Screened Porch Addition in Eastwood, East Nashville

This project started with a simple, clear goal: give a family in Eastwood a comfortable place to sit outside and watch their daughter play in the backyard. No grand renovation, no structural overhaul — just a well-built screened porch addition that would actually get used.

The homeowners had already gone through the process of getting architectural drawings produced, but ultimately chose to move forward with BEC Innovations for construction. We worked from those existing documents and delivered a finished porch that did exactly what it was supposed to do.

Below is the full financial and schedule breakdown — including the change orders the client requested, the upgrades they chose along the way, and yes, the sewer line we accidentally nicked during pier excavation and repaired entirely at our own expense.

Final Project Cost

$73,720

All-in, including every change order

The base contract covered a complete screened porch addition built to the existing architectural drawings. The footprint, structural design, and finish specifications were all established before BEC came on board. Our job was to build it — correctly, cleanly, and to the standard that a historic East Nashville home deserves.

• Pier foundation system — hand-dug and poured concrete piers to support the new structure without disturbing the existing home’s foundation
• Pressure-treated structural framing — floor system, walls, and roof framing per architectural drawings
• Shed roof construction with proper flashing and tie-in to existing roofline
• Full screening system — screened walls and screened door for the main porch enclosure
• Ceiling installation and finish work throughout the porch interior
• Electrical rough-in and finish — lighting and ceiling fan rough-in per drawings
• All exterior trim, painted and finished to match the existing home
• Permit, inspections, and final sign-off

During excavation for one of the foundation piers, our crew struck the home’s main sewer line. It happens — underground utilities in older East Nashville neighborhoods are not always where you expect them, and hand-digging piers in tight residential lots leaves limited room for error.

Here is what we did not do: we did not present the homeowner with a change order. We did not bill for the repair. We did not treat it as anything other than our responsibility to fix.

The repair was completed promptly, the line was tested before backfilling, and construction continued without meaningful schedule impact. We’re disclosing it here because we think transparency about mistakes — and how they’re handled — is more valuable to prospective clients than a polished story that pretends nothing ever goes sideways on a construction site.

This project had seven change orders totaling $4,530.06 — a 6.5% increase over the base contract. Every single one was either a client-requested addition or a client-selected upgrade made during construction. None were driven by hidden conditions or contractor error.

It’s worth noting that the fan allowance upcharge — at $2,088.83 — accounts for nearly half of the total change order spend. Fixture and finish allowances are one of the most common sources of budget variance on any project. When a client falls in love with a fan, a light fixture, or a tile that costs more than the allowance, a change order is the honest and transparent way to handle it. There are no surprises buried in the final invoice.

• September 21, 2024

  Contract Signed

  Proposal accepted and contract executed. Pre-construction phase begins — permitting, material ordering, and scheduling.

• October 8, 2024
  Construction Begins

   

  Crew mobilizes on-site. Pier excavation begins. Sewer line encountered and repaired during this phase at no cost to the homeowner.

• Winter 2024–2025
  Active Construction

   

  Framing, roofing, screening, electrical, and finish work completed through the winter months. Change orders documented and approved as client decisions were made.

• March 20, 2025
  Final Invoice Paid — Project Complete
  All punch list items resolved, final inspection passed, and the project closed out. The porch was ready for spring.

This family in Eastwood now has a screened porch where they can sit comfortably outside, watch their daughter play in the backyard, and actually enjoy their outdoor space — which is exactly what they asked for from day one. The siding under the shed roof adds weather protection. The ceiling fan keeps it comfortable in the summer. The buried downspout protects the foundation long-term. Every change order added something real and lasting.

The final project came in at $73,719.87 — 6.5% above the base contract, entirely driven by client-elected additions and one fixture upgrade. The sewer line repair was absorbed by BEC, as it should have been.

If you’re planning a screened porch addition in East Nashville or the greater Nashville area, this project is a realistic benchmark. A well-built screened porch on a historic lot, with proper permits, pier foundations, and quality finishes, lands in this range. We’re happy to talk through what your specific project would look like.