Key Takeaways
- $2,000-$6,000: Screen in an existing covered porch ($10-$25/sq ft)
- $12,000-$30,000: Convert an existing deck with a new roof and screens ($40-$100/sq ft)
- $15,000-$45,000: Build a new screened porch from scratch ($50-$120/sq ft in KC)
- $2,500-$8,000: Three-season window panels to stretch the season
- Roughly half a sunroom: A comparable three-season sunroom runs $25,000-$60,000
If you're searching "screened in porch cost," you've probably seen everything from $2,000 to $50,000, and the frustrating thing is that both numbers are right. The price depends almost entirely on one question: how much of the structure already exists?
I build screened porches, decks, and patios across the Kansas City metro, where mosquitoes have a five-month season and a screened porch is the difference between enjoying a June evening and hiding indoors. In this guide I'll break the project into its three real scenarios, screening what you have, roofing a deck, and building new, with honest installed pricing for each.
For a national baseline, HomeGuide's screened-in porch data puts screening an existing porch at $2,000-$5,800 and a new build at $10,000-$35,000 or more. Kansas City tracks close to those numbers, usually a notch below, thanks to Midwest labor rates.
Screened Porch Cost by Build Type
Here are the three scenarios I quote, from least to most construction. Find the one that matches your starting point and you'll have a realistic budget in two minutes:
Screen an Existing Covered Porch
$2,000 - $6,000You already have the roof and floor, which are the expensive parts. We frame the openings, install screen panels and a screen door, and you're done. At $10-$25 per square foot, this is the best value in outdoor living.
What's included:
- • Framing between existing posts
- • Fiberglass or aluminum screen panels
- • Screen door with closer
- • Optional screened knee wall
Timeline
2-4 days
Best for
Homes with an existing covered porch or roofed patio
Convert an Existing Deck
$12,000 - $30,000The most common project we build. Your deck becomes the floor; we add posts, beams, a roof tied into the house, and screen walls. The catch: most decks weren't built to carry a roof, so budget for reinforced framing and often new footings. At $40-$100 per square foot, the roof is where the money goes.
What's included:
- • Structural check + reinforcement
- • Posts, beams, rafters, shingle roof
- • Full screen walls and door
- • Ceiling, fan-rated electrical box
Timeline
2-4 weeks on site
Best for
Solid existing decks in the right spot for a porch
New Screened Porch from Scratch
$15,000 - $45,000Footings below the frost line, framed floor, roof structure, screens, and finishes, a true room addition without walls. In Kansas City this runs $50-$120 per square foot depending on size, roof style, and finish level; national guides quote up to $175 in higher-cost markets. Gable roofs, tongue-and-groove ceilings, and stone accents push the top of the range.
What's included:
- • Footings dug below KC's ~36" frost line
- • Framed floor or slab, roof tied to house
- • Screens, door, electrical, ceiling fan
- • Finish ceiling, lighting, railing options
Timeline
3-5 weeks on site
Best for
Homes with no existing structure and a long-term plan
Starting from bare ground and torn between options? Our patio construction and deck construction pages show what each base structure costs on its own, and a covered patio or roofed deck today can be designed so screens drop in easily later.
Screened Porch Cost at a Glance
Here's the whole picture in one table, with a 200-square-foot porch (a common 12x16 or 14x14 size) as the working example:
| Build Type | Per Sq Ft | 200 Sq Ft Example | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen existing covered porch | $10 - $25 | $2,000 - $5,000 | 2-4 days |
| Convert existing deck (add roof) | $40 - $100 | $8,000 - $20,000 | 2-4 weeks |
| New screened porch (from scratch) | $50 - $120 | $10,000 - $24,000 | 3-5 weeks |
| Three-season upgrade (window panels) | Add $15 - $40 | +$2,500 - $8,000 | 2-5 days |
What Actually Drives the Price
Two porches with the same footprint can be $15,000 apart. Here's where the difference comes from:
The roof. A simple shed roof off the house eave is the most affordable. A gable roof with a vaulted, tongue-and-groove ceiling looks spectacular and adds 20-40% to the structure cost. Tying any roof cleanly into the existing house roofline, with proper flashing, is skilled work that separates a porch that lasts from one that leaks.
Footings and framing. In Kansas City, roof-bearing posts need footings below the roughly 36-inch frost line, same as a deck. Converting a deck that wasn't engineered for a roof usually means adding or upsizing footings, which can add $1,500-$4,000 but is non-negotiable for a structure that holds up through our freeze-thaw winters.
Flooring material. Pressure-treated decking is the budget pick, composite adds $10-$20 per square foot but never needs refinishing under a roof it lasts nearly forever, and a concrete or paver floor on new builds changes the foundation approach entirely.
Screen type. Standard fiberglass mesh is cheap and fine for most homes. Pet-resistant screen, finer no-see-um mesh, and solar-shading screen each add cost, and premium removable-panel systems (such as Screeneze or similar track systems) make future re-screening a ten-minute job instead of an afternoon. Fine Homebuilding has good comparisons of screening systems if you want to go deep on the options.
Electrical and comfort. A ceiling fan is close to mandatory in a Kansas City July; budget $250-$700 for the circuit, box, and fan. Recessed lighting, outlets, and an outdoor-rated TV hookup add a few hundred each. A gas or wood-burning outdoor fireplace turns the porch into a fall destination and adds $3,000-$10,000.
Three-Season Upgrades: Stretching the Calendar
A screened porch in Kansas City is comfortable roughly April through October. The most cost-effective way to stretch that is vinyl or acrylic window panels that install over or in place of the screens, systems like EZE-Breeze, which run $2,500-$8,000 for a typical porch. Add a ceiling fan for summer and an infrared heater or fireplace for shoulder seasons, and you're using the space ten months a year for a fraction of what a conditioned room costs.
Screened Porch vs Sunroom: The Cost Gap
The upgrade question we hear most: "For a little more, should we just do a sunroom?" It's usually more than a little. A three-season sunroom with real glass windows runs $25,000-$60,000, and a four-season sunroom with insulation, a proper foundation, and HVAC runs $50,000-$100,000+. We've broken down local pricing in our sunroom cost guide, and our sunroom installation page shows what each type looks like built.
The short version: choose the screened porch for airflow, summer evenings, and budget; choose the sunroom for year-round conditioned space. For the full three-way breakdown, see our sunroom vs screened porch vs covered patio comparison.
Where to Save and Where to Spend
After years of building these, here's where the budget stretches and where cutting corners comes back to bite:
Smart Places to Save
- Use what exists – A sound deck or covered patio saves $10,000+
- Shed roof over gable – Simpler framing, 20-40% less roof cost
- Standard fiberglass screen – Upgrade only the panels pets can reach
- Pressure-treated floor – Under a roof, it weathers far more slowly
- Wire for extras now, install later – Rough-in for the fan and heater costs little
Never Cut Corners On
- Footings under roof posts – Frost heave will rack the whole structure
- The roof tie-in and flashing – Leaks here rot the house wall, not just the porch
- Deck load capacity – Never set a roof on framing that wasn't built for it
- Permits – Roofed structures need them in nearly every KC metro city
Is a Screened Porch Worth It?
In our climate, emphatically yes. Kansas City gives you gorgeous springs and falls and a mosquito population that wants to share them. A screened porch is the cheapest real room you can add to a house, and covered outdoor living space consistently ranks among the features buyers ask for. HomeAdvisor's screened porch data shows the same pattern nationally: high use, strong buyer appeal, modest cost next to conditioned additions. For the resale math on outdoor projects generally, our deck vs patio cost and ROI comparison digs into which outdoor dollars come back at sale time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a screened-in porch cost in 2026?
It depends on how much structure already exists. Screening in an existing covered porch runs $2,000-$6,000 ($10-$25 per square foot). Converting an existing deck by adding a roof and screens runs $12,000-$30,000 ($40-$100 per square foot). Building a new screened porch from scratch, with footings, framing, and roof, runs $15,000-$45,000, or roughly $50-$120 per square foot in the Kansas City market.
How much does it cost to screen in an existing covered porch?
If you already have a roofed porch or covered patio, adding screen panels and a screen door typically costs $2,000-$6,000 depending on size and screen type. Basic fiberglass screening with aluminum framing sits at the low end; premium systems with removable panels, pet-resistant mesh, or screened knee walls push toward the high end.
How much does it cost to convert a deck to a screened porch?
Plan on $12,000-$30,000 for a typical 150-300 square foot deck. The screens themselves are cheap; the roof is the expense. You are adding posts, beams, rafters, roofing tied into the house, and often reinforcing the deck framing and footings to carry the roof load. Decks not built to support a roof may need new footings, which is the most common budget surprise.
What is the difference in cost between a screened porch and a sunroom?
A screened porch is roughly half the cost of a comparable sunroom. Where a new screened porch runs $15,000-$45,000, a three-season sunroom with glass windows runs $25,000-$60,000, and a four-season sunroom with insulation, HVAC, and a foundation runs $50,000-$100,000+. The screened porch wins on cost and airflow; the sunroom wins on year-round use.
Does a screened-in porch add value to a home?
Yes. Covered outdoor living space is one of the most requested features among Kansas City buyers, and a well-built screened porch typically returns a healthy share of its cost at resale, on par with decks and patios. Just as important, it is usable space: screens turn a porch you avoid during mosquito season into a room you live in from April through October.
Do I need a permit to build a screened-in porch?
Almost always, yes. Adding a roof structure or enclosing a porch is a building project in most Kansas City metro cities, requiring a permit and inspections of footings, framing, and the roof tie-in. Permit fees typically run $100-$500. Simply re-screening existing openings usually does not require a permit.
What does it cost to make a screened porch three-season?
Adding vinyl or acrylic window panels (systems like EZE-Breeze) over the screens typically costs $2,500-$8,000 depending on the number of openings. Combined with a ceiling fan and an outdoor-rated heater or fireplace, that stretches the season from roughly seven months to ten in the Kansas City climate, without the cost of a full sunroom conversion.
How long does it take to build a screened-in porch?
Screening an existing porch takes 2-4 days. A deck conversion or new-build screened porch takes about 2-4 weeks of construction once permits are in hand, plus 2-4 weeks up front for design, permitting, and material orders. Spring slots fill up fast in Kansas City; homeowners who book in winter are usually on the porch by May.
Ready to Get Started?
The ranges in this guide will get you to a realistic budget, but your home's structure, the roof style you want, and your finish choices set the final number. The spring calendar fills fast; homeowners who plan in winter are on the porch by the first warm evening.
If you'd like an exact quote, we offer free consultations across the Kansas City metro. We'll look at your existing porch, deck, or yard, talk through build options, and give you a firm number, usually within 24-48 hours. Call (816) 365-9308 or use the form below.
About the Author
Bob Coulston, Owner of Coulston Construction
Bob is a 4th generation contractor who founded Coulston Construction 15 years ago. His team of 30+ employees has built screened porches, decks, and outdoor living spaces across the Kansas City metro, from simple porch screening projects to full three-season rooms. The company maintains a 5.0 Google rating with 500+ reviews and an A+ BBB rating.
Learn more about Bob →