Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 5/19/2010

Question
you answered a question about what the technical name of the covering over porch was and listed portico, gabled roof, covered entry. I want to know, does this type of covering need permits if you use existing beams, or do you use the wall itself as the main support and therefore don't need to have special beams that are supported with deep rebar in the ground (I may be using wrong terms, but I mostly want to know if using the wall and existing beams is usually enough for this type of structure). When I scour pictures, it appears that it would be the case. Thank you!

Answer
Good morning Pamela, thanks for your question!

Typically, the part of the porch roof that is up against the house is supported by the house wall - unless the porch roof is unusually large.  There's a bit of work necessary to properly attach the structure and flash the roof to the house, but it's pretty basic stuff.

I assume you mean "columns" (vertical) when you say "beams" (horizontal)?  Whether you can use what's already there depends on what they are - they need to support the weight of the roof and the "live" loads (snow, etc.).  That's something you'll need someone with experience to look at and review.  But again, it's pretty common.

If you're in an area that requires building permits for most projects then you'll need one for this, too.  A quick call to the building department will answer that for you.  Additionally, once you put a roof over a porch it changes how the zoning code looks at it - if your house is close to the front building line you may have another problem.  Call your local zoning officer to find out if anything like that comes into play on your project.

Hope this helps,

Richard Taylor, AIA
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