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Worth comparing

Where the porch goes: front, back, side or wraparound

A porch is a room without walls. Where it sits decides when you use it, who sees you there, and which rooms it shades.

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A porch can look right in a rendering and still not work as a room. Read it like any other room: what it connects to, what it sees, and when it gets sun.

The porch faces west? Evenings there get the last light, and the afternoon heat. Faces east? Morning coffee in sun, shade by lunch. Your lot's orientation matters as much as the plan.

The same house footprint drawn four times with the porch in a different place: across the front, across the back, along one side, and wrapping around the front and one side.

Front

Back

Side

Wraparound

Four porch placements on the same footprint.Diagram, not to scale

Four placements, compared

Front porch

What it does

Faces the street or the approach. A place to arrive and to be seen.

The trade-off

Little privacy. Often shallow, so it may end up looked at more than sat on.

Suits

Rural roads, neighborly streets, a covered arrival in rain.

Back porch

What it does

Off the kitchen or living room, facing the yard.

The trade-off

Shades the rooms behind it, which can darken the main living space.

Suits

Families who cook and eat outside, anyone who wants privacy.

Side porch

What it does

Off a side door, often near the kitchen or mudroom.

The trade-off

Needs lot width, and can face a neighbor on tighter lots.

Suits

Wide lots, a working entry that doubles as a sitting spot.

Wraparound

What it does

Runs along two or more sides.

The trade-off

More roof and more shade on more rooms; the corners are the only truly usable part if it is shallow.

Suits

Rural sites with views in several directions.

Read the porch on the plan

  1. 01

    Depth

    Find the depth dimension on the plan, then lay out the chairs or table you would use, with a path past them.

  2. 02

    The door it connects to

    A porch off the kitchen gets used daily. A porch reached only through a bedroom rarely does.

  3. 03

    What it shades

    Note which windows sit behind the porch roof and how much daylight those rooms keep.

  4. 04

    Covered or open

    Check whether the plan counts the porch as covered outdoor living and lists its area separately.

Trade-offs to expect

  • Every covered porch shades the rooms behind it. Good for heat, less good for daylight.
  • A screened porch extends the season in buggy climates and changes how the porch looks from outside.

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