A porch is a small enclosed structure built over a front or side door, adding a weatherproof entrance space for coats, shoes and deliveries, improving security and reducing draughts and heat loss from the house.
From a first conversation about a new porch to the day the site is cleared, homeowners in Soho deal with us directly. We come out to measure up at no cost, explain the choices in plain terms and send a written quote. For context, comparable work in London usually falls within £4,600–£10,500 including VAT, and it is available across W1, W1B, WC2H and W1D.
- Guide price
- £4,600–£10,500 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- W1, W1B, WC2H, W1D and W1F
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Westminster
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new porch in Soho?
To help you plan, we show what a new porch typically costs in Soho instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £4,600–£10,500 with VAT, using rates in London that are about 30% above the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Soho |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy or open porch | A tiled or lead canopy, or an open timber porch, over an existing door. | £1,300–£3,900 |
| uPVC or aluminium porch | A glazed enclosed porch on a brick dwarf wall with a new door. | £3,900–£7,200 |
| Brick-built porch | A fully brick-built porch matching the house, with tiled roof, windows and lighting. | £7,200–£13,000 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Floor area and height of the porch
- Construction: uPVC, aluminium, brick or timber frame
- Roof type and how it meets the house
- Door and window specification
What do you get?
- Survey of the doorway, paths, drains and meters
- Foundations and a concrete base with damp-proof membrane
- Brick dwarf walls or full brick walls to match the house
- Guttering and a downpipe connected to drainage
- Electrics for lighting or sockets by a qualified electrician
- Plastering, sills, skirting and flooring ready to use
Homes in London
London's housing is dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often in yellow London stock brick, with Georgian terraces in central districts and mansion blocks across many inner areas. Outer boroughs have large belts of interwar semis, and there are extensive post-war council estates. Many houses have been split into flats, and conservation areas are widespread.
London Clay shrinks and swells with the seasons, and street trees close to houses can contribute to movement, which affects foundation design.
Whatever era your Soho home dates from, we plan a new porch around how it is actually built rather than a one-size-fits-all specification.
Permissions for a new porch in Soho
Soho is in England, so the planning and building rules set out below are the ones that apply. We confirm the details with the council before we quote.
In England, a porch is usually permitted development if its ground floor area is no more than 3 m², no part is higher than 3 m, and it is at least 2 m from any boundary with a road.
Small porches at ground level are usually exempt from Building Regulations if the front door stays in place between porch and house, but safety glazing and any electrics must still comply.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
We look at the job
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price a new porch properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Written quote
We turn the survey notes into a written quote. The price is fixed for the specification we agree, and the document sets out materials, scope and payment stages in plain language.
Dates and permissions
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a new porch are in place before the first day on site.
The work itself
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Common questions
How much does a porch cost?
A typical enclosed porch of 2–3m² costs £4,600–£10,500, including foundations, walls, roof, windows and a new door. A uPVC porch on a dwarf wall sits at the lower end, while a fully brick-built porch with a tiled roof costs more. Open canopies cost less. The door specification and moving drains or meters also affect the price. We confirm a fixed price after the survey.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
Can I use my porch as a room?
A porch is designed as an entrance space for coats, shoes and deliveries rather than a habitable room. If you want to use it as part of the house, for example by removing the front door between them, it is likely to need building regulations approval like a small extension, with higher insulation standards. We can design the porch to suit either use.
What if there is a gas meter or drain where the porch will go?
A gas or electric meter box or a drain in the porch area does not usually stop a porch being built, but it affects the design and cost. Meters may need moving by the supplier, which takes time to arrange. Manholes can sometimes be enclosed with a sealed cover, depending on the drainage. We check these details at the survey and include them in the quote.
Do you cover Westminster, Pimlico and Camden Town?
Yes. As well as Soho, we cover Westminster, Pimlico and Camden Town and the rest of London. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
Near Soho
We survey and quote throughout Soho's W1, W1B, WC2H and W1D postcodes and in surrounding places such as Westminster, Pimlico and Camden Town. The process and pricing approach are identical in each of them.