Our Porch Renovation Budget Breakdown

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I have found that sharing prices is a valuable way to create realistic expectations for homeowners looking to renovate. We’re so used to fast paced home renovation TV shows that show an incredible transformation within a 1 hour episode. But what’s often not talked about is the realistic timeline and the finances.

In an effort to create a realistic understanding of home renovations, I am sharing a budget breakdown of our porch remodel – the brick floor, flagstone path, stone steps, and custom railing. P.S. You can view the full reveal here!

Before I get into the cost, I should clarify that we did 100% of the work ourselves. We saved a lot of money by avoiding labor costs, so that’s something to consider as you see the prices below.

Budget Breakdown

RAILING – $1,575

We debated between two railing options – big box store prefabricated ones or a custom made railing with assembly required. Although the prefabricated railing was the cheapest option, it didn’t have the charm that I wanted nor the option to paint it which was a necessity for me. On the other hand, the custom made railing with assembly cost more than we felt comfortable investing in our home.

We landed on a compromise. We decided to build our own custom railing from scratch. Because of the design I wanted, it was one of the more complicated projects we’ve ever done. But the end result was the exact same as the custom option we were originally looking at…but for 1/3rd the price.

BRICK FLOOR – $2,470

The most expensive part of this renovation was the brick floor. The brick was not just a cosmetic upgrade, it was also a necessity. Our concrete porch had 5+ layers of chipped paint and another layer of cement paint wasn’t cutting it. We needed something to cover the entire surface and brick was our best option.

The brand of thin bricks we purchased can be installed over concrete which makes it an easy cosmetic upgrade. This is great beginner friendly project that I absolutely recommend for people looking to add some curb appeal to their exterior.

SHOP OUR THIN BRICKS HERE

STONE STEPS – $1,110

We ripped out our rotting wood steps and searched for alternative options. Concrete was the most expensive option by far. It was also my least favorite option…not a huge fan of the look of concrete. Wood was the cheapest option, but I couldn’t get excited about that idea.

And then we looked at stone steps. This was a perfect middle ground as far as price goes and it adds so much charm. That being said, each step weighs around 400 lbs and you’ll need a tractor to move them into place. In other words, not the easiest DIY project. (We managed to roll them across our property using PVC pipes, but it was ridiculously difficult to leverage the middle and top steps into place.)

VIEW MORE STONE STEP DETAILS

FLAGSTONE PATH – $1,366

The simplicity and price of this project surprised us! A concrete path would’ve been thousands of dollars and again…I don’t love concrete. I always assumed a flagstone path would cost upwards of $3,000-$5,000, but to our surprise it was the cheapest option available to us! We saved money by spacing the flagstones 4-6″ apart and we had it done start to finish in two weeks.

FLAGSTONE PATH INSTALLATION TUTORIAL

TOTAL PORCH RENOVATION COST: $6,521

In summary, we splurged on the brick floor, we found a middle ground on the railing and stone steps, and we saved on the flagstone path. And now it’s the most charming part of our exterior!

Our Porch Sources

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