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If you’re planning to have a free standing porch or gazebo built in your yard, you’ll want to first ensure that it’s in the best possible location, because once it has been created you certainly don’t want to have to move it. A good contractor can help you evaluate the landscape to determine the best spot for the structure, based on such things as the evenness of the terrain and the presence of overhanging trees.

Trees can provide shade which is welcome, for instance, but they may also create problems or chores because they shed branches and leaves in the fall and winter. Think about how you are going to use your structure, too. If it’s for entertaining, for example, does it have close and easy access to the kitchen? If you’re in a place that gets lots of mosquitoes, does it have adequate screens to protect you from those pesky bugs?

You also want to build it from materials that can withstand year-round weather conditions, and you need to be sure that the gazebo or porch has a solid, professionally designed platform or foundation. These are usually made from poured concrete slabs or by digging deep holes for posts and then anchoring those posts with concrete.