Porch repair · Lakewood, Ohio
Porch repair for older west side homes
Lakewood and the rest of the west side have thousands of wood front porches, most of them close to a hundred years old. I repair the parts that failed, keep the original details, and give you a fixed price in writing.
Free estimate. Same-day answer. I answer my own phone.
What I see most, and what it usually means
| What you notice | What's usually going on | Typical repair |
|---|---|---|
| Soft or spongy floorboards near the steps | Water sitting at board ends. Rot can reach the joists below. | Replace a floor section in matching tongue and groove; sister or replace bad joists |
| Column base crumbling or stained | End grain wicking water from the floor. The base and the bottom of the column go first. | Cut out the rot, new base, epoxy or a dutchman patch on the column |
| Porch roof line sagging | A rotted column bottom or a failed beam splice | Shore it up, new beam section or column, re-level |
| Peeling ceiling paint, stained beadboard | A roof or gutter leak above the porch | Replace the beadboard after the leak is fixed by the right trade |
| Railing wobbles | Loose or rotted posts, failed rail joints | Rebuild posts and connections, keep sound original balusters |
What it usually costs
Most porch repairs I do run $1,800 to $4,500. A small floor section or a single column base is at the low end. A sagging beam with two columns is at the high end. Those are planning ranges, not quotes. Your price is fixed in writing after I see it.
Repair or replace
I'd rather save original wood than tear it out. Old-growth lumber outlasts almost anything sold today, and original porch details are hard to match. When a board or column has failed all the way through, I replace it. When it hasn't, I repair it. I'll show you which is which.
Materials, and when I use each
- Wood for anything you see up close on a front porch: columns, trim, railings, tongue and groove floors. It matches the original profiles and takes paint the way the rest of the house does.
- Cellular PVC (Azek and similar) for parts that sit in water: column bases, the bottom rail, trim near the floor. It won't rot, and painted, it reads like wood.
- Composite (Trex and similar) for back porch and deck floors, where low upkeep matters more than matching 1915.
Your written price lists the material for each part and why.
Some porch work needs a city permit. I'll tell you up front and handle it.
Questions people ask
How much does porch repair cost on Cleveland's west side?
Most porch repairs I do run $1,800 to $4,500. A small floor section or one column base is at the low end; a sagging beam with two columns is at the high end. Your price is fixed in writing after I see it.
Can you save my original porch columns?
Often, yes. If a column has rotted only at the base, I cut out the rot and repair it with a dutchman patch or epoxy. If it's rotted through, I replace it and match the profile.
Do I need a permit for porch repair?
Some porch work needs a city permit. I'll tell you up front and handle it.
How fast will I hear back?
The same day. Text a photo and your address to 216.217.6362.