front porch design in Brandywine, DE

Sometimes people will ask me how much something will cost. If it's something simple, like changing a toilet flapper or hanging a picture, I can tell them right away.
However, if you point at an entire room and tell me to give you a price, sometimes, I will scratch my head and give you a couple of hoo's and ha's and well's.
And sometimes, if I'm feeling lucky, I'll give a ballpark range only to be told, "Well, the previous guy told me he could do it for [insert lower price].

The truth is that without a design, it is almost impossible to give an accurate estimate. One guy's definition of a porch remodel might only be a nice coat of paint, while another's might include custom carpentry and premium materials. Without a design, ballpark estimates do not mean much.

In this project, I was asked to offer ideas for a front porch with a few problems. The homeowner complained that the stair rails were too tight, a thick post blocked half the view, and the railings felt like "being in jail".

I came up with two designs. One involves replacing the railings with a new system, the other uses strategically located plants and furniture to provide faux railings.

Most contractors don't like drawing designs because they are time-consuming. However, I like drawings because a mistake on the design stage only costs 30 minutes. Compare that to the hundreds of dollars it costs to tear down and replace in the building stage!

-Al, Dry Bones Home Repairs