This Is The Best Size For A Porch

As someone currently living without a porch, I'm hesitant to condemn a porch of any size—I'd take a Juliet balcony at this point if I could. A porch is a porch, and as any Southerner will attest, it's not something to be taken for granted. But, for those of you lucky enough to be adding a porch, or maybe just altering your current one, there are certainly a few parameters to be considered.

Minimum Depth For A Porch

Most resources will say the minimum for a porch is 6 feet in depth. This is for good reason, as that allows enough room for you to incorporate chairs, potted plants, and/or other furniture with enough room to move around and walk in front of the furniture. At 6 feet deep, porch furniture is possible and you can reasonably enjoy the space.

Best Depth For A Porch Swing

But 8 feet is even better, as adding just 2 feet can vastly expand your options for furnishing. Furthermore, the MVP of porch sitting is the porch swing. At theporchswingcompany.com, their most popular bench is 4 feet long. An 8-foot porch depth gives you a solid 2 feet on either side for walking by or framing it up with some showy containers. (Though have no fear, small porch sitters: They note they make anywhere from 2- to 7-foot swings.)

Best Depth For Outdoor Dining

If you're a believer that food tastes even better when you're enjoying bird song and a breeze, you'll want to build your porch deep enough for a table and chairs. A depth of 10 feet could fit a small bistro table, while 14 feet can accommodate a full-size table. When choosing your dining table and chairs, remember you'll need 4 feet of clearance at a minimum.

Best Width For A Porch

As far as width, that all depends on the location of the porch, your roofline, and the shape and size of your house. Considering your doorway takes up a good 3 feet of your porch, most experts recommend a minimum width of 10 feet (just enough for a pair of small chairs or large potted plants).

Of course, in our dreams, porches wrap alllll the way around and never stop. (With water views on every side, of course.) Just take it from this 800-square-foot cottage Brandon Ingram built outside of Tallahasee, Florida. It has a sweet little porch front-and-center (complete with a haint blue ceiling) and a screened-in porch tucked away on the backside too.