Screened-In Patio in Fort Collins CO

A screened-in patio in Fort Collins CO costs $25 to $120 per square foot to build new, and about $5 to $7 per square foot to screen a porch that already has a roof (Angi, 2026). Pineridge Deck Pros builds screened porches on decks and under covered patios, from the roof and posts to the screens, door and ceiling fan.

Screened-in patio in Fort Collins CO

A screened patio is outdoor space with the bugs, leaves and some of the glare kept out. In Northern Colorado it earns its keep on summer evenings, when mosquitoes come up from the river corridors and irrigation ditches and the sun has finally dropped behind the foothills. The same idea works up on a raised deck, as a screened-in deck or a screened porch built on the deck.

Every screened patio starts with a roof. Screening the space under an existing cover is the low-cost route. Building the whole porch, deck, roof and screens, is the bigger project and costs most of what a small room does.

On a deck, or under a cover

A screened deck sits up on a frame, often off a kitchen door, with stairs down to the yard through a screen door. A screened patio sits at ground level on a slab or pavers under a covered patio. Upstairs, a screened porch on a second story deck often shelters the walkout patio below.

White two-story house with a raised screened porch and stairs to the backyard lawn — A raised screened porch with stairs down to the lawn.

Permits for screened patios

Plan for a permit. In Fort Collins the roof over the screened space needs one when it's attached, over 120 square feet or over 8 feet tall, and the City treats enclosing a covered patio as a residential addition rather than a cover. Screens sit between those two, so the design is checked with Building Services before it's drawn. A deck under the porch follows the usual rules in the Fort Collins deck permit guide.

Other towns spell it out. Wellington's "Do I need a permit?" sheet lists patio enclosures and screened porches as permit items, and Berthoud's list includes patio enclosures; see the Wellington and Berthoud pages. Source: Fort Collins building permits.

Screened patio prices

Screened porch and patio costs (2026)

Project	Cost	Note
Screen an existing porch or covered patio	$5 to $7 per sq ft	About $2,800 on average
New screened porch	$25 to $120 per sq ft	Roof, framing, floor and screens
New screened porch, 200 to 300 sq ft	$10,000 to $35,000	Typical total
Patio cover alone (if building the roof)	$20 to $50 per sq ft	Angi patio cover guide

Source: Angi 2026 screened porch and patio cover cost guides (national figures). Quotes vary by site.

White board-and-batten house with a screened porch under a metal roof — A screened porch under a shed roof on a board-and-batten house.

How a screened patio is built

1
Start from the roof
A screened porch needs a roof above it. If there's a sound cover already, the screens go under it; if not, the cover is built first.
2
Check the permit path
A new cover needs a Fort Collins permit, and enclosing a covered patio is an addition. The screens are planned so the right permit covers them.
3
Frame the openings
Posts are added where the spans are too wide for screen panels, with a kneewall or bottom rail and a framed door opening.
4
Screens and door
Screen panels or a screen-and-spline system go in, along with a screen door that closes on its own.
5
Floor and finish
On a deck, boards may get screening underneath to stop bugs coming up through the gaps. Ceiling fan and lights finish it.

Worked example

Screening an existing 12 by 18 covered deck in a Fort Collins subdivision

In this example the deck already has a shingled shed roof on four posts. One span is 14 feet wide, too wide for a single screen run, so a post goes in at its middle. A 36 inch kneewall runs around the open sides, with the screen door at the top of the stairs.

Before any framing, the plan goes to Building Services to confirm whether screens on this porch count as enclosing it. Screening also goes under the deck boards so bugs can't come up through the gaps.

216 sq ft screened at $5 to $7 per sq ft	$1,080 to $1,512
Added post, kneewall and screen door framing	Priced with the screens
Example screens total	$1,080 to $1,512 plus framing

A worked example, not a past job or a quote. Rate: Angi 2026 screened porch guide.

The rest of the outdoor space

Decks, covers and pergolas are on the deck builder in Fort Collins page.

Screened-In Patio in Fort Collins: Questions

Screened porch with a couch, a rocking chair and plants, a grill on the deck outside

Furniture stays put in a screened porch; the grill stays outside.

How much does a screened-in patio cost?

Building a new screened porch runs $25 to $120 per square foot, usually $10,000 to $35,000 for 200 to 300 square feet, according to Angi's 2026 figures. Screening a porch or covered patio that already has a roof is far less: about $5 to $7 per square foot, around $2,800 on average.

Can I screen in a covered patio I already have?

Usually, if the roof and posts are sound. Screen panels fit between the existing posts with a framed kneewall or a bottom rail, plus a screen door. Where the cover is low or the posts are far apart, extra framing goes in to carry the screens.

Does a screened porch need a permit in Fort Collins?

Expect one. Fort Collins requires a permit for patio covers that are attached, over 120 square feet or over 8 feet tall, and treats enclosing a covered patio as a residential addition. Whether screen panels on your design count as enclosing is a question for Building Services (970-416-2740). Wellington and Berthoud list patio enclosures and screened porches as permit items outright.

Is a screened-in deck worth it in Colorado?

For evenings, yes. Northern Colorado summers bring mosquitoes near the river corridors and ditches, and a screened deck lets you sit outside after dark without them. The screens also cut some glare. In winter a screened porch is unheated outdoor space, so it is a three-season room only if it gets glass panels.

What's the difference between a screened porch and a three-season room?

A screened porch has screens; a three-season room has windows or glass panels that close, so it stays usable in cold shoulder months. A three-season room is closer to an addition, and in Fort Collins enclosing a covered patio is treated as one.

Screened-In Patio in Fort Collins CO