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Custom Porches & Decks Builder Serving the Twin Cities Metro Area

Trusted Craftsmanship Across Minnesota’s Most Desirable Communities

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Based in Golden Valley, Minnesota, Personal Pride Porches & Decks proudly serves homeowners throughout the Twin Cities metro and surrounding communities. Our team brings experience, clear communication, and attention to detail to every custom home and remodeling project, ensuring a smooth process from start to finish. No surprises, no shortcuts, just quality craftsmanship and homes designed to fit the way you live. Explore the communities we serve below and see where Personal Pride can bring your vision to life.

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Communities we serve

Schedule Your Call
Price Your Project
Get Our Decision Guide
Access Our Planning Guide

Deciding if a New Porch is Right for You?

Download our free guide, "The Question Most Homeowners Don't Ask Before Building." This is a practical resource to help you think through how a new outdoor space will genuinely change how you live at home. Whether you're just starting to explore the idea or are ready to plan, this guide will help you gain clarity on your layout, expectations, and whether the investment makes sense for your lifestyle before you ever speak to a contractor.
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Frequently Asked Questions

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Choosing the right builder is one of the most important decisions you will make during a home renovation project, often more important than the materials themselves.

Home renovation projects are a major investment. You usually only want to do it once and get it right the first time. That makes experience, planning, and process just as important as craftsmanship.

One of the most common situations we see is homeowners comparing multiple bids that look similar on paper but are based on very different assumptions. In many cases, key details like layout, proportions, material transitions, rooflines, or long term use have not been fully thought through yet. That can lead to confusion, change orders, or regret later on.

When evaluating a porch or deck builder, it helps to look beyond price and ask a few deeper questions. Do they help you think through the design before construction starts? Can they explain why something is being built a certain way, not just how? Do they guide you through material selections and explain how those choices affect appearance, maintenance, and longevity? Do they have a clear process for permits, inspections, and communication?

We often see projects where skipping the design and planning phase leads to changes during construction. Those changes are usually more expensive, more stressful, and much harder to undo once work has started. A builder who invests time upfront planning the project is usually doing it to protect the homeowner, not slow things down.

The right builder should feel like a guide, not someone simply taking orders. They should be able to anticipate issues, explain tradeoffs clearly, and help you make decisions you will still feel good about years down the road.

In the end, the goal is not just a finished porch or deck. It is confidence that the space was thoughtfully designed, properly built, and truly fits your home and how you live.

Porch pricing varies based on size, level of enclosure, and how the space is built, but we can share realistic starting ranges to help set expectations early.

For a typical porch in the 12×12 to 16×12 range, screened porches generally start around $40,000, 3-season porches around $60,000, and 4-season porches around $80,000. These numbers are meant to establish a baseline, not serve as final pricing.

From there, cost is driven primarily by size. Other factors include roof complexity, window and door selections, insulation levels, heating and cooling systems, interior finishes, and how the porch connects to the home.

Porch construction in Minnesota is also more involved than in warmer climates. Footings must extend below the frost line, structures must handle snow loads, and conditioned porches must perform across extreme temperature swings that can span more than 100 degrees in a typical year.

Early pricing conversations are about alignment, not commitment. Final pricing is developed during the design phase once layout, structure, materials, and features are clearly defined.

Deck pricing depends on size, materials, height, and features.

A typical 16×12 deck with stairs often starts around $20,000. Larger decks or projects with premium materials can quickly exceed $50,000, especially when features like top-tier PVC decking, cable or aluminum railings, integrated lighting, underdecking systems, or complex stair layouts are included.

Stairs are one of the biggest cost drivers that homeowners often underestimate. A full run of straight stairs can easily approach $10,000 due to the amount of framing, labor, and proper footing required.

Outside of cost, the biggest considerations when choosing decking materials are longevity and maintenance. We help homeowners understand those tradeoffs so they can choose materials that fit how they want to live, not just what looks good on day one.

Yes, in most cases decks and porches add meaningful value, both financially and in how homeowners experience their home.

From a resale perspective, outdoor living projects tend to be among the strongest home improvement investments in terms of cost recovery. According to recent national remodeling and real estate studies, homeowners often recover a large percentage of the cost of a new deck at resale, with wood decks and composite decks consistently ranking near the top among exterior improvements.

That said, resale value is only part of the equation. Decks and porches increase usable living space, improve how a home functions day to day, and often make the home more appealing to future buyers because the work has already been done.

In Minnesota especially, outdoor living spaces carry added value. Winters can be long, and when the weather is nice, people want to be outside. A well-designed deck or porch gives homeowners a reason to stay home, entertain more, and enjoy their property during the months that matter most.

While it is reasonable to consider return on investment, most homeowners do not build a deck or porch solely for resale. The greatest return is often the years of enjoyment and improved quality of life the space provides while you live there.

The single biggest factor that impacts cost is size. Square footage drives materials, labor, structure, and complexity more than anything else.

The next major factor is the type of structure being built. Screened porches, 3-season porches, 4-season porches, and decks are all built very differently, and cost increases as insulation, windows, roofing, and mechanical systems are added.

Design complexity, site conditions, material selections, and optional features also play a role. That said, most of the cost of a porch or deck is within the homeowner’s control, particularly when it comes to size and scope.

While everyone has a budget, what matters most is ending up with a space that actually fits how you plan to use it. Spending less does not help if the space does not meet your needs. Our role is to help you think through what you want and how you plan to use the space so you can feel confident knowing you made the right investment.

In most cases, a deck is less expensive than a porch.

Decks provide the full outdoor experience during warm months, but they offer no protection from weather. Porches add roofs, screens, windows, insulation, and sometimes heating and cooling, which increases complexity and cost.

That said, a large deck with premium materials, extensive stairs, railings, lighting, and underdecking can cost more than a modest screened or 3-season porch. The line is not always as clear as people expect.

The better question is not which option is cheaper, but which option fits how you plan to use the space and how much of the year you want to use it.

Yes, projects can be built in phases, but phasing needs to be planned carefully from the beginning.

A common example is building a deck now with the intention of converting it into a porch later. For that to work properly, footings and framing must be designed from the start to support the additional weight of a future roof, walls, windows, or screens.

Another consideration is material availability. Manufacturers change colors, profiles, and product lines over time. If a project is phased over many years, there is a chance that exact material matches may no longer be available.

We help homeowners understand these considerations early so phasing decisions are made intentionally, not reactively.

Yes. We offer financing options through a lending partner for qualified projects.

Currently, there are programs available that include a short-term same-as-cash option and longer-term financing with extended payment terms. The application process is completed online and typically only takes a few minutes.

For larger projects, some homeowners prefer to explore a home equity line of credit through their local bank or credit union. While that process may involve additional steps such as an appraisal, interest rates and terms can sometimes be more favorable for higher loan amounts.

Our goal is not to steer homeowners toward one option over another, but to make sure financing is not an obstacle to making a well-thought-out decision.

Material warranties are provided by the manufacturers and vary depending on the products selected. Most composite decking products carry warranties of 25 years, while many PVC decking products carry warranties of up to 50 years.

If there is ever a material-related warranty issue, we work directly with the homeowner and the manufacturer to help get it resolved. We believe that support should not stop once the project is complete, and we stay involved to help navigate that process if needed.

Our labor warranty is 10 years. More importantly, we stand behind the work we do. If there is ever an issue caused by how something was built and it is something we can fix, we will. Our goal is not simply to meet a warranty requirement, but to build long-term relationships and have customers who feel confident coming back to us in the future.

Yes, in most cases.

Any time a permanent structure is attached to an existing home, a building permit is required. This includes decks and porches that are connected to the house.

The most common situation where a permit may not be required is a freestanding deck that is not attached to the home, has a walking surface less than 30 inches above grade, and meets all setback requirements. Even then, requirements can vary by city.

The good news is that homeowners do not need to navigate this process on their own. We handle the permitting process as part of the project.

We do.

We prepare the plans, submit the permit applications, and coordinate required inspections with the city or municipality. Permit timelines vary by location and by project complexity, but in many cases permits can be obtained within two to three weeks after plans are submitted, assuming there are no zoning or setback issues.

Our goal is to make the permitting and inspection process as straightforward and hands-off as possible for homeowners.

Yes, and they can also vary by zoning district within the same city.

For example, if you want to build a porch or deck in Maple Grove, the side yard setback requirement may be five feet in more than one zoning district. However, depending on the district, there may also be a combined side yard requirement of 30 feet in one zone and 15 feet in another.

These requirements can differ whether you are building in Maple Grove, Plymouth, Minnetonka, or another city entirely. Because of this, verifying setback requirements is always one of the first steps in the design process.

Yes, if you live in a neighborhood governed by an HOA.

It is very important that we know from the start whether your home is in an HOA. Sometimes it is obvious, but sometimes it is not. Knowing early matters because HOAs often have guidelines related to materials, colors, rooflines, railings, windows, and overall appearance. Discovering those requirements late in the process can force design changes and delay approvals.

In many cases, it is easiest for the homeowner to work directly with the HOA since they already have access to contacts and documentation. That said, we are always willing to help. If drawings, specifications, or product information are required, we can provide what is needed so homeowners are not left explaining construction details on their own.

Our goal is to identify HOA or covenant requirements early, design within those guidelines from the beginning, and avoid unnecessary frustration later.

Potentially.

In most cases, counties are notified when a building permit is pulled for an improvement to a home. A deck or porch may increase the estimated market value of the property in the county’s assessment.

For specifics on how an improvement may affect your property taxes, the best resource is your County Assessor’s office. They can provide guidance based on local assessment practices.

While tax implications are worth understanding, we have never received negative feedback from a homeowner who regretted improving the enjoyment of their home because of a potential tax adjustment.