Porch, patio and deck catio

Convert the space you already have

The Catio Company describes a cat patio as an existing patio or porch converted into a secure outdoor cat enclosure. It can remain a shared space for you and your cat rather than becoming a separate enclosure in the yard. Start by deciding how much of your existing outdoor space you want to enclose.

The Cat Carpenter says an existing covered porch can work as a screen porch catio. Its designs can enclose only part of a porch, leaving a route from the house to the yard for dogs without passing through the catio. A full-porch conversion is the wrong layout if it blocks an outdoor route you need to keep separate.

An existing cover may eliminate the need for a separate catio roof: Cattopia shows a patio enclosure built that way. That is a construction difference, not proof that every conversion costs less than a new structure. Ask for a quote based on your porch, patio or deck rather than assuming the existing structure makes the job inexpensive.

Choose cat-resistant walls, not insect screen

Do not treat standard insect screening as a cat-containment specification. The Cat Carpenter specifically uses pet-resistant Super Screen, which the builder says withstands cat claws and keeps insects out. Although it resembles traditional fiberglass window screen, that appearance does not make ordinary window screen equivalent.

Screen and wire can serve different purposes in the same enclosure. Where wildlife visits the yard, The Cat Carpenter adds welded wire hardware cloth along the bottom of the screen as an extra barrier. Catio Guy also documents a Simi Valley screened patio with an additional 3′ of wire mesh for predator protection.

For a wire enclosure rather than a screened porch, Cattopia specifies 1″ x 1″ black PVC-coated Critterfence mesh on its covered-patio project. Ask the builder to identify the actual screening or fencing material in the quote. A description that only says “screened porch” leaves the cat-resistance question unanswered.

What porch catio builders list

What the seller lists	Seller
Porch Perch: The listed price is $2,500.00.	Cat Topia
Porch Perch: The catio measures 6 ft wide, 4 ft deep, and 8 ft tall.	Cat Topia
Porch Perch: The fencing is 1″ x 1″ black PVC-coated Critterfence mesh.	Cat Topia
Porch Perch: No separate roof is required because the catio sits beneath a permanent patio cover that protects it from sun, rain, and snow.	Cat Topia
Porch Perch: A sliding glass door provides direct entry for cats, and a human-sized door is optional.	Cat Topia
The builder uses pet-resistant Super Screen material for screen porch enclosures.	CCThe Cat Carpenter
Where wildlife visits the yard, the builder adds welded wire hardware cloth along the bottom of the screen as an extra barrier.	CCThe Cat Carpenter
All structural framing uses pressure-treated lumber, and exterior trim along screen edges is usually cedar.	CCThe Cat Carpenter

Cat Topia lists the Porch Perch with installation; The Cat Carpenter describes its screen porch conversions. Read Oct 9, 2026.

Plan access from the house

Place the enclosure around the access point you intend your cat to use. Cattopia's covered-patio design uses a sliding glass door for direct cat entry, and its custom design accounts for the patio layout and access point. The listing also offers an optional human-sized door for cleaning and spending time inside.

The cited conversion descriptions do not specify a cat-door system or a method for securing an open house door. If you want independent cat access while keeping the house closed, ask the installer to explain the proposed cat door and how the existing door will remain secure. Do not assume a sliding-door access example includes those details.

Think through people and pets moving through the porch before choosing the enclosure boundary. The Cat Carpenter's partial-porch approach leaves a separate dog route to the yard. That layout may suit you better than putting every trip outside through the catio.

Check framing, floor, doors and roof

The Cat Carpenter uses pressure-treated lumber for structural framing and usually cedar for exterior trim along screen edges. The builder can paint that trim to match the house while leaving natural wood inside. If appearance is governed by your association, check its requirements before agreeing to the finish.

Cattopia's covered-patio example is a painted, freestanding enclosure whose walls extend to the patio ceiling. It needs no separate roof because it sits beneath a permanent patio cover. An uncovered deck does not match that example: Catio Guy documents both a shingle-roof patio enclosure and a porch with a screen roof, so ask which roof arrangement your proposal includes.

The cited projects do not provide a floor specification or a deck-floor attachment detail. Ask the installer how the enclosure will meet your existing floor and how any openings will be addressed, rather than assuming a deck and a patio need the same work. Confirm the people-door arrangement too; an optional door should not disappear from the quote if you need it for cleaning.

• Identify the framing lumber and wall material.
• Confirm whether the existing cover serves as the roof.
• Ask for floor connections and access doors in the proposal.

Compare listed projects and porch builders

Cattopia lists its covered-patio catio at $2,500.00; prices were checked in October 2026. The listed enclosure measures 6′ wide x 4′ deep x 8′ tall and includes custom design, materials, professional on-site construction and installation. It also includes four built-in shelves.

That listing describes an installed project, not a ready-made unit you simply place on a porch. It is not evidence of a removable rental option, and its stated dimensions may not fit your space. Ask what changes to your layout or access point would mean for the quote.

The Catio Company offers patio and front-porch enclosure services in Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. The Cat Carpenter describes covered-porch conversions, while Catio Guy publishes screened patio and porch examples. The supplied facts do not give conversion prices for those builders, so compare written proposals rather than treating Cattopia's listed price as a general porch-conversion rate.