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.
Anyone planning a new porch in Washington wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £3,200–£7,200 including VAT for the North East up front, explain that work normally takes 1–2 weeks on site, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £3,200–£7,200 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 weeks on site
- Postcodes
- NE37 and NE38
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Sunderland
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a new porch in Washington?
Use the table to gauge the cost of a new porch in Washington before we visit. Figures include VAT and are scaled for the North East, coming out about 10% below the national guide, which gives £3,200–£7,200 overall. After a free survey, you receive a fixed written price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy or open porch | A tiled or lead canopy, or an open timber porch, over an existing door. | £900–£2,700 |
| uPVC or aluminium porch | A glazed enclosed porch on a brick dwarf wall with a new door. | £2,700–£5,000 |
| Brick-built porch | A fully brick-built porch matching the house, with tiled roof, windows and lighting. | £5,000–£9,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Floor area and height of the porch
- Construction: uPVC, aluminium, brick or timber frame
- Door and window specification
- Drains, meters or paths that need moving
Scope of the work
- 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
- Roof tiled or covered to suit the house, with flashing
- Windows and an external door in your chosen style
- Guttering and a downpipe connected to drainage
What are homes like around Washington?
Tyneside flats, pairs of upper and lower flats behind a terraced front, are a distinctive feature of Newcastle and Gateshead. Sunderland is known for its single-storey terraced 'Sunderland cottages', and both cities have Victorian brick and stone terraces, interwar estates and post-war housing. Washington was built as a new town from the 1960s.
Terraces and Tyneside flats commonly need repointing, roof work and window replacement. Houses suit loft rooms and rear extensions, and new-town homes often take garage conversions and cladding upgrades.
So when we survey a Washington property for a new porch, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Planning and building rules in Washington
As Washington is in England, read the following with that system of planning and building control in mind. We check what applies to your house with the council before you receive a 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?
A visit to your home
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for a new porch so the price reflects your home.
Quote in writing
Next you receive a written quote with a fixed price for the agreed specification. It lists what is included, what is not, and how payments are staged, so you can compare it properly.
Dates and permissions
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
On site to finish
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
What you can expect from us
Porches in Washington: questions
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.
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.
How much does a porch cost?
A typical enclosed porch of 2–3m² costs £3,200–£7,200, 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.
How long will a new porch take?
On a typical home, allow 1–2 weeks on site. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
What style of porch suits my house?
The right porch style usually echoes your house. Brick-built porches with a tiled roof suit traditional brick homes, while uPVC or aluminium porches suit newer houses and give more light. Matching the roof pitch, brick colour and window style to the house helps the porch look as if it has always been there. We bring photos and options to the survey.
Near Washington
We cover every part of Washington, including NE37 and NE38, and nearby Chester-le-Street, Felling and Houghton-Le-Spring. Wherever you are within that patch, the survey is free and the quote comes to you in writing.