Estimating the cost of building a porch is challenging when the economy is wrestling with inflation. Material costs and labour have risen substantially. We’ll bring you up to speed on just how much to ensure your project is accurately costed and to minimise overspend.r Naturally, building costs vary by size, type, and complexity, so in this article, we’ll cover the cost of building a porch across various regions in the UK.

To give you an accurate view of costs, we’ll compare four different types of porches:

• Brick porch – constructed with bricks.
• Rendered porch – built with blocks and a rendered finish.
• Timber porch (enclosed) – made primarily from wood.
• Open porch – without enclosed walls, and offering an external shelter.

Let’s explore the cost breakdown for each type of porch, to help you make an informed decision about on which is best for your construction project.

Building A Porch Construction Cost Calculations

In our calculations, we applied a consistent methodology across different regions. The cost comparisons are based on a gross external floor area (GEFA) of 3m². You can build a porch as large as this without submitting a planning permission application.

The only exception is the open porch. Our calculation for this is based on a GEFA of 2m2, which more than suffices.

In terms of build specification BuildPartner pricing tool gives you three broad options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Low spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Mid spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• High spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.

To keep this comparison simple, we have chosen mid spec in all our cost estimations. In addition to this, we have also provided three different benchmarks to show the range you can expect amongst different contractors. These are:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Of Building A Brick Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 brick porch in the UK:

Brick Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£6,923	£7,552	£8,181	£2,308	£2,517	£2,727
London	£8,100	£9,057	£10,094	£2,700	£3,019	£3,365
Midlands	£6,773	£7,389	£8,004	£2,258	£2,463	£2,668
North England	£6,454	£7,327	£7,938	£2,151	£2,442	£2,646
Northern Ireland	£6,565	£7,627	£7,040	£2,151	£2,542	£2,347
Scotland	£6,676	£7,283	£7,890	£2,225	£2,428	£2,630
South East	£7,452	£8,333	£9,245	£2,700	£3,019	£3,314
South West	£6,850	£7,741	£8,496	£2,308	£2,580	£2,832
Wales	£6,778	£7,579	£8,133	£2,259	£2,526	£2,711
Average	£6,952	£7,765	£8,336	£2,340	£2,615	£2,804

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a brick porch:

• It costs 21% more to build a porch in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £6,454 and the maximum cost is £10,094.
• The total average cost is £7,684, or £2,587 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Rendered Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 rendered porch in the UK:

Rendered Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£6,387	£6,968	£7,549	£2,129	£2,323	£2,516
London	£7,405	£8,281	£9,241	£2,468	£2,760	£3,080
Midlands	£6,257	£6,826	£7,395	£2,086	£2,275	£2,465
North England	£5,979	£6,774	£7,338	£1,993	£2,258	£2,446
Northern Ireland	£5,859	£6,638	£7,191	£1,953	£2,213	£2,397
Scotland	£6,178	£6,739	£7,301	£2,059	£2,246	£2,434
South East	£6,813	£7,618	£8,452	£2,271	£2,539	£2,817
South West	£6,325	£7,142	£7,839	£2,108	£2,381	£2,613
Wales	£6,262	£7,002	£7,507	£2,087	£2,334	£2,502
Average	£6,385	£7,110	£7,757	£2,128	£2,370	£2,586

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a rendered porch:

• The minimum cost is £5,859 and the maximum cost is £9,241.
• The total average cost is £7,084, or £2,361 per square metre.

Cost Of Building A Timber Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 3m2 timber porch in the UK:

Timber Porch (Enclosed)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£5,758	£6,281	£6,805	£1,919	£2,094	£2,268
London	£6,470	£7,234	£7,940	£2,157	£2,411	£2,647
Midlands	£5,658	£6,173	£6,687	£1,886	£2,058	£2,229
North England	£5,451	£6,139	£6,650	£1,817	£2,046	£2,217
Northern Ireland	£5,535	£5,946	£6,442	£1,817	£1,982	£2,147
Scotland	£5,619	£6,130	£6,641	£1,873	£2,043	£2,214
South East	£5,952	£6,656	£7,305	£2,157	£2,411	£2,647
South West	£5,711	£6,438	£7,066	£1,919	£2,146	£2,355
Wales	£5,664	£6,333	£6,776	£1,888	£2,111	£2,259
Average	£5,757	£6,370	£6,924	£1,937	£2,145	£2,331

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building a timber porch:

• The minimum cost is £5,451 and the maximum cost is £7,940.
• The total average cost is £6,350, or £2,138 per square metre.

Cost Of Building An Open Porch

Here’s a table showing the average cost of building a 2m2 open porch:

Open Porch	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark	Low Benchmark	Mid Benchmark	High Benchmark
East Anglia	£2,483	£2,709	£2,934	£1,242	£1,354	£1,467
London	£2,879	£3,219	£3,533	£1,439	£1,609	£1,767
Midlands	£2,435	£2,657	£2,878	£1,218	£1,328	£1,439
North England	£2,328	£2,633	£2,852	£1,164	£1,316	£1,426
Northern Ireland	£2,359	£2,540	£2,752	£1,164	£1,270	£1,376
Scotland	£2,390	£2,608	£2,825	£1,195	£1,304	£1,412
South East	£2,648	£2,961	£3,286	£1,439	£1,609	£1,767
South West	£2,459	£2,776	£3,047	£1,242	£1,388	£1,524
Wales	£2,484	£2,723	£2,918	£1,218	£1,361	£1,459
Average	£2,496	£2,758	£3,003	£1,258	£1,393	£1,515

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of building an open porch:

• The minimum cost is £2,328 and the maximum cost is £3,533.
• The total average cost is £2,752, or £1,389 per square metre.

Summary Of The Average Cost To Build A Porch

So, how much does it cost to build a new porch in the UK? That depends largely on where you are building. If you’re building a porch in London, it will cost you an average of 21% more, whereas if you’re building in North England, it will cost you around 8% less on average.

Based on the four different types of porches covered in this article, you can expect building a porch to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Brick porch – £7,765, or £2,615 per square metre
• Rendered porch – £7,110, or £2,370 per square metre
• Timber porch (enclosed) – £6,370, or £2,145 per square metre
• Open porch – £2,758, or £1,393 per square metre

Please remember all costs exclude VAT.

Frequently Asked Questions About Building A Porch

Here are some frequently asked questions about building a porch.

Can I build a porch without planning permission?

Porches are generally regarded as permitted developments, providing they adhere to certain conditions. The gross external floor area must not exceed three square metres, and the porch must be no higher than three metres above ground level. Also, the porch must be more than two metres away from the boundary of the property.

Does a porch add value to a house?

It’s not possible to quantify the extent to which a porch adds value to a property. However, a new porch boosts curb appeal and increased the perceived value of the property. It also serves as an extra barrier against heat loss, making it harder for heat to escape a house, increasing the overall energy efficiency.

How long does it take to build a porch?

Building a porch can take anywhere between a few days to a few weeks. It depends on the complexity of the project and waiting times. If, for example, you’re waiting for a heating engineer to connect pipework and install a radiator, the project could take longer. 

The same is true of other trades, such as roofers, electricians, plasterers, and joiners. One to two weeks would be reasonable, providing tradesmen are aligned to the project timelines.