What is a porch?
A porch is a small enclosed entrance built in front of the front door, giving somewhere for coats and shoes and a buffer against draughts. Many porches are small enough to be built without a planning application.
We build porches in matching brick with a tiled or lead roof, a new composite or timber door, and lighting. If you want a wider entrance or a WC, we can design a larger front extension instead and handle the planning.
- Typical time on site
- 1 to 3 weeks
- Guide price
- £2,500 to £16,000
- Building regulations
- Often exempt
What is included?
- Design to match the house
- Foundations and matching brickwork
- Tiled, slate or lead roof
- Front door and side window supply and fit
- Lighting and power
- Plastering and flooring ready finish
How much does a porch cost?
Most brick porches cost between £6,000 and £10,000 including VAT, including the new door.
| Porches | Guide price incl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Open canopy over the door | £2,500 to £5,000 |
| Brick porch with tiled roof | £6,000 to £10,000 |
| Larger porch or front extension | £10,000 to £16,000 |
Unit: per porch. Guide ranges only; your price is fixed in writing after the survey.
Use the guide price tool for a figure based on your size and specification, or see all guide prices.
Does a porch need planning permission?
England
In England a porch is permitted development if its footprint is no more than 3 m² measured externally, no part is higher than 3 m, and no part is within 2 m of a boundary with a road or footpath. Larger porches need planning permission.
Wales
In Wales small porches are usually permitted development, with similar size limits to England. Larger porches or those close to the road need planning permission.
Scotland
In Scotland small porches can be permitted development within size and position limits. A building warrant may still be needed, so we check before starting.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland small porches are usually permitted development within size and position limits; larger ones need planning permission.
What about building regulations?
Porches under 30 m² with the existing front door retained are often exempt from building regulations in England and Wales, but any glazing must meet safety standards and a new door or window must meet energy rules.
What should I think about before starting?
- Keeping the original front door between house and porch can keep a porch exempt from building regulations.
- Gas meters and drains near the front door may need relocating.
- The roof pitch should echo the main roof or bay window.
How does the project run?
- Tell us about the project. Call, use the guide price tool or send the form with a few photos and a postcode.
- Free site visit. We measure up, look at access, drains and the structure, and talk through options and budget.
- Design and fixed price. You get drawings and a written price for the agreed specification before anything is ordered.
- Build and hand over. Our teams build to the programme, building control inspects, and you get the completion paperwork at the end.
Questions about porches
Do I need planning permission for a porch?
Not in England if it is no bigger than 3 m², no higher than 3 m and at least 2 m from the boundary with a road.
How much does a porch cost?
Most brick porches with a tiled roof cost about £6,000 to £10,000 including VAT.
How long does it take?
One to three weeks on site.
Can a porch include a toilet?
Yes, but it becomes a front extension, which usually needs planning permission and building regulations approval.
Will the brick match?
We source the closest available match and agree it with you before building.
Related projects
- Single-storey extensions
- Double-storey extensions
- Side return extensions
- Wraparound extensions
- Kitchen extensions
Where do we build porches?
We take on porches across England, Wales, mainland Scotland and Northern Ireland. Choose your area:
- Porches in Bedfordshire
- Porches in Berkshire
- Porches in Bristol
- Porches in Buckinghamshire
- Porches in Cambridgeshire
- Porches in Cheshire
- Porches in Cornwall
- Porches in Cumbria
- Porches in Derbyshire
- Porches in Devon
- Porches in Dorset
- Porches in County Durham
- Porches in the East Riding of Yorkshire
- Porches in East Sussex
- Porches in Essex
- Porches in Gloucestershire
- Porches in London
- Porches in Greater Manchester
- Porches in Hampshire
- Porches in Herefordshire
- Porches in Hertfordshire
- Porches in the Isle of Wight
- Porches in Kent
- Porches in Lancashire
- Porches in Leicestershire
- Porches in Lincolnshire
- Porches in Merseyside
- Porches in Norfolk
- Porches in North Yorkshire
- Porches in Northamptonshire
- Porches in Northumberland
- Porches in Nottinghamshire
- Porches in Oxfordshire
- Porches in Rutland
- Porches in Shropshire
- Porches in Somerset
- Porches in South Yorkshire
- Porches in Staffordshire
- Porches in Suffolk
- Porches in Surrey
- Porches in Tyne and Wear
- Porches in Warwickshire
- Porches in the West Midlands
- Porches in West Sussex
- Porches in West Yorkshire
- Porches in Wiltshire
- Porches in Worcestershire
- Porches in Clwyd
- Porches in Dyfed
- Porches in Gwent
- Porches in Gwynedd and Anglesey
- Porches in Mid Glamorgan
- Porches in Powys
- Porches in South Glamorgan
- Porches in West Glamorgan
- Porches in Glasgow
- Porches in Edinburgh
- Porches in the Lothians
- Porches in Lanarkshire
- Porches in Ayrshire
- Porches in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
- Porches in Dunbartonshire
- Porches in the Forth Valley
- Porches in Fife
- Porches in Perth and Kinross
- Porches in Dundee and Angus
- Porches in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
- Porches in Moray
- Porches in the Highlands
- Porches in Dumfries and Galloway
- Porches in the Scottish Borders
- Porches in County Antrim
- Porches in County Armagh
- Porches in County Down
- Porches in County Fermanagh
- Porches in County Londonderry
- Porches in County Tyrone