Average Square Footage Cost

by John
(Crawfordsville In. Montgomery Co.)

QUESTION: What is the average square footage cost?

ANSWER: John, thanks much for visiting our site. Without knowing exactly the structure you had in mind, i.e.,a porch, screened porch, 3 season room, etc., costs vary widely based on so many different factors. For comparison purposes, consider the cost of a deck (which is a porch without a roof).

A southern yellow pine 20x20 deck costs approximately $10-$16 a square foot installed.
A redwood or cedar deck is $18-22 a square foot whereas teak will cost approximately $22-24.

A composite built deck is approximately $20 a square foot. Now add a roof, columns, railings, steps, etc., and the cost rises significantly.

One recent porch project, a 9 foot by 42 foot long porch with roof, railings, and steps, cost about $18,000.

A screen porch or 3 season porch will obviously have other costs associated with it to include more labor costs.

Here's a neat website that lists the average costs of many home additions, remodels, and replacements.

I recommend you contact a local contractor who specializes in the structure you'd like and they will be able to give you a fair estimate based on your local requirements, materials available, and labor costs.

Our friend, Nancy, from the Porch Company in Nashville offers some excellent advice about how to get a good contractor estimate.

Warm regards,
Dave