Frequently Asked Questions

Unfortunately we do not produce a catalogue of our line of products. We work very hard to present complete information on our WEB site for each and every product we carry – many including a ‘delivered to you’ pricing. Where possible we also offer a printable PDF brochure on each product page so that you can print exactly what you are interested in, rather than receiving information on products that you do not want. All you need is Acrobat Reader on your computer.

Most of our DIY kits require what every homeowner already has… hammer, screwdriver, pliers. However on some of the more complex assemblies a more detailed list of tools should be available for the job. The following is not a comprehensive list, but will give you a great idea of what it might take to put together say, our porch screening kit… 4 ft. Carpenter’s level | Chalk line | Chop saw with a metal cutting blade on it | Cordless drill/nut driver | Masonry bits for drilling into concrete | masonry fasteners (if necessary) | Caulking gun | Metal file | Hammer | Screwdrivers | Drill | tape measure | Box knife | Gloves | Safety eye‐wear.

On each of our product pages you will find a “Build Difficulty” meter, much like this… 

When you click on it a separate screen will pop up explaining the level of difficulty in building the associated product. You will also find on each of our product pages links to the installation guidelines for each product we carry. This will help you assess whether this DIY application is in the range of your abilities as a DIY’er.

We accept VISA & MasterCard. We also accept payment with a Cashier’s Check, which offers a 4% savings. For some of the larger purchases (modular sunrooms and sunroom walls) it might make sense to do an International Wire Transfer from branch to branch. The 4% savings would still apply in this case.

Unfortunately we do not.

Actually it isn’t that it is cheaper. In fact the onset of credit cards has, over time, artificially inflated the cost of goods from widgets to groceries. The initial thought was that the retailer would cover the cost of credit card charges at the point of sale. However the way we use our credit cards has forced every single retailer in North America, whether you buy a pair of jeans or an arbor, to build credit card charges into their pricing strategies.

Generally the charge to the retailer by the credit card company is between 2.5 & 5% of the sale (depending on which CC, your volume and various fees).

It is a misrepresentation to think that the retailer can afford to simply absorb that cost, and perhaps even unfair, since the use of the credit card it a choice being made by the consumer. For example if the retailer is working off an 18% gross profit margin, a 3% charge by VISA on a sale is a 17% reduction in his gross profit. Therefore every retailer has adjusted pricing accordingly. Our offer, if you pay by wire transfer or cashier’s check, is to put in your pocket what the credit card company would typically take from us.

If paying by wire transfer or cashier’s check: Email us full name, shipping address and contact telephone number (for the shipping company to call and set a delivery time). Include the description and item # or quote # of the item(s) you wish to purchase. We will follow up with an Order Confirmation, by email, detailing the sale and final cost including the 4% off.

If paying by Wire Transfer, the Order Confirmation will have all our banking information required for your bank to do the wire transfer.

If paying by cashier’s check, the Order Confirmation will have our mailing address in the bottom left corner. Print a copy of the order confirmation and mail it to us. We will notify you when payment is received and you will know your order has been sent to factory.

The short answer is no. We do not provide pricing of any kind over the phone. Other than a few items which are priced out on our website, each product that requires a quotation there are a number of variables that can swing pricing significantly one way or another. Therefore we are never confident in providing you the ‘rough’ number you need for your project. We encourage to you to go through the pages that help you understand what we need in order to do a quotation, provide us with those details and we will be pleased to provide you with a no obligation quotation that you can count on!

Local load requirements are specifications set by your municipality that you are supposed to follow when building a structure with a roof. These requirements are given in a ‘pound per square foot’ and a ‘miles per hour.’ Typically these come into play when you are building something that is over a certain square footage and considered permanent by your municipality. The idea is that the municipality requires that the materials you are using will satisfy the load requirement. We ask that you get these requirements (by calling your permit office) prior to contacting us for a quotation. We use these requirements to work backward and select the materials which satisfy the load requirement. Things like thickness of roof, size of beam, number of posts and spacing between posts are all a function of ‘load.’

A few words about permits…
As mentioned above, panel thickness, beam placements, beam size, distance between posts out front… all are a function of the load (snow & wind) that your cover will be subject to.

Yes! The insulated roof panels are engineered and selected according to the load requirements for your area. This means they are designed to take on the snow and wind specific to your area. In both cases they are definitely considered a permanent installation!

For the roof and walls, we recommend the name brand “Soft Scrub” in combination with a soft bristle brush and water. For the windows we recommend the name brand “Sprayway.” Whatever you use make sure it is non-abrasive and not a harsh chemical product.

We work very hard to present complete information on our WEB site for each and every product we carry – many including a ‘delivered to you’ pricing. Since we work with manufacturers in a variety of states, we do not maintain showrooms – not even locally. Our location in Orillia, Ontario is administrative only and we do not stock anything. Everything we do is a direct from manufacturer to you shipment.

Unfortunately, no we do not. The entire premise for our existence is to service the DIY homeowner / handyman. We work with manufacturers that have put together a ‘kit’ / ‘materials supplied’ format for their products. Through us, they can make their products for sale within the delivery areas indicated on our website.

As such, due to the sheer size of our market area, it would be difficult for us to offer installation services that we can confidently recommend. However, in our experience, it is not unusual for the homeowner to purchase the kit from us and then hire a local handyman or contractor to assemble the product.

If you think about it, there is no such thing as ‘free shipping.’ We believe it is a misrepresentation to the customer. For your convenience, throughout the WEB site you will find various products already priced out and the pricing (unless otherwise noted) will include delivery to your home. The products that require a quotation, will also be submitted to you as ‘delivery included pricing.’

The ‘delivery included pricing’ applies to the delivery areas indicated on the “Current Delivery Area” maps on our website. Shipping charges will be added for anything other than our standard methods of shipping and for stand-alone options. This ‘Delivery Included’ offer does not include unloading of said products and we would refer you to our delivery instructions page for further clarification.

Areas of limited accessibility will be exempt from this offer. It will be deemed the customer’s responsibility to inform Home Porch & Patio Kits Inc. of the potential limitations of their geographic location and appropriate freight rate up-charges will apply accordingly.

On every page of every product line on our WEB site, you will find linked (at least 3 times) our “Current Delivery Zones.” This has been necessary post-pandemic since the logistics industry (shipping) has fundamentally changed and we can no longer ship throughout the entire contiguous USA.

• Patio Covers, Screen Enclosures & Porch Screening Materials – Current Delivery Zones
• Modular Sunrooms and Sunroom Walls – Current Delivery Zones

Depending on the size of the openings we will supply the standard 18 x 16 mesh count or the 18 x 14 mesh count (larger openings) fiberglass screening. The standard color is charcoal unless otherwise stated. Want to know more about screening? (Click here)

No problem. First, be patient. There will be a learning curve that may involve 1 or 2 initial attempts. Second, our instructions do offer some ideas on how to accomplish the task. Lastly, the following video, though it is not exactly our system, is a comprehensive tutorial on screening frames. Many of the same principals apply… Screen Repair

Yes! Home Porch & Patio Kits has partnered with SuperMoney to offer the best choices for financing in the home improvement market available today. Simple visit our Specials & Financing page at the following link on our WEB site… *Finance Your DIY Project