Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 7/21/2010

Question
I just purchased a home and the previous owner closed in the existing porch on the front of the house with drywall/windows to make the square footage of the house larger (i.e. they removed the wall that used the separate the house from the porch).  I would like to knock out the walls to open up the porch and rebuild the wall to separate the porch from the interior of the house.  Would this be a feasible project?  How much would you estimate this to cost for a contractor to do?  I can send you pictures if needed.  Thanks for the help.  Any advice is much appreciated.

Answer
Hi JB, anything that's been done can be undone in construction.  Yes you can restore the entry to its original condition. Cost will be determined by how big the area is and the finishes involved.  Another thing to look at should be the slope of the floor.  Originally if the porch was exterior and the floor was concrete it used to slope away from the house.  If the slab was leveled up then the topping used to level it should be removed.  If the porch floor was wood and had some kind of slat or open board decking and during the remodel they added a layer of plywood underlayment then that possibly will have to be removed.  For a complete restoration I would give myself a 60 dollars a square foot budget.  I hope this information helps, please feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson