How to Build a Doghouse Porch

Adding a porch with a roof to your doghouse has many advantages for your pet. It will make it more comfortable, but it has other uses as well. The porch is basically an extension of the doghouse. The base of the porch will eliminate puddles of water from standing around the front of the doghouse that attracts gnats and fleas. The roof will provide protection from the sun and rain. There are many designs to choose from, but the basic design will include the base or floor, the flat slanted roof and two posts to support the roof.

Things You'll Need

  • Plywood
  • Post (two-by-fours are recommended)
  • Tape measure
  • Nails
  • Hammer
  • Bandsaw
  • Leveler
  • Marker
  • Shovel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine how large the porch needs to be based on the size of the doghouse. Draw up a blueprint or design of the type of porch you want to build with the measurements needed for the base, post and roof.

    • 2

      Build the base or floor of the porch first because this is the foundation that the post and roof will rest on. Cut the plywood to match the measurements in your blueprint and use the leveler to make sure it's level, but don't guess. An accurate reading is important. You may need to dig out part of the ground or add some soil in spots to level out the foundation. Don't skip this step because it's very important.

    • 3
      Cut two posts according to your measurements.

      Cut two posts based on the measurements in your blueprint and nail these to the base. The length of the post will depend on the type of roof you choose to use. When using the flat slanted roof, the post should be slightly shorter than the sides of the actual doghouse (not roof) to provide the slope needed for the rain to drain off. If using the A-shaped roof design, the posts should be even with the sides of the doghouse.

    • 4

      Cut out the wood for the roof based on your measurements. Assuming the doghouse has an A-shaped roof and you're adding a flat slanted roof to the porch, you'll need to nail a strip of wood long ways across the front of the doghouse as far above the door as you can go. Leave enough width to match the width of the roof.

    • 5
      A bandsaw will help trim the roof.

      Use the bandsaw to trim the edge of the roof that will be placed against the front of the doghouse at an angle somewhere between 15 to a 25 degrees, depending on how much slant you want in the roof. The more of an angle you use, the more the roof will be slanted.

    • 6

      Place the angled edge of the porch roof on top of the strip of wood above the door and nail together. Next, nail the two outer ends of the roof to the post and you're finished.