Serving Winona, MN and surrounding areas. (507) 730-6041
Winona summers are short and the mosquitoes near the river are relentless. A screened porch or screened deck built for Minnesota winters gives you a space you will actually use every evening.
Screened-in porch and screened deck construction in Winona means building a framed enclosure with a roof designed for Minnesota snow loads, screen panels that keep insects out while letting air flow, and footings set deep enough to stay stable through freeze-thaw cycles. Most projects take one to three weeks of on-site work once permits are in hand.
If you already have a solid deck, adding a screen enclosure is often the faster and less expensive path - the platform is already there, and we build the framing and roof on top of it. If you are starting from scratch, we design and build the deck first, then add the enclosure. Either way, the result is an outdoor space in Winona that you can actually use from May through October without spending the evening slapping mosquitoes. For homeowners who want weather protection without full screening, our covered decks and patio covers service is a good alternative to compare.
Before any work begins, a good contractor will inspect your existing deck - if you have one - and be honest about what it can support. Winona has a lot of older decks that have been through hard winters, and adding an enclosure on a compromised structure is not something we do.
If you head inside every evening because mosquitoes make the deck unbearable, a screen enclosure is the fix. Winona sits directly on the Mississippi River, and the combination of backwater wetlands and summer humidity makes evening insect pressure genuinely intense from June through September. A screened porch turns those evenings from something you avoid into something you look forward to.
If you have a structurally sound deck that sits mostly empty, the problem is usually comfort - bugs, too much direct sun, or a sense of being too exposed. Adding a screen enclosure transforms the same footprint into a room you will actually spend time in. Many Winona homeowners say this is the single home improvement that changed their daily routine the most.
Soft spots in decking, discolored wood near the house, or posts that wobble when you push on them are signs your deck needs attention. In Winona's climate, where freeze-thaw cycles and wet springs are the norm, wood decks age faster than in drier parts of the country. An aging deck is a good time to evaluate whether a full rebuild with a screen enclosure makes more sense than patching what you have.
A screened porch gives children and dogs a safe outdoor space where they cannot wander unsupervised and where insects are not a constant problem. It also keeps wasps and hornets - common in Winona's wooded neighborhoods - out of the space where your family gathers. If you find yourself constantly applying bug spray before anyone can go outside, a screened enclosure solves that permanently.
The two main paths are adding a screen enclosure to an existing deck or building an entirely new screened porch from the ground up. If your current deck is structurally solid, the enclosure route is usually the more cost-effective option - we frame the walls and roof on top of what is already there, choose the right screening material, and hang the screen doors. New builds take longer and cost more because the deck platform and footings are part of the project too. For homeowners who want shade and rain protection without the insect barrier, our covered decks and patio covers service is worth considering alongside a full screen enclosure.
Screening material is the other key decision. Fiberglass is the more common choice - softer, easier to repair if you get a tear, and less expensive than aluminum. Aluminum is stiffer and holds up better in households with large dogs or heavy use, and it resists the UV and temperature swings Winona winters bring. We also pair screened porches with pergola structures for homeowners who want a combination of open-air and enclosed space. If you are already thinking about outdoor living more broadly, our pergola installation service can complement a screened porch on the same property.
The most cost-effective path - we frame and screen over a solid existing deck, adding a roof structure built for Minnesota snow loads.
A full build from the ground up for homeowners who want a new screened porch where none currently exists.
The most common choice - softer than aluminum, easier to repair, and the right pick for most Winona households without heavy pet traffic.
More rigid and resistant to pets or heavy use, aluminum holds up well under Minnesota's UV and temperature swings.
Winona sits directly on the Mississippi River, and the backwater wetlands, river flats, and humid summer air create some of the most intense mosquito and biting insect pressure in southeastern Minnesota. This is not a minor inconvenience - on many July and August evenings, an open deck near the river is genuinely unusable after sunset. A well-screened porch does not reduce the bugs; it eliminates them as a problem inside your space. Homeowners in La Crosse and Trempealeau along the river corridor face the same insect conditions, and screened outdoor spaces are among the most consistently valued improvements in these communities.
Snow load is the other Winona-specific factor that shapes how a screened porch has to be built. The region averages around 40 to 50 inches of snow per year, and late-winter snow tends to be wet and heavy. A roof structure that looks fine in July can sag or crack under a March snowpack if the framing was not sized and spaced to Minnesota's residential requirements. Winona also has a large inventory of older homes - many built before 1940 - and decks added to those homes in the 1970s through 1990s may have aged framing that needs evaluation before any enclosure work begins. We check the existing structure honestly and tell you what we find before any work starts.
We will ask a few questions about your space and schedule an on-site visit. No price is quoted until we have seen your yard and talked through your goals. We reply within one business day.
We come to your home, measure the area, check your existing deck's condition, and walk through your options - size, screening material, roof style, and door placement. You receive a written estimate within a few days.
Once you approve the estimate, we apply for the required City of Winona building permit. This typically takes one to two weeks. We order materials and get your project on the crew schedule during this time.
The crew builds the wall and roof framing, installs screen panels and doors, and completes all trim work. A city inspector confirms the structure meets code, then we do a final walkthrough with you before handing over the keys.
We come to your yard, look at your existing deck, and give you a written estimate - no obligation. We reply within one business day.
(507) 730-6041Every screened porch roof we build is framed to handle the weight of accumulated snow - a necessity in a place like Winona that regularly sees wet, heavy snowfall in late winter. A roof not engineered for local conditions can sag or crack under a bad snowpack. We build to Minnesota's residential snow load requirements so the structure looks the same in April as it did when we finished it.
Many Winona decks were built decades ago and have been quietly losing integrity through wet springs and hard winters. Before we add anything, we tell you exactly what we find - rotted ledger boards, soft footings, undersized joists. If your deck needs work first, you know upfront. No surprises mid-project.
We manage the building permit application with the City of Winona from start to finish. You know about it upfront, work does not begin until it is approved, and the project has a clean paper trail. This matters when you sell your home and when you make an insurance claim. North American Deck and Railing Association is a reliable reference for industry standards on deck and enclosure construction.
Winona's practical building season runs from late April through October, and contractor schedules fill up fast every spring. Because we work locally and stay on top of our schedule, homeowners who reach out in late winter typically get project start dates that let them enjoy the screened space before mosquito season peaks.
Every one of these details adds up to a screened porch that holds up, looks right, and causes no problems when you go to sell. If you have specific questions about your existing deck or the permit process in Winona, we are happy to walk you through it before you commit to anything.
Add a permanent roof over your deck or patio for shade and rain protection without full screening.
Learn MoreA pergola provides partial shade and defines your outdoor space with an open overhead structure.
Learn MoreWinona deck builders fill their spring schedules fast - reach out now to get on the calendar before mosquito season arrives and slots are gone.
