Kansas City gives you roughly 174 days a year when the temperature climbs to 70 degrees or better. It also hands you about 36 days above 90, a mosquito season that peaks from July through September, and pop-up storms that can end a cookout in ten minutes flat. A screened porch in Kansas City is how you keep the good half of that weather and skip the rest.
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An open deck is great in May. By late July, most homeowners we talk to have stopped using theirs. Here is what changes when you add screen:
If you want the roof without the screen, our covered decks page walks through that option. If you want shade without a solid roof, look at pergolas.
We publish real numbers instead of making you chase a quote to find out if you are in the ballpark.
| Starting price | $45,000 |
|---|---|
| Typical range | $55,000 to $80,000 |
| Cost per square foot | $220 to $320 |
| Common build size | 16′ x 14′ with a 4’x4′ egress landing and a 4′ wide staircase, 2′ to 8′ above grade |
What pushes the number up:
Screened porches cost more per square foot than a deck or a covered deck because you are buying a roof, a foundation carrying that roof, framing, screen systems, and usually electrical. You are also getting the highest usable-days-per-dollar of anything we build. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.
This is where a lot of projects go sideways with the wrong contractor. A few things worth knowing before you sign anything:
Anything roofed and attached to your house needs a permit. On the Missouri side, Kansas City runs residential permits through the CompassKC portal under City Planning and Development, and plan review for one- and two-family homes commonly takes a few weeks. Johnson County cities each have their own process. We pull the permits and schedule the inspections on every project. It is not an add-on.
Footings have to go below the frost line. Kansas City, Missouri, sets frost depth at 36 inches, and Johnson County requires a minimum 36-inch frost footing as well. A porch roof is a real load. Shortcut the footings, and you get movement.
Our soil does not make it easy. Much of Jackson County and northern Johnson County sits on expansive clay that swells and shrinks with moisture. Southern Johnson County runs into shallow limestone. Both change how footings get designed and dug, and both are reasons a porch should not be sized off a generic plan.
Historic districts add a step. If your home is listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, the Historic Preservation Commission has to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit can be issued. That applies in neighborhoods like Hyde Park and Coleman Highlands. Build the review time into your schedule.
Enclose too much, and it becomes an addition. There is a line between a screened structure and a conditioned room. Cross it, and you trigger energy code, egress, and structural requirements that change the scope and the cost. We flag that at design, not after framing.
We install the ScreenEze screen system because stapled and splined screens sag over time. An aluminum base holds the fabric, a vinyl cap snaps over it and tensions it, and the screws hide underneath. Panels span up to 150 square feet, so fewer seams and more view. It carries a 10-year limited warranty in black, white, sand, or clay.
We also install SnapTrack for face-mounted applications, the Sliding Screen Door where swing clearance is tight, and the Flatbar Arch System for curved openings.
Screen fabric depends on how you use the porch:
| Fabric | Best for |
|---|---|
| BetterVue | The default for most porches. Good airflow, natural view |
| UltraVue 2 | Homeowners who want the clearest possible sightline |
| No-See-Um 2020 | Tighter weave for gnats and small insects, plus daytime privacy |
| TuffScreen | Dogs, cats, kids, and high-traffic doorways |
| Textilene Nano 50 | West and south exposures. Blocks up to 50 percent of sunlight |
Compare every option on our ScreenEze screen system page, or see a ScreenEze screens and doors install in Lenexa.
Plenty of homeowners want to convert a deck to a screened porch rather than start over. Sometimes that works well. Sometimes it does not, and you deserve to hear that before you spend money.
The deciding factor is structure. A deck built to carry patio furniture was not designed to carry a roof, snow load, and wind uplift. We check footing size and depth, post and beam sizing, ledger attachment, and flashing. Decks from the 1980s and 1990s around the metro frequently need footings added or the frame rebuilt.
If the bones are sound, a retrofit is a strong value. If they are not, we tell you and price the alternative. See what is involved in a screened porch retrofit.
Tell us what you want. We walk the property, measure, look at grade, drainage, rooflines, and where the sun lands in the afternoon.
You get a design and an itemized bid. Screen system, fabric, ceiling finish, lighting, and any grilling bump-out are decided here, not mid-build.
We handle submittals, plan review, and any engineering the jurisdiction requires.
Footings, frame, roof, screen, finishes. Same crew from start to finish. Site cleaned daily.
We pass final inspection, walk the porch with you, and close out any punch items before we leave.
We serve the greater Kansas City metro from our Olathe office, including Overland Park, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, and Shawnee, plus De Soto, Gardner, Lake Quivira, Loch Lloyd, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Spring Hill, and southern Kansas City, Missouri. See all of our deck and porch building services.
Our screened porches start at $45,000, and most projects land between $55,000 and $80,000, or roughly $220 to $320 per square foot. Window systems, fireplaces, and complex rooflines move that number up. Get a free bid for an itemized price on your home.
Yes. Any roofed structure attached to your house requires a building permit in Kansas City and in the surrounding Johnson County cities. We pull the permits and schedule inspections as part of every project.
Often, yes, as long as the footings, posts, and framing can carry a roof. Many older decks were not built for that load and need footings added or the frame rebuilt. We evaluate the structure before quoting a retrofit.
For most Kansas City homes, it is the outdoor project that gets used the most days per year, and porches typically return more at resale than an uncovered deck. It is a bigger investment up front than a deck, which is why we publish real ranges before you call.
It depends on your household. TuffScreen holds up best around pets and heavy traffic, No-See-Um blocks gnats and small insects, and Textilene Nano 50 is the pick for hot west-facing exposures because it blocks up to half the sunlight.
Design and permitting usually take longer than the build itself, and jurisdiction review time varies. Once we break ground, most porches finish in a few weeks with the same crew on site throughout.
Screen alone will not get you through January in this climate. Adding infrared heaters extends the season well into fall and spring, and a Sunspace window system turns it into a three-season porch you can use most of the year.
A covered deck gives you a roof and shade but leaves the sides open. A screened porch adds screen walls and a door, which is what keeps out mosquitoes, wasps, and debris.
Come see the screen systems, decking, and finishes in person at our Olathe showroom, or send us your project and we will get you a real number. Request your bid or call (913) 782-7575, and let’s build the screened porch in Kansas City your family will actually use from April through October.
Granted a Class A building license for operation in Johnson County, Kansas. This is the top license type for any contractor.
Deckorators chose DW Elite Decks as its First Certified Pro Spotlight Feature.
Awarded the coveted Angie's List Super Service Award (many times), which is only given to the top 5% of all Kansas City deck builders.
Nationally recognized by Rich Noonan, the Eight Time Emmy Award-Winning Reporter for Fox News!
Westbury Certified Master Pro. Beacon of distinction as the bar is set high to earn this coveted status.
At DW Elite Decks, we pride ourselves on delivering craftsmanship that meets and exceeds industry standards. As Kansas City’s premier custom deck builder since 1997, we ensure every project is executed with proper permits and passes final inspections, guaranteeing code compliance and long-term safety.
