Let's talk first about a simple porch coverthat will easily fit over most anyone's 12x16 concrete slab in the backyard.You can use2x6's for the roof frame, add on the shingles, three 4x4 cedar posts to hold it up and a few nails and screws, and you have yourself a simple porch cover that looks very nice. You can install this cover for about $40 per square foot.
Now if you want to go a little more fancy, and install screen panels all the way around, with a screen door, that can be done as well. Everything has a cost, so the extra screen will run you about another $1000, bringing the total up to $44 per square foot.
Adding windows, electricity, maybe even an airconditioner will certainly be a few more bucks, but now your talking about a fairly inexpensive four season room that you will enjoy all year round. Installing glass panels andelectricity will probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of about $4000. This brings the square foot price up to about $61 per square foot.
Now let's talk materials. A porch is an outside structure so your looking for a material that is going to stand up well against the elements; we're talking sun, rain, mold, insects, cracking warping, splitting, etc. The three most common elements are going to be cedar, aluminum and a mixture of composites.
Cedar decks and porches have been the mainstay for many years.It stands up well against the elements, it has the deep rich beauty of wood and it's an easy material to construct with. Aluminum will probably last longer, itwill be a little more sturdy and it will look great as well. But now your getting into a material that's not quite as easy to use if this is a DYI project. You might want to hire a contractor to put this one together for you, and yes you guessed it Barker & Son Construction would be a perfect fit for this job. The last type of material choice will be composite. There are many types of composite materials out there. You can use composite deck materials such as Azek, Timber Tech or Fiberon, or you can get in touch with your local sunroom dealer and he can hook you up with some insulated ceiling tiles that come pre-fabricated to the job site. For this type of no-maintenance approach, you're definitely going to need a contractor. Once you get into these types of materials the cost goes way up, and the design andinstallation becomes much more complicated, but certainly doable.
Either way you'll be spending a lot more time outdoors having fun, and a lot less time inside the house wearing out the television!
