Covered and screened decks
A roof keeps rain off the grill; screens keep out the evening bugs. Both turn a deck into real construction.
Northland summers are short, so a deck you can use through a passing shower or a buggy June evening earns its keep. A roof over part of the deck keeps rain and leaves off. Add screen panels and a door and you have a screened porch. Either way, the project moves past simple carpentry: a roof brings new loads, new connections to the house and its own permit questions.
What are the options?
- Covered deck. A roof over all or part of the deck, tied to the house or standing on its own posts. Shade and rain cover, still open to bugs.
- Screened porch. A roofed deck with screen panels between posts and a screen door.
- Three-season room. Windows or glass panels instead of screens. This is close to an addition, with more design and permit work.
Why the structure changes
A roof adds weight, and in a city that averages around 90 inches of snow a year, that weight includes whatever piles up on it. The load runs down through posts and beams to the footings, so a covered deck usually needs larger posts, more footings and a beam designed for the roof. Duluth's simplified deck packet only covers simple, roofless rectangular decks; anything with a roof needs full plans. If you're building a new deck and might cover it someday, ask the builder to size the footings and framing for that now.
Can my existing deck take a roof?
Sometimes. The builder will check footing depth, post size, bracing and the ledger, and work out whether the deck can carry a roof or needs new posts and footings. The house matters too: where the new roof meets the old one, how water will drain, and whether windows or a second-story deck are in the way.
Contracts and permits
Because a roofed deck is structural work, expect a building permit and a more detailed plan review. The licensing and contract points in our Duluth deck guide apply, including getting change orders in writing.
Details worth planning
- Screen under the deck boards keeps bugs from coming up through the gaps
- Fans and lights are easier to wire before the ceiling goes on
- Gutters keep roof water off the stairs, where it would freeze in winter
- A roof that sheds snow away from the stairs and walkways
The builder prices the job after seeing the site, measuring, and going over materials and layout with you. We don't quote prices, and a number given over the phone before anyone has looked at the slope, the house wall and the footing locations is only a guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Does a covered deck need a permit in Duluth?
Expect so. A roof is structural, and Duluth's simplified deck packet only covers roofless rectangular decks, so a covered deck needs full plans.
Can a screened porch be used in winter?
Not really; screens don't stop cold or blowing snow. For more seasons, ask about a three-season room with windows, which is a bigger project.
Related services
More background: Duluth deck guide.
A deck that lurched after the thaw, or one you've been planning all winter?
Call the number above and we'll connect you with a deck builder who works on your side of the hill.