Cleveland, OH and Greater Cleveland
Screened Porches in Shaker Heights, OH
A mesh walled room beneath a solid roof, which turns a fair weather platform into somewhere you can sit through most of the year. Along the Lake Erie shoreline, where mosquitoes and sudden summer rain both show up on schedule, few projects repay their cost as reliably.
- Footings below the frost line
- Permits and inspections handled
- Written scope before we start
Screened Porches planning range for Shaker Heights
Typical price range
From:$24,400To:$40,800
- Screened porch$24,400–$40,800
Planning range, not a quote. It assumes a typical deck; very tall decks and hard access need a site visit before anyone can give a firm price.
Cleveland Custom Decks plans screened porches in Shaker Heights, OH. A screened porch combines a roofed structure with ventilation, insect control and a durable connection to the house.
Build the screened room from the roof down
The scope should identify footings, posts, roof, flashing, screen system, doors, floor, ceiling, electrical and gutters. Screens are the visible layer, but the roof and water details determine the room's lifespan.
Plan airflow, light and seasonal use
Measure doors, windows, eaves and sun exposure before the enclosure is designed. Decide whether the room needs a ceiling fan, removable panels or an open connection to an adjacent deck.
What changes for screened porches in Shaker Heights
Shaker Heights has large historic homes on generous lots, where the look of an exterior change matters as much as the structure. A deck that is sound but does not answer to the house's original architecture can be held up in design review before construction is even scheduled.
Shaker Heights' Architectural Board of Review reviews exterior changes to existing buildings, and the city lists decks among them, with submissions made through its permit portal. For this address, the first useful decision is to settle the footprint, materials, railing style and colors as a drawing that can go to the board before the schedule or the price is promised.
Research checkpoint for this Shaker Heights project
A screened enclosure changes the roof, structure and humidity conditions around the house wall. In Shaker Heights, that concern meets a specific local condition: large historic homes on generous lots, where the look of an exterior change matters as much as the structure. This changes the questions that belong in the first site visit.
Use the site and house opening pattern to set screen walls, airflow and drainage before finishes are selected. The page research therefore asks one project-specific question: Which materials, colors and railing details will the Architectural Board of Review need to see?
Local source: Shaker Heights Architectural Board of Review. Checked October 11, 2026.
Questions for the first site visit
- Where will air move through the room?
- Can the roof and footings carry the enclosure?
- How will the screen door and steps work with daily traffic?
- Which materials, colors and railing details will the Architectural Board of Review need to see?
Why homeowners pick Cleveland Custom Decks
Footings below the frost line
Cuyahoga County ground freezes and thaws through a long lake effect winter. Every post we set lands on a poured footing below the local frost depth, which is what keeps a deck level through a decade of heave and thaw.
Permits and inspections handled
We work out which department your address answers to, pull the permit, meet the inspector and hand you the signed card. An unpermitted deck becomes your problem the day you sell the house.
Written scope before we start
Materials, framing spec, hardware, timeline and price in writing before anybody swings a hammer. No verbal change orders.
Screened Porches questions we get asked
Can a screened porch sit on an existing deck?
Sometimes, if the existing frame was built to carry a roof load, which a bare deck frame usually was not. We assess the existing posts, beams and footings first, since a roof adds real weight and lateral load a simple platform frame was never engineered for, and building over an inadequate frame is the single most common mistake we get called out to correct.
Does a screened porch need its own permit?
Yes, a roofed structure is reviewed differently to an open deck and typically needs its own drawings showing footing sizes, post spacing and roof framing, submitted to whichever office covers your address. We prepare that drawing package as part of the job.
Do I really need Architectural Board of Review approval for a deck?
In Shaker Heights, generally yes. The ABR reviews any new construction, addition or alteration that changes the exterior appearance of a building or property, and a deck qualifies. The board is made up of three architects licensed in Ohio who live in the city, and its review happens before the Building Department's own plan review and permit are issued. We submit an elevation drawing alongside the framing plan so both reviews see a complete package the first time.
How long does the whole approval process take?
Longer than a typical suburb without a design review step. The ABR meets on its own calendar, so allow for that meeting cycle on top of the Building Department's plan review and the standard permit turnaround. We ask about the board's upcoming meeting dates at the site visit so you have a realistic timeline in writing rather than an optimistic one.
What should be checked before hiring screened porches in Shaker Heights?
Settle the footprint, materials, railing style and colors as a drawing that can go to the board before the schedule or the price is promised. The builder should also confirm the scope, existing condition and the approval route before work starts. Use the site and house opening pattern to set screen walls, airflow and drainage before finishes are selected.