Lakeville 4-Season Porch Addition with Stone Fireplace

What started as an idea for a three-season porch became one of the most-used spaces in this Lakeville home. The homeowners wanted to replace an existing deck with a comfortable place to enjoy their backyard beyond Minnesota's short summer season. As they explored their options with Honey-Doers, they realized a four-season porch would give them even more value without a significant increase in cost.

Today, the finished porch blends into the home so naturally that it feels like it has always been there. With a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, large windows, a custom ceiling and decks on both sides, the space has changed how the homeowners spend their time at home.

In fact, the husband regularly calls it the best money they've ever spent. When they're home and not eating or sleeping, the couple says they're on the porch 90% of the time or more.

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Project Snapshot

Detail	Information
Location	Lakeville, Minnesota
Project Type	Four-season porch addition and composite decks
Home Age	Built in 2018
Construction Timeline	About 1–2 months, completed in stages as materials arrived
Key Features	Floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace with a Heat & Glo unit, helical footings, insulated floor, ductless heating and ventilation, painted tongue-and-groove ceiling, matching flooring and millwork, custom floor vent, reused sliding door, composite decking and Westbury aluminum railing

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A New Home That Needed More Living Space

Although their home was relatively new, the homeowners saw an opportunity to make better use of their backyard. The existing deck gave them outdoor space during warmer weather, but they wanted something they could enjoy all year.

Their first thought was a three-season porch. After talking with Rick, owner of Honey-Doers, they began looking at the benefits of making it a four-season room instead.

Rick helped them think through more than the immediate project. They talked about how the space would connect to the existing home, how they would use it day to day, and the bigger picture: how finished, year-round space adds to a home's square footage and its resale value.

With only a modest cost difference between the two, a four-season porch made more sense.

Choosing a contractor, however, was not a decision they took lightly.

The couple had been through a difficult construction process when their home was built, and it left them cautious about taking on another major project. But they had gotten to know Rick as a neighbor, and they had only heard good things about Honey-Doers around the community.

That relationship gave them the confidence to move forward without seeking other bids. For them, it was Honey-Doers or no porch at all.

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Building a Four-Season Porch for Minnesota Weather

Turning a deck into a four-season living space takes more than enclosing it with walls and windows. The structure has to carry more weight, hold a comfortable temperature and stand up to Minnesota's changing seasons.

The Honey-Doers team removed the existing deck and installed helical footings to support the new room. These deep foundation supports keep a heavier, finished structure stable and keep it from shifting over time.

Because the porch sits above the ground, insulation mattered just as much. The team installed six inches of spray foam plus R-30 insulation in the floor to keep the space comfortable through the colder months.

A ductless system provides heating and ventilation. Its indoor unit was mounted above the doorway into the house, where it stays out of the way.

The result is a room the homeowners can enjoy on a warm summer afternoon or a cold winter evening.

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Making the Addition Feel Like Part of the Home

One of the homeowners' biggest priorities was making sure the porch didn't look or feel like an afterthought.

Honey-Doers matched the existing flooring and millwork and kept the floor at the same level from the house into the new room. Finding the matching flooring proved difficult, and it caused a few headaches along the way, but the team worked through it rather than settling for a finish that would look different.

During framing, a member of the crew also suggested raising the height of the opening between the house and the porch. That change created a more open transition and helped the new space feel connected to the rest of the home.

Inside, a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace built around a Heat & Glo unit is the room's focal point. Large fixed windows on either side bring in natural light and keep the view of the backyard. A painted tongue-and-groove ceiling, recessed lighting and a ceiling fan complete the room.

The color palette was developed together with the homeowners, including darker trim that gives the room contrast without making it feel separate from the rest of the house.

"There isn't any one thing, because we just love the whole thing. We love it, love it, love it."

For the homeowners, the finished space is more than a collection of features. It's how everything comes together that makes it special.

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Thoughtful Details That Made a Difference

Some of the most meaningful decisions on this project were practical ones.

The homeowners had recently paid extra for a larger sliding glass door, and it was less than two years old when construction began. Replacing it seemed wasteful.

They asked Rick whether the door could be reused in the new porch.

His answer was simple: if the team could make it work, they would.

They did. The door now opens from the porch onto the grilling deck, saving the homeowners the cost of buying another one.

Another small detail became one of their favorite examples of the team's craftsmanship.

A metal floor vent sat right at the entrance to the new room, and it stood out against the new flooring. The homeowners asked whether a wood vent might look better.

Rather than installing a standard replacement, Rick took spare pieces of the flooring and had the team build a vent cover right into the floor, so it blends in with the boards around it.

"It was perfect and amazing!"

Durability and upkeep shaped the other choices. From the structural supports to the flooring and the exterior decking, materials were picked to hold up to years of use with little maintenance.

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Two Decks, Two Ways to Enjoy the Outdoors

While the four-season porch is the centerpiece, the outdoor spaces were planned just as carefully.

Honey-Doers built new composite decks on both sides of the porch, finished with Westbury aluminum railing. The composite decking cuts down on ongoing maintenance, and the railing gives a clean, durable finish. Lights under the soffits make both decks usable after dark.

Each deck serves a different purpose.

One side has the stairs and room for seating and entertaining. The other is mainly for grilling, and the porch itself shelters it from the wind.

That grilling deck has become the husband's favorite spot.

Large windows and a full-view exterior door keep the porch connected to both decks, so the homeowners can move easily between relaxing inside, entertaining outside and cooking on the grill.

Even the old deck found a second life. Honey-Doers knew of another client who was looking for a deck and connected them, so the homeowners were able to sell the deck they had built only a couple of years earlier.

Rather than choosing between a porch and a deck, the homeowners gained several connected spaces they can use in different ways throughout the year.

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An Experience Built on Trust

With a hard construction experience still fresh in their minds, the homeowners paid close attention to how Honey-Doers managed the work.

The team took steps to keep construction from disrupting the rest of the house. Whenever possible, the crew worked from the outside rather than walking through the living areas. A plastic wall with a zippered opening kept most of the dust out of the house, and the crew cleaned up at the end of every day.

The homeowners also appreciated how the team handled questions, changes and the occasional mistake.

When Rick spotted something that wasn't right, he had a member of the team come back out to fix it. And when one of the homeowners' own choices didn't work out, someone came back to change it, and no one made them feel bad about it.

"They listen, they care, they want you happy. They have great ideas from years of experience, and together you can figure out what works."

The couple was just as impressed by the craftsmanship.

"The craftsmanship was exceptional, head and shoulders above everything else in our home."

For them, the quality of the work and the way they were treated reinforced the trust they had placed in Honey-Doers from the start.

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The Result: Their Favorite Place to Be

The best measure of this project isn't just how the porch looks. It's how often the homeowners use it.

What began as a seasonal deck is now a comfortable, year-round extension of their home. The fireplace, the big windows, the carefully matched finishes and easy access to both decks have made it the natural place to gather.

The husband still describes it as the best money they've ever spent.

And their relationship with Honey-Doers didn't end with this project.

In 2023, the couple decided it was time to redo their front porch as well. This time, there was no question about which contractor to call. Rick and Honey-Doers were their first and only call.

They recommend the company to neighbors and friends, anyone who asks. The homeowner even says that if she could, she would have Rick and his team out to work on her home every year.

From the first conversation about a three-season versus a four-season room to the smallest finishing details, this project reflects what the homeowners valued most: a contractor who listened, offered thoughtful ideas and cared about the finished result.

And for a couple who now spends nearly every free moment on their porch, the investment has more than delivered.