Coastal Porch & Deck Transformation
A full exterior makeover of a small coastal home — two new outdoor rooms, one on each side, both opening to the water. Permitted, built to code, and closed out in about four months through a New England winter.
The Challenge
A small home in a tight coastal York neighborhood, steps from the water but with almost no usable outdoor space to take advantage of the view. The owners wanted to open the house up to the water on both sides — without losing the cottage’s scale or footprint — and they wanted it done right, permitted, and to code.
What We Did
We added two outdoor rooms, one per side. On the water side, an enclosed three-season porch with a private deck off the master bedroom above it. On the other side, a two-level porch that walks out from both floors — both levels open, on a single matching railing system. Throughout, we cut in new doors and windows, then patched and painted every interior opening back to clean.
The Outcome
The house went from almost no outdoor living to two water-facing spaces and a master-bedroom deck — finished in low-maintenance, coastal-ready materials. Permits opened and closed in roughly four months, on the books and to code, despite weather delays that ran through the winter.
Water side: a porch below, a deck above.
On the side facing the water, we built an enclosed three-season porch wrapped in windows — insulated, with its own gray wood-look tile floor and a custom wood ceiling — and set a private deck on top of it, opening directly off the master bedroom. One structure, two ways to take in the view: glassed-in below, open-air above.
A two-level porch on the other side.
On the opposite side, a stacked two-level porch — a covered porch on the first floor and an open deck above, each walking straight out from its own level. Both are open-air and share one matching railing system top to bottom, with an exterior stair tying them together. It has water views too, so the house now opens to the view from both sides.
Glassed-in, insulated, finished.
New windows on three sides, a fully insulated three-season build, and a gray wood-look tile floor — with one detail that started as a change order.
Built through a New England winter.
Most of the structural work landed in the coldest months. We framed both additions, set the enclosed porch on piers, and wrapped everything weather-tight — working around the winter delays that come with the season on the coast. The whole job stayed permitted from start to finish and opened and closed in about four months, to code.
How it came together.
From frame and house-wrap in the snow to tile, trim, and two finished water-facing porches.
Want more out of your outdoor space?
Whether it’s a three-season porch, a deck off the bedroom, or a full exterior rework, we’ll tell you straight what’s worth building — permitted, to code, and finished right. Fast, itemized estimates, no pressure.
Book a Free Estimate Or call (617) 410-6623