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5 Upgraded Back Covered Porch Ideas for Your Outdoor Space

Here at Structurally Speaking, we love to help homeowners upgrade the look of their backyards. Our back covered porch ideas can help make your outdoor space more functional for the whole family, while also beautifully flowing with the rest of your home.

When we design an outdoor living space, we always start with a free consultation to see your yard and home, and to speak to you about how your family intends to use your new porch. Then, we design it specifically for you so it works perfectly for your needs. Our custom porches range from small and simple to large and elaborate, with everything in between. Here are our five best ideas if you want to upgrade the look of a simple-style porch without busting your budget.

Add Screens to Your Back Porch

One of the best ways to make your back porch more functional is to add screens. Enclosing a porch doesn’t have to be expensive, and it comes with several benefits:

You can use your porch during more months of the year, especially if you add shutters or curtains.
The screens provide protection from rain, so you can use it more often.
An enclosed porch is a safer place for kids and pets to play.
Screens protect you from mosquitos and other pests, which is especially helpful when you’re dining outside.
Because the screens help protect the porch from the elements, it can last longer than an unprotected porch.

Keep in mind that you can choose to add screens to just a potion of your porch. You can keep some of the porch open while enclosing another portion. Or, we can also design a new porch and deck combination space, which has both a screened-in back porch and a deck area that isn’t covered.

Create the Perfect Outdoor Kitchen

Adding a kitchen area to your porch is a great way to upgrade the look of the space and make it more functional. A porch with an outdoor kitchen can easily flow into your home’s indoor kitchen. It makes gatherings and even simple family dinners easier to enjoy outside.

Designing a porch with an outdoor kitchen doesn’t have to break the bank. Yes, outdoor kitchens can be extravagant. However, they can also be simple, with a few features that your family will use most often, like a grill or a wet bar, or even just a dedicated dining area. Whatever you want from your outdoor kitchen, we can design it and make it happen.

Use Lighting for Ambiance

Lighting is a super important part on any space, indoor or out. There are three main types of lighting:

Ambient lighting is general lighting, usually from a ceiling fixture, that lights the space and gives your porch an overall look and feel.
Task lighting provides direct lighting in specific areas where it is most needed. For example, if you’re going to create a back porch reading nook, you’ll want a lamp to illuminate whatever you’re reading, even as the sun starts to set. Or, as another example, if your porch has stairs, you’ll want lighting to prevent tripping.
Lastly, accent lighting can help give the space some extra flair. Accent lighting can illuminate artwork, highlight features such as a waterfall, create a certain coziness to a space (think light from a fireplace or fairy lights), or even add color to a room.

We recommend considering all three types of lighting when choosing the back covered porch ideas that work best for you.

Upgrade Your Porch with Unique Finishes

Sometimes, the best way to spend your back porch budget is by choosing unique materials and finishes. Most people use pressure-treated pine decking material. However, we offer a wide selection including cedar, exotic hardwoods, and composite decking.

Additionally, we can help you select finishes such as paint or stain to help your porch feel like it flows with the rest of your home. We can also lay the boards in an interesting pattern, install unique railings, and even add custom touches like crown molding.

Include Features Your Family will Actually Use

There’s no shortage of features you can include for your new porch. However, we recommend thinking carefully about what your family will actually use. When it comes to back covered porch ideas, sometimes less is more. Will you actually use that outdoor fireplace, or will it just be another thing to maintain? Do you really want built-in planters, or will they go unused and turn into little more than boxes of dirt? Does it make sense to add extra seating when your kids just want more open space to play?

During our initial consultation, we can help you answer these questions and more. The purpose of a back porch is to actually use it to enjoy your outdoor space! The better we can customize your porch to meet your family’s needs, the more use you will get out of it.

FAQs About Our Back Covered Porch Ideas

The back porch ideas listed in this article are just a start. We’d love to meet with you to discuss what you want in your new porch. Our team members are happy to answer whatever questions you have. Here are a few we commonly hear.

How much will a new porch cost?

Cost depends on the scope of the project. We’ll talk about your budget upfront and make sure you are comfortable with the final price tag. Keep in mind that it is typically less expensive to hire a porch builder like Structurally Speaking. We’ll ensure you have the proper necessary permits, use high-quality materials, and build a porch that will last decades. Hiring a professional is always the way to go.

What size is best for a back porch?

Again, it depends! We want your porch to be big enough to be useful, while also not taking up your entire back yard. Don’t worry if your space is small; we have experience building small porches and decks.

What other types of outdoor living spaces do you build?

If you can dream it, we can build it! We love custom projects, including sun porches, wrap-around decks and porches, screened-in porches, farmer’s porches (i.e. front porches), floating decks, two-story decks, and more. Click here to contact us for a free consultation.