Screened Porches in Omaha, NE

Screened in porch cost: what the guides say

These are national figures from cost guides, not Omaha quotes. The guides disagree because they price different jobs. Some price only the screens on a porch that already exists. Others price a porch built from the ground up.

The Inch Calculator page is dated 2023, so treat its numbers as older. Use the table to spot a quote that is far outside the range, not to predict your price.

What moves the price of a screened porch addition

• Roof or no roof. Screens on an existing porch are the low end of the table and a new build is the high end. Ask the company to price any roof, posts and footings as separate lines.
• Condition of the deck. The guides price screens or a new build. None of them prices turning an old deck into a porch. If the ledger or footings need repair, ask for those repairs as separate lines.
• Doors and floor. A screen door or a solid floor each add a line (Lawn Love, October 9, 2026).
• Electrical. Lights, fans and outlets need wiring and are priced on their own (see below).
• Permit and plans. Ask what the quote includes for plans and fees.

Plan a cushion too. HomeLight says to reserve 10 to 25 percent of the budget for surprise repairs (HomeLight, January 16, 2026).

Choosing a screened porch builder in Omaha

A screened porch job can include framing, a roof, screens and wiring. Send the quote form on this page or call, say what you want built, and we connect you with a local company that does that kind of work. The company, not Omaha Deck Builders, does the work. Ask for a written quote and contract. Questions to put to every company that offers screened porch builders' services:

• Have you converted an existing deck into a roofed porch, or only screened open porches?
• Who handles the framing, the roof, the screens and the electrical, and are any of them subcontractors?
• Which registration or license number does the company hold, and can you see a current certificate of insurance?
• What warranty comes with the work, in writing?

Nebraska's Department of Revenue says the Nebraska Contractor Registration Act requires contractors and subcontractors doing business in the state to register, and that "Before performing any construction work in Nebraska, a contractor must be registered in the Database." It adds that a contractor who pays an unregistered subcontractor must withhold 5% of the payments (Nebraska Department of Revenue, retrieved October 24, 2026). The state's One Stop portal says the registration is with the Nebraska Department of Labor (State of Nebraska, retrieved October 24, 2026). This page does not claim registration or insurance for any company. Ask to see them.

Screened porch, screened deck or three season porch?

People use these names loosely, and companies use them differently. If you are looking for three season porch builders, ask the company to list the walls, screens or glazing, floor and insulation, and which windows or panels are included. No Omaha price for a three season porch or sunroom was found, so this page gives none.

Whether an enclosed room counts as living space is a question for the building department. Ask it before you plan around it.

Screened porch addition: add screens to a deck or build a new porch?

Start with the deck you have. If it is sound and you want only screens, ask a company whether it can frame screen panels on the existing structure. If you want a roof, ask how it will check the existing footings and ledger for the extra load.

Screens only, no roof

This is the lower-cost route in the guides. The company sets posts around the deck and fits screen panels (Hunker, 2011). The deck still needs to be sound first. If boards are soft or the railing wobbles, fix those before screens go on. Our deck repair page covers what a repair quote should include.

Roofed porch on an existing deck

Ask the company how it will check the existing footings for the added load of a roof, and whether it recommends new ones. Omaha's amended code table lists 42 inches, which reads as the frost line depth (see the permits section), so ask how deep the footings are. Ask it to open the ledger, where the deck attaches to the house, and look for rot or loose fasteners before it builds on top.

If you also want a roofed deck without screens, or a pergola, see our page on covered decks and pergolas.

A new porch from the ground up

A ground-up build is the top of the cost range in the guides. Ask the company to list every part it includes. It is the right route if the existing deck is old, small or in the wrong place.

Permits, frost depth, 811 and covenants

Omaha adopted the 2018 International Residential Code with local amendments by Ordinance 42104, passed January 14, 2020 and effective July 1, 2020 (Omaha Daily Record, City of Omaha public notice, retrieved October 24, 2026). The notice is from 2020, so a newer edition may have replaced it.

The ordinance adds values to the code's Table R301.2(1): 42 inches, 25 psf and 115 mph. The notice does not print the column headings. Read in the standard IRC column order, they are a frost line depth of 42 inches, a ground snow load of 25 psf and a basic wind speed of 115 mph (same notice; labels inferred). Use them like this:

• Footings. Ask the company how the footings meet a 42-inch frost line depth.
• Roof. Ask the company to show how its framing meets the city's snow load, and whether the porch needs engineered plans.

What this page can source for Omaha is the code edition, the table values above, the Nebraska 811 rule below and the state's contractor registration rule. It cannot source the permit threshold for screening, roofing or enclosing a deck, the permit fee or the review time. Ask the City of Omaha permit desk for those three, get the answers in writing, then ask the company whether its quote follows them.

One nearby town does publish its rule. Gretna's FAQ lists "Construction or addition to a deck, patio or porch, patio cover or enclosing a deck" among the projects that need a building permit (City of Gretna, retrieved October 18, 2026). That is a Gretna rule, not Omaha's.

Call 811 before footing holes are dug. Nebraska 811 says state law requires a locate request "at least two full business days before digging". The service is free to homeowners, but utilities do not mark private lines, so "it is the owner's responsibility to determine their location" (Nebraska 811, retrieved October 24, 2026). The Metropolitan Utilities District says the same: "at least two business days before you dig" (MUD, retrieved October 18, 2026). Ask the company who places the request.

If you live in a neighborhood with covenants or a homeowners association, ask it whether adding a roof needs approval before you sign.

Floor and drainage

No guide we read covers how a screened porch floor drains, so ask the company about these points:

• Floor type. Gaps between boards, or sloped if the floor is solid.
• Water near the house. What the company will do where the ground slopes toward the house.
• Gutters. Where roof water goes and whether gutters and downspouts are in the quote.

Screen materials and mesh

The guides name fiberglass, aluminum, polyester and solar screening that blocks some sun. Retractable screens also exist. The guides say screen type changes the price, so this page does not rank them. Pick by use:

• Pets and kids. Ask which product the company uses where a dog may push on the screen, and who repairs it if it tears.
• Sun and heat. Ask about solar screening and what it does to the view and the heat.
• How the screen is held. Hunker (a 2011 how-to article) describes two options: a spline system and removable screen panels.
• Frames and fasteners. Ask whether the frame is wood or metal and what protects it from weather.

Bugs: what screens do and what they do not

UNL Extension says, in NebGuide G2037 (September 2010): "The most important element in mosquito control is the removal of standing water." Screens keep insects out of the porch, but standing water in clogged gutters still breeds them near it. Keep screens in good repair, and ask the company what mesh is on the quote.

Omaha winters and using the porch

The National Weather Service Omaha/Valley office gives a normal 27.1 inches of snow a year and 31.86 inches of precipitation (1991-2020 normals, report issued January 1, 2026). Ask the company how the roof is designed for snow. Ask whether the screen panels come off for winter, who stores them and what the frame can take. If you want use through winter, ask what the company advises.

Electrical work is its own line

Ceiling fans, lights, outlets and heaters need wiring. Ask the company to price the electrical as a separate line and say who does it. Plan outlet and fan locations before the ceiling is closed in.

Process and timeline

No guide we read gives a build time for a screened porch. Ask each company to list its steps and dates in writing. Questions to cover:

• When is the site visit, and what will the company look at on the deck, ledger, footings and water flow?
• When will the written scope and price arrive, with the lines listed in the next section?
• Is covenant approval needed if you have covenants?
• Which inspections does the city ask for, and who schedules them?
• When do the screens, door, finish and electrical go in?
• What is in the final walk-through, and when do you get the written warranty?

Weather can push dates, so ask what happens if rain stops the work.

Mistakes to avoid

• Building a roof on footings nobody checked.
• Leaving a rotted or loose ledger in place.
• Skipping the drainage plan, so water pools at the wall or under the floor.
• Accepting any mesh and spline without asking what they are.
• Putting the door where it hits furniture or a railing when it swings.
• Picking the lowest bid without comparing scope.

How to compare screened porch quotes

Get at least two written quotes and compare them line by line. A lower price may leave out the footings, the electrical or the permit. Check that each quote states:

• Footings: new or existing, depth, and how the existing ones were checked.
• Ledger: inspected, repaired or replaced, and how it is fastened.
• Roof: type, pitch, framing, what covers it and the snow load it meets.
• Floor: boards, solid floor or other, and drainage.
• Screens: product, mesh count, spline or panels, and the frame material.
• Door: type, swing and hardware.
• Electrical: what is included, who does it, and the price as its own line.
• Permit: who applies, who pays and who pulls it.
• Haul-away of old materials and cleanup.
• Start date, finish date and payment steps, all in writing.
• Warranty terms for the work, in writing.

Check any registration number and certificate of insurance yourself. For more on the questions to ask, see the deck builders page, which covers how to choose a deck builder, permits and deck costs.

Frequently asked questions

Next step: send the quote form or call

Send the quote form on this page or call. We get back to you within one business day and connect you with a local screened porch company. You pay Omaha Deck Builders nothing for either.

Call (804) 889-2677

For other questions, see the contact page.

Sources

1. HomeLight, cost to add a screened-in porch (updated January 16, 2026; retrieved 2026-10-23)
2. Lawn Love, screened-in porch cost (updated October 9, 2026; retrieved 2026-10-23)
3. Inch Calculator, screen porch cost guide (page dated July 18, 2023; retrieved 2026-10-23)
4. Hunker, how to turn a deck into a screened porch (2011; retrieved 2026-10-23)
5. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, NebGuide G2037 (September 2010; retrieved 2026-10-23)
6. National Weather Service Omaha/Valley, 2025 annual climate report (issued January 1, 2026; retrieved 2026-10-18)
7. Omaha Daily Record, City of Omaha public notices, Ordinance 42104 (January 22, 2020; retrieved 2026-10-24)
8. Nebraska 811 (retrieved 2026-10-24)
9. Metropolitan Utilities District, call 811 before you dig (retrieved 2026-10-18)
10. Nebraska Department of Revenue, contractors performing construction services in Nebraska (retrieved 2026-10-24)
11. State of Nebraska One Stop, contractor registration (retrieved 2026-10-24)
12. City of Gretna, FAQ (retrieved 2026-10-18)