unless your skills include computer-assisted design or you’re comfortable following blueprint patterns. Draw up a budget based on the projected porch size, materials and labor costs in the Charlotte area. Call your insurance agent to obtain a rider or temporary policy to insure your home should the dwelling be damaged or destroyed while under construction. Ask if the screened porch will increase the amount of your annual homeowner’s premium.

Call the Mecklenberg County zoning board/building code authority at 704-336-3819 to obtain legal information on set backs and space requirements that must be followed when adding home additions or visit the agency at 700 North Tryon Street between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Ask authorities whether your screened porch construction requires a cash/surety bond for work undertaken within Charlotte city limits or the boundaries of Mecklenberg County.

Apply for a building permit that covers all aspects of your porch project. In the Charlotte/Mecklenberg County area, separate building permits are required for plumbing, HVAC and construction when a home addition costing more than $5,000 is undertaken. If you can bring the project in for less, it’s still wise to double-check, since laws can change. Find the latest building permit fee structure, last revised in 2010, on the county's website. Mark the application date on a calendar since permits expire in six months from date of issuance.

Submit two copies of your building plans to Charlotte/Mecklenberg officials for review, along with the building permit and plot plan so all of the details of your screened porch addition can be evaluated. Include in your submission package the costs you have computed to undertake the building project, including those incurred as a result of drawing up construction plans, equipment rentals, structural tests, exterior finishes and labor.

Purchase construction supplies. Choose from small, Charlotte-based mom and pop lumber stores or national do-it-yourself outlets to get the best deals on essentials like lumber, cement, roof trusses, tiles and hardware. Bring city and county guidelines along to make certain you purchase approved products. Rent tools and equipment. Review a variety of screening grades to choose the one that suits your porch design.

Expect visits from Charlotte or Mecklenberg County zoning board members once construction begins and throughout the process, even if you’re acting as your own contractor. Use the automated touchtone phone system at 704-336-8000 to book an inspection, obtain copies of inspection reports or ask questions about the city or county’s role during the construction.

Ask Charlotte officials for feedback on exterior features of the new porch before construction is complete to make certain your screened porch becomes a fully integrated feature of the home as it relates to the surrounding community. Follow the advice posted on Fine Home Building.com: always “let your porch take the lead” so it defines the character of your home as closely as did the original facade, and all of your hard work will pay off big time.