Deck & Porch Builders in Memphis: Options, Costs & Top Contractors

You want more outdoor living space, but should you build a deck, a porch, or both? In Memphis, where summers stretch long and winters stay relatively mild, the answer depends on how you actually use your backyard — and how much you're willing to spend.

This guide breaks down the real differences between decks and porches, what each costs in Memphis in 2026, which permits you'll need, and how to find a contractor who can handle the full scope of work.

For a broader look at deck pricing across different materials and regions, see our complete deck cost guide. Timing your build right can also save thousands — check our guide on the best time to build a deck.

Deck vs Porch vs Screened Porch: What's the Difference?

These terms get thrown around loosely, but they're structurally different projects with different budgets.

A deck is an open, uncovered platform — usually wood or composite — attached to your home or freestanding in the yard. No roof, no walls. It's the most straightforward outdoor structure to build.

A porch has a roof. A front porch, back porch, covered patio — they all share one thing: overhead protection from rain and sun. Porches can be open-air or enclosed, and they're typically attached to the house with a tied-in roofline.

A screened porch adds mesh screening to an existing porch structure. You get airflow without mosquitoes — a real selling point in Memphis from May through October when the bugs are relentless near the Wolf River corridor and Shelby Farms area.

Here's a quick comparison:

The cost jump from deck to porch is significant because you're adding a roof structure — footings, posts, beams, rafters, and roofing materials that need to tie into or complement your existing roofline.

Deck & Porch Costs in Memphis

Memphis construction costs sit below the national average, but material prices have stayed elevated heading into 2026. Here's what you should budget for installed pricing, including labor and materials:

Deck Costs by Material

For a typical 16×20 deck (320 sq ft), you're looking at:

• Pressure-treated: $8,000–$14,400
• Composite: $14,400–$24,000
• Trex: $16,000–$25,600

Porch and Screened Porch Costs

Adding a roof changes the math considerably:

• Covered porch (open): $40–100/sq ft installed — the range depends on roofing materials, ceiling finish, and whether the roof ties into an existing structure or stands alone.
• Screened porch: $50–120/sq ft installed — screening, framing for screen panels, and a door add to the base porch cost.
• Basic porch conversion (adding a roof and screens to an existing deck): $8,000–$20,000 depending on size and finish level.

A 14×16 screened porch in the Midtown or East Memphis area typically runs $11,000–$27,000 fully installed.

Pricing tip: Memphis's building season runs March through November. Spring is the busiest period — contractors are booked solid by April. If you can schedule your project for September or October, you'll often find better availability and sometimes lower pricing as crews look to fill their fall schedules.

If you're exploring affordable deck builders in nearby cities, the pricing dynamics are similar across the Mid-South.

Screened Porch vs Open Deck: Which Makes Sense in Memphis?

Memphis has moderate seasons with some winter frost — not the brutal cold of the Midwest, but not year-round outdoor weather either. Here's how to think about it:

Go with an open deck if:

• You want maximum square footage for your budget
• You primarily entertain during the day or enjoy grilling outdoors
• You don't mind retreating inside on rainy evenings
• Your lot gets good airflow and mosquitoes aren't terrible (lucky you)

Go with a screened porch if:

• You want usable outdoor space from March through November without fighting bugs
• Your property backs up to wooded areas, creeks, or wetlands (common in Cordova, Germantown, and Bartlett)
• You want rain protection — Memphis averages 53 inches of rainfall per year, well above the national average
• You'd rather watch the Grizzlies game outside than in your living room

The hybrid approach

Many Memphis homeowners build both: a screened porch off the back of the house connected to an open deck with stairs to the yard. This gives you the best of both worlds — protected space for dining and lounging, plus open space for grilling and sunbathing.

A typical hybrid setup — say a 12×14 screened porch attached to a 12×16 open deck — runs between $20,000 and $45,000 depending on materials and finishes.

Three-Season Room Options

A three-season room takes the screened porch concept further. Instead of mesh screens, you get removable glass or vinyl panels that let you close up the space in cooler months and open it up in summer.

In Memphis, a three-season room is genuinely usable 9 to 10 months of the year. December through February can get chilly — overnight lows dip into the 30s regularly — but with a portable heater or ceiling-mounted infrared unit, many homeowners push that to nearly year-round use.

What sets a three-season room apart:

• Insulated or semi-insulated panels instead of screens
• Ceiling fans for summer airflow
• Finished ceiling and flooring — often tile, luxury vinyl, or stained concrete
• Electrical for lighting, outlets, and a fan (minimum)
• No HVAC connection (that's a four-season room, which requires full insulation and ductwork)

Three-season room costs in Memphis:

• Basic conversion from existing screened porch: $10,000–$25,000
• New build from scratch: $20,000–$50,000+ for a 200 sq ft room
• Premium build with vaulted ceiling, custom windows, and tile: $40,000–$70,000

The gap between a screened porch and a three-season room is often $8,000–$15,000 — a worthwhile upgrade if you want to extend your outdoor season past Thanksgiving.

Use PaperPlan to visualize different decking materials on your own home before committing — it's especially helpful when you're trying to match a new porch roof to your existing siding and trim colors.

Finding a Builder Who Does Both Decks and Porches

Not every deck builder does porch work. Porches involve roofing, and roofing means a different skill set — flashing, tie-ins, load calculations for overhead structures. Here's what to look for:

Red flags that a builder might be out of their depth:

• They subcontract the roofing portion to someone you've never met
• They can't show you at least 3 completed porch projects (not just decks)
• They quote the roof as a flat per-square-foot add-on without inspecting your existing roofline
• No discussion of gutter integration or drainage planning

What a qualified deck-and-porch builder should do:

• Pull their own permits — not ask you to do it
• Show a detailed scope of work that separates the deck structure, roofing, screening/enclosure, and electrical
• Discuss foundation requirements — porches often need deeper footings than basic decks, especially when supporting roof loads
• Provide a realistic timeline — a screened porch takes 3–6 weeks to build, not the 1–2 weeks a simple deck requires

If you're looking at contractors in the broader region, the same vetting approach applies whether you're hiring deck builders in Nashville or staying local.

Getting quotes in Memphis

Get at least three quotes, and make sure each contractor is quoting the same scope. A common issue: one contractor quotes a screened porch with a finished pine ceiling and recessed lighting, another quotes bare rafters with a single light fixture. The price difference has nothing to do with quality — they're quoting different projects.

Ask each contractor:

• What's included in the roofing scope?
• Who handles electrical — your crew or a sub?
• What's the warranty on the structure vs. the roof vs. the screening?
• What's the payment schedule? (Never pay more than 10–15% upfront for a residential project in Tennessee.)

Permits for Porches vs Decks in Memphis

In Memphis, Tennessee, deck permits are typically required for structures over 200 sq ft or 30 inches above grade. Check with Memphis's Building/Development Services department before starting work.

But here's the nuance most homeowners miss: porches have additional permit requirements beyond what a basic deck needs.

Deck permits typically require:

• Site plan showing the deck location relative to property lines
• Structural plans (framing, footings, ledger board attachment)
• Setback compliance — Memphis enforces side and rear setbacks that vary by zoning district
• Frost line compliance — footings in Memphis need to reach 18–36 inches deep to get below the frost line

Porch permits add:

• Roof plans with engineering for wind and snow loads
• Electrical permit (separate from the building permit) if you're adding lighting, outlets, or a fan
• Roofing permit in some cases, depending on the scope
• Compliance with residential building code for habitable-adjacent structures

A screened porch or three-season room that's fully enclosed may also trigger zoning review if it changes your home's footprint or lot coverage percentage. In neighborhoods like Harbor Town, Cooper-Young, or Chickasaw Gardens, there may be additional historic or design review requirements.

Permit costs in Memphis typically run $75–$300 for a standard deck and $150–$500+ for a porch with electrical, depending on project value.

For a broader look at how deck permits work across different cities, check out our guides on deck permits in Nashville and deck permits in Atlanta.

Should your contractor pull the permit?

Yes. A licensed contractor should handle the permit process. If a builder suggests you pull the permit yourself or skip it entirely, find a different builder. Unpermitted work can cause serious problems when you sell your home — and Memphis code enforcement has gotten more active in recent years.

Cost-Saving Strategies for Memphis Homeowners

A few ways to stretch your budget without cutting corners:

• Build in phases. Start with an open deck now. Add a roof and screens next year. The deck structure just needs to be designed to support the future roof load — a good builder can plan for this upfront.
• Choose pressure-treated for the structure, composite for the decking. The framing is hidden — no reason to spend premium on it. If you're comparing materials, our composite deck builders guide for Memphis has more detail.
• Schedule for fall. As mentioned, September and October offer the best balance of availability and pricing in Memphis.
• Keep the footprint simple. Every angle, bump-out, and multi-level transition adds cost. A clean rectangle is the most efficient shape to build.
• Skip the built-in grill island on the initial build. You can always add one later. Focus your budget on the structure itself.

For homeowners on a tighter budget, check out our guide to affordable deck builders in Dallas — the cost-saving strategies translate well to Memphis projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a screened porch cost in Memphis?

A screened porch in Memphis typically costs $50–$120 per square foot installed, depending on size, materials, and finish level. For a standard 12×14 screened porch (168 sq ft), expect to pay between $8,400 and $20,000. Adding features like a finished ceiling, ceiling fan, and recessed lighting pushes you toward the higher end. Converting an existing covered porch to screened is significantly cheaper — usually $3,000–$8,000 for screening and a door.

Do I need a permit to build a deck or porch in Memphis?

Yes, in most cases. Memphis requires permits for decks over 200 sq ft or 30 inches above grade, and porches virtually always need a permit due to the roof structure. Screened porches and three-season rooms may need both a building permit and an electrical permit. Contact Memphis's Building/Development Services department or have your contractor handle the paperwork. Budget $75–$500 for permit fees depending on the project scope.

What's the best time of year to build a deck or porch in Memphis?

The building season runs March through November, but timing matters for your wallet. Spring (March–May) is peak season — contractors are busiest and prices reflect demand. September through November often delivers better pricing and faster scheduling. Avoid starting a porch project in December through February — while it's possible, cold snaps and shorter days slow progress and can affect concrete curing for footings.

Can I convert my existing deck into a screened porch?

Often, yes — but it depends on the deck's structural capacity. Adding a roof means your existing posts and footings need to handle the additional weight and wind loads. A structural assessment runs $200–$500 and tells you whether your current deck can support a roof or needs reinforcement. If your deck was built with future roofing in mind (deeper footings, beefier posts), conversion is straightforward. If not, you may need to add new footings and posts, which adds $2,000–$5,000 to the project. If you're exploring the full range of deck costs in Memphis, start there for baseline pricing.

Should I choose a deck builder or a general contractor for a porch project?

For a simple open deck, a specialized deck builder is usually your best bet — they're faster and more cost-effective. For a screened porch or three-season room, you want a contractor experienced in both deck construction and light residential roofing. General contractors can work, but they often subcontract the deck portion. The ideal hire is a company that specifically markets deck-and-porch work and can show you completed projects similar to yours. Look for top-rated deck builders in nearby Birmingham or Nashville as comparison points when evaluating local Memphis contractors.