Branson Patio Enclosures for the Deck You Already Stopped Using
You Have a Lovely Deck. The Mosquitoes Agree.
Big Chief Exteriors builds Branson patio enclosures and screened in porches across the Ozarks. Most folks calling us already own the space. They just can't sit in it between May and September without donating blood.
What We Build With
The Best Months Here Are the Ones You Spend Indoors
Ask anybody around here when the Ozarks are at their best and they'll say May and September without thinking about it. Mild evenings, everything green, the lake looking like a postcard. Then ask how many evenings they actually spent outside last May. The deck gets built, everybody's excited, and by the second week of June the gnats and mosquitoes have taken it, the west side is too hot until eight at night, and the furniture sits out there collecting pollen while everybody watches TV inside. You already paid for that square footage. You're just not allowed to use it.
Then people start looking into it and hit a wall of terms that all sound similar and cost wildly different amounts. Screened porch, three season room, four season room, sunroom, patio enclosure. Somebody asks for a quote to "enclose the porch" and gets numbers that are three times apart because the two companies were describing different buildings. And nobody explains the part that trips folks up most, which is that a four season room is a real addition with a foundation, insulation, and heating, and your existing deck almost certainly wasn't built to carry one. That's the conversation Branson patio enclosures should start with and rarely does.
“Before Vela, approvals felt vague. Now there’s a clear moment when everything is agreed on, and I can move forward with confidence.”
Maria L.
Travel Advisor
These guys were amazing! I own several homes and rarely do I see service of this caliber. The bid was very honest and reasonable. We decided to move forward and within a few days there were at our house working from dawn until dusk. The job site was always clean and the men were always very respectful and kind. It’s companies and men like this that made America great. You should look no further than Big Chief Exteriors.
Tracey Stroh
Branson, Missouri
I'm Tyler. Three Different Buildings, Three Different Prices.
I'm Tyler Arnold. Here's the whole thing in one paragraph so you can figure out where you land before anybody quotes you. A screened porch is a roof and screen. Bugs out, breeze in, and it's the least expensive by a wide margin. A three season room adds glass or vinyl panels, so you get windy days and cool evenings back, but it isn't insulated or heated and it won't be comfortable in January. A four season room is a genuine room addition with a proper foundation, insulation, and heating and cooling, and it costs several times a screened porch. Most folks who call asking for a four season room want to sit outside in May without getting eaten, and a screened porch does that for a fraction of the money.
The other thing worth knowing before you plan anything is what's underneath. A deck is engineered to hold people and furniture. A roof, walls, and snow load on top of it is a different set of numbers, and most existing decks need posts, beams, or footings upgraded before anything gets built on them. That's normal and it's fixable, and it's also the reason a real quote takes a look underneath rather than a tape measure across the top. And wherever the new roof ties into your house, that connection has to be flashed properly, because that joint is where enclosures leak when somebody rushes.
Tyler Arnold
Three Promises on the Room You'll Live In All Summer
The Fix It or Refund It Guarantee
If the roof leaks, the screen sags, a post shifts, or anything fails because of how we built it, we're back out to fix it fast. No prorating. No trip charges. Nobody blaming the deck that was already there. And if we can't make it right, you get your money back. Every single cent. Where an enclosure ties into your house is the highest risk joint on the job, so it's the thing we're putting in writing.
The $250 Price Match Guarantee
Bring us a written bid from another licensed and insured company building the same type of enclosure, with the same structural work underneath, the same roof and flashing detail, the same screen or glazing, and the same warranty. We'll match it and hand you $250 in cash for finding a competitor we hadn't heard about. Make sure both bids describe the same building, since that's usually why one number looks better.
The Cleanup Guarantee
Building on top of a deck means sawdust and cut-offs falling straight through the boards into the space below, plus fasteners in the yard where kids and dogs are. Our crews are paid on cleanup. We clear underneath as we go rather than at the end, magnet the whole area, and sweep the deck and patio before we leave each day, not just on the last one.
“Before Vela, approvals felt vague. Now there’s a clear moment when everything is agreed on, and I can move forward with confidence.”
Maria L.
Travel Advisor
Gorden MacPhail
Cape Fair, Missouri
“Professionalism was evident throughout the entire process from initial estimate to project completion. We were so pleased with the deck restoration we had them back for our gutter replacement. We really appreciated the communication with Tyler explaining the process in detail. Best part was price was reasonable. Definitely a 5- star company!! Will do business again.”
What Neighbors Say About Their Branson Patio Enclosures
The Two Ways We Do This
One keeps the bugs out. The other adds a wall of glass and a few more months.
Patio Enclosures
Enclosing an existing patio, deck, or covered porch with glass or vinyl panel systems so the space works in cooler weather and on windy days. Panels can be fixed or operable, and many systems let you swap between screen and glass by season. This is the three season version, meaning it extends your spring and fall considerably without being an insulated, heated room. We'll size the structure, handle the roof and flashing, and finish the interior surfaces so it reads as part of the house rather than something tacked on.
Screened in Porch
A roof, a frame, and screen, which is the most usable outdoor space per dollar we build. Floor to ceiling screen panels, a screen door, ceiling finished so you're not staring at framing, and options for pet-resistant mesh or fine no-see-um screen for lake properties where the gnats are relentless. Add a fan and some lighting and it becomes the room your family actually uses from April through October.
“Before Vela, approvals felt vague. Now there’s a clear moment when everything is agreed on, and I can move forward with confidence.”
Maria L.
Travel Advisor
“Very open and honest. Encouraged me to get other bids as well. They were not only the best-priced but also the most organized and open about our plans and options to take. The workers were clean and quick and did everything they could to protect the property. Tyler even came out himself to magnet the driveway so we wouldn’t drive over nails each night bc I have an EV that charges in the garage. Excellent experience! Big Chief definitely goes above and beyond.”
Gwen Pead
Branson, Missouri
Counties Where We Build Enclosures
We work out of 117 Calvin Drive in Branson and cover a wide stretch of the Ozarks. What's making your outdoor space unusable changes depending on where you are.
Taney County
Learn MoreBranson, Hollister, Forsyth, Rockaway Beach, Kirbyville, and Merriam Woods. Taney County patio enclosures near Table Rock and Lake Taneycomo are almost always about bugs. Water and heavy tree cover mean mosquitoes and gnats own the evenings, and fine mesh screen matters here more than anywhere. Cabins and rentals gain real usable square footage from a screened porch, and it shows up in bookings.
Stone County
Learn MoreKimberling City, Reeds Spring, Branson West, Galena, Crane, and Blue Eye. Stone County patio enclosures on ridge and lakefront lots are usually about wind as much as insects. A gorgeous view deck that's too breezy to sit on half the year becomes usable with panels, and the structure needs bracing rated for what comes across those ridges.
Barry County
Learn MoreCassville, Monett, Purdy, Shell Knob, Exeter, and Wheaton. Our Barry County patio enclosures work covers farmhouses with big porches worth screening in and lake property with the same bug situation as Taney. Larger spans are common out here, which changes the framing and the roof structure.
Christian County
Learn MoreNixa, Ozark, Sparta, Clever, and Highlandville. Christian County patio enclosures are mostly conversions of decks built in the 1990s and 2000s. Those decks are often sound but were never designed to carry a roof, so reinforcement underneath is part of nearly every job. Check your HOA on rooflines before you get attached to a design.
Lawrence County
Learn MoreAurora, Mt. Vernon, Marionville, Pierce City, and Verona. Lawrence County patio enclosures out in the open country deal with sun and wind together. A screened porch with a solid roof does more for comfort here than screen alone, since shade is the thing in short supply on an open lot.
Maranda Carter
Branson, Missouri
“This local company did things right! My new roof and gutters are perfect! Tyler went above and beyond with help on the insurance claim, explaining everything and was here from start to finish! I would definitely recommend Big Chief Exteriors to anyone!”
Enclosure Questions People Ask Us
What's the difference between a screened porch, a three season room, and a four season room?
A screened porch is a roof and screen, so bugs stay out and weather comes through. A three season room adds glass or vinyl panels, giving you windy and cool days back, though it isn't insulated or heated. A four season room is a true addition with a foundation, insulation, and heating and cooling, and it functions as living space year round. Those are three different buildings at three very different prices.
Can you enclose my existing deck?
Usually, with structural work underneath. Decks are built to hold people and furniture, not a roof and a snow load, so posts, beams, or footings often need upgraded first. That's a normal part of the job rather than bad news. What we won't do is set a roof on framing that wasn't sized for it and hope, so a real quote always includes a look under the deck.
How much do patio enclosures cost?
It depends entirely on which of the three you're building, how big it is, and how much structural work the existing deck or patio needs. A screened porch on a sound deck is the affordable end. A four season room with a foundation and HVAC is at the far other end. We'll price the version you actually want and show you what the next tier up would cost so you can compare.
Do I need a permit, and will this raise my property taxes?
Permits depend on your city, county, and whether it's an addition, and lake properties can carry extra review. We check your address and handle the paperwork. On taxes, adding conditioned living space can affect assessed value while a screened porch usually has a smaller impact, though that's an assessor question and not one we can answer for your parcel. Your county assessor's office can.
What kind of screen should I use?
Standard fiberglass mesh works fine for most homes. Around the lake we often recommend a finer no-see-um mesh, since the tiny gnats here go straight through standard screen and ruin an evening. Pet-resistant mesh is heavier and stands up to a dog who wants to greet every squirrel personally. We'll bring samples so you can see and feel the difference.
Will enclosing my porch make the room behind it dark?
It can, and this is the question people forget to ask. Putting a roof over what used to be open sky reduces the daylight reaching the windows and doors behind it. There are ways to soften that, including skylights in the enclosure roof, lighter ceiling finishes, and generous glazing. We'll talk it through before you commit rather than after you notice.
Can you add a fan, lights, or outlets?
Yes, and the wiring gets done by a licensed electrician we work with rather than by our carpenters, because that's their trade. A ceiling fan changes a screened porch more than almost any other addition, since moving air keeps both the heat and the remaining bugs down. Plan the electrical before framing rather than adding it later.
When's the best time of year to build one?
Late winter and early spring, so it's finished before the season you want it for. Everybody calls in June once the bugs have already won, which is the busiest stretch of our year and the longest wait. Book it in February and you'll be sitting out there for the good part of spring instead of watching somebody build it.