Planning and building a sunroom addition starts with a good location for the project.  Choose a spot on a side of a home so that the renovation will capture good sunlight the desired time of a day. For uniform light, use a north side, for hottest sun, use the west or south. Consider that morning sun is the least intense (coolest) and afternoon sun is the most intense (hottest) and plan accordingly. Get a recorded plat of the house and lot with dimensions and locate the addition as desired.

Find Designer or Architect.  Ask around and choose a good home designer or Architect. Be sure and ask for references, ask for a cost proposal detailing everything that is included in the design work. Request detailed specifications to assist you in bidding or purchasing materials. Money up front for a good set of design plans is well worth the outlay. All work should be designed and constructed to your local jurisdictional authority's code requirements for sunroom additions. Also, ask the designer or architect to help you acquire a building permit, a must for any project of this type. Additioally mandate them to design to good, sustainable, design standards and that they consider using products made from recycled materials when possible. Do a green sunroom addition.

Select Local Home Improvement Store for Help. Home improvement chain stores have departments geared to help the do-it-yourselfer or homeowner desiring to tackle any project. A sunroom addition is a relatively easy project for them to help with.  They can even do complete material take-offs, based on your plans and specifications, subject to your purchasing products and materials from them.  They also have any number of subcontractors and contractors that will bid on your work and the store will be the vehicle through which payments and guarantees are made.  A good deal for all first time DIYers.

Choose a Modular Size Room. Select a size room in even four foot increments, like 8 by 12 or 12 by 16.  This enables the purchase of materials with the uniform modualr dimensions of 2 foot or 4 foot, the industry standards. You will save money doing this. Always keep this in mind as much as possible when planning and building anything.

Foundation. Choose between a concrete slab on grade or a wood frame foundation and floor.  If you feel a concrete foundation is too costly or beyond your capabilities, go with a wood structure consisting of concrete piers or footings, wood beams and floor joists, and wood flooring.  Be sure and ask your designer or architect for their advise and plan accordingly.  If you already have a concrete foundation on your home it is best to stick with that for your sunroom addition. You have the choice to contract out the foundation work to a qualified foundation contractor either way you decide.

Walls, Windows, Doors. The most economical is a wood frame and wood siding structure. All windows  and doors should be energy-rated with appropriate certifications. Windows should be operable and as large as possible if you are trying to capture maximum sunlight and doors should be glass-panel type (with operable screened upper panels), again, energy rated. Your designer, architect and home store can help you decide. If you decide to go to a more sturdy structure you can decide on concrete masonry walls to match your main home (if that is what you have), maintaining the value of your home. Concrete masonry can be covered with brick veneer, stucco or siding, again your choice. Try to match the exterior walls of your home. Your designer, architect, and homestore representative can assist in decisions on how to construct both the wood frame and masonry walls of the sunroom.  Wood framing will usually be 2x4 wood studs at 16 inches on-center with wood beams and joists for roof to code.  Concrete masonry will be standard block, 8-12 inches thick by 8 inches tall by 16 inches wide. Paint, siding, or stucco is applied to the outside of the block subject to insulation considerations per your area of the country and code requirements. Don't forget to either locate your room with a connecting door to the main house or punch through a new door. If sunroom is not air conditioned, make the new door an energy-efficient type.

Roof Consruction, Ceiling and Wall Finishes. Whether walls are of wood or masonry construction your roof will be wood 2x members designed to the appropriate code span sizes needed for the design. See designer or architect. Ceiling should be drywall, gypsum board, to code requirements with painted or acoustic spray and with painted finish. Walls should also have a drywall finish whether wood or masonry.

Flooring and Special Features. Concrete floor can be stained or have other surfaces applied on top of concrete. Wood floors can be exposed or have other fineshes also. You decide. Ask designer, architect and home store for suggestions. Remember that hard surface floors like concrete and tile capture warmth from sunlight during both summer and winter.  Summers you will want to cover hard floors with slip-resistant rugs or mats.

Electrical and Air Circulation. Most sunrooms do not have air conditioning but use ceiling fans and open windows to get air.  Electrical outlets are to be by code similar to what is inside the main home. Any additional interior or exterior fixtures or outlets desired should be homeowner information that is conveyed to designer or architect at the start of design. Be sure and caulk and seal all walls, roofing, doors and windows.  Any cracks in exterior walls that will let in outside air.

Skylights In Ceiling. If you want maximum sunlight into the sunroom consider skylights but be sure and plan for providing some type of temporary shading device to cover them during the hottest part of the day.  Hand-operated shades with hang down cords can be installed on the ceiling to allow cover for the ceiling level skylights.

Provide accessories to make your sunroom addition renovation project more enjoyable any time of the year. Rugs, real plants, comfortable wicker chairs and tables,  reading lights and a small refrigerator to save some steps to the kitchen will provide a great deal of pleasure when using the sunroom..