We are considering adding a covered porch to our cottage. I am trying to visualize enough to be able to start conversations with contractors about a potential plan.

The cottage is a 30'x30' bungalow with a hipped roof. The existing 8x 30’ deck would be replaced with a new slightly larger deck 12x30', with the covered portion to be about 12x 20'. I think a gable end or hipped roof would look better than a shed roof. I don't know enough about roof framing to know how the porch can tie into the existing roof.

We want the covered area to encompass the door and the window to the right (as pictured), but not obscure the view out the left window. The 3 season porch will have a screen door opening up to the deck and steps to driveway and front lawn.

Here is a rough photo of what I am dreaming of.

Can Option B or better, Option C be done, or will it create strange angles and complexity in the existing low slope hipped roof. I have scoured the web for porch plans but I am hung up on what I CAN do because of the roof situation.

Here is the actual cottage. The porch would go where that trashy pergola thing is.

All three options can be built. 'A' is the easiest, then 'B', finally 'C'.

I know you know how to build option 'A'. Only thing to say there is that it will be the most symmetrical looking - if that is important to you.

For option 'B', you will build the roofline just like it looks in your layout drawing. The dotted 'valley' on the right is actually a secondary ridge. You will build a small roof structure from this ridge down to the original house roof. This part of the roof can be a very steep pitch to keep it as small as possible.

Another version would be to cut the right-hand side of the new roof short so that it does not pass the hip ridge on the original house roof. You'll still need to make that small roof addition to run the roof down to the house roofline on the right quadrant.

Note that in both of the above you will also need to make a small cricket to handle the little area near the point of the addition roof that can trap water on the house roof.

Yet another option for 'B' is to locate and size the addition so that the right quadrant of the porch roof is on exactly the same plane as the right quadrant of the house roof. This way the two sections of roof are actually one roof and there is nothing to trap any water.

Option 'C' solutions are similar to those of 'B' except it will not look as clean. That, plus you'll have some strange gutter runs.

While you have some pros and cons for each style i think you should concentrate on your original 'givens' in that you want that left side window uncovered and room for a decent sized deck on the side. So I would go with option 'B' and try to design it so that the roof planes line up.

While it is a complex roof layout since you are planning on using a pro to build it then it will be enough to show him these drawings - he can handle the framing details to give you what you want.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jaybee,

Thanks JayBee! Thats exactly what I wanted to know. I appreciate your advice as always. Particularly your point about a good professional being able to work out the framing details for any of these options (with some variations, as you described).

I come back to option A, as you said the most symmetrical. Maybe "centering the covered section or having it run the entire length of the front of the cottage, wouldn't be so bad. A small wrap around open deck area to the left by the driveway, could provide some uncovered deck space.

Looking at the picture, it appears that the door is not centered - that the wall on the left of the windows is smaller than the wall on the right. That would give you two options of being 'symmetrical', either centered on the door & windows or centered on the house and roof peak.

Sometimes it just takes standing out in the yard and looking towards the house to decide which way would look the best.

You are right. The windows and doors are not centered and I think it will be critical to size up these options with all the visual implications.

I already ruled out a shed style roof because I assume it would have to connect under the existing eave which when sloping down to the front edge of the porch wouldn't give us the head room unless we lowered the deck so that you step up into the house. Is that the correct assumption?