I am not a builder but in looking at the way the posts are now they appear correct. Beefy or not . Your builder's idea would look way way off IMHO. The wider area between the posts at the center will make a perfect display area for your plants/pots whatever. Having posts in front of windows would look awful. Hope you are going to be satisfied with this builder ...just thinking that if you are already in a conflict perhaps he is not " the one". Good Luck !! c

You've got the right idea. The posts need to line up with your dormers and between windows, not right in front of them.

Saying that, I just went and looked at my front porch -- the two I was sure fell between the windows are actually in front of one on either side. The center ones may be a little further apart, but they appear pretty even, so my builder went the same path your would. Hmm. I put my rockers and planters out there and never worried about it, but the house was built more than 10 years before I ever saw it.

Looking at your house though, they seem right to me. In my mind, there is nothing wrong with having the doorway more open, especially with your side lights and lanterns and a couple of planters with welcoming color either side of the door. Looking at the possibility of scooting the center ones in towards the center, I notice the supports directly below their current placement. Seems like that would be the strongest place for them to be structurally (mine are all sitting on extra thick concrete). If so, don't mess with that -- you can do all kinds of things to create visual balance and the feeling you want around your doorway.

Thank you both for your comments! I really appreciate it. So I am definitely going to have those middle posts in each set centered to the dormer & windows!!

What do you think I should do with those posts that flank the front door? The existing posts in that position are 8' from the center posts - so a larger opening there by 2'. That has always kind of bothered me so I think I want that opening to be 6' as well. Then the opening at the front door will be slightly bigger (once I have the beefier posts). Sounds like you agree that this will look OK?

FYI, those brick "supports" are not structural and will go away when the concrete is poured.

Get a draftsman to mock up your ideas before building them.

Are you doing a railing? You could extend the railing a foot on each side of the center pillars toward the door (if I have your measurements right) and then turn the baluster to come down the step as a handrail.

Although I agree with you about a larger space for the door opening, I don't like the posts not spaced out the same in the other area. For me, it would be rare to be at a head on angle, far enough away to see the entire house to understand how the posts line up with the dormers, but I would often be on ground level or looking out and be able to tell that the spacing between pole A and pole B was not the same as between pole B and pole c.

These pictures just reafirm what I was thinking. I don't think you eye will necessarily pick up on how it aligns with stuff on the roof, but it will be obvious if the spacing isn't the same, especially if you have railings. Also, unless you are looking straight on, they won't be lined up. The third house down reminds me some of your house.

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I would want at least the three on each side spaced evenly. The larger opening in the center is nice, since you have a symmetrical house, but you could go all even as well.

(What was done on your house is what the Greeks did on places like the Parthenon where the end columns would be slightly closer together than those toward the middle --in order to actually appear evenly spaced in a long colonnade. Not that that makes any difference to your house with its six, but I just thought it was interesting.)

I like center posts where they are with the nice wide
opening.I agree you shouldn't have any posts in front of the windows.

However, You could center the two posts between the two
double hung windows more.

I looked at a pic of our daughters house and noticed that
she has a wide opening in front of the door and
the spindles and rails come past the two center posts about 2-1/2' and it looks very nice.

Also the distance between the posts on the bay windows is greater
than the distance on the ends.

My house is a lot like the drawing and second photo. Any wonder that all these houses speak to me? LOL

I do think it's okay if the center opening at the doorway is a little wider. The more I look at your photo, what bothers me is that the other 4 spaces don't appear to be even. If you number the posts 1 through 6, left to right, the spaces between 1 and 2 and 5 and 6 appear closer than 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 with the space between 3 and 4 being larger still. Those outer ones being smaller draws my attention more than the center one being larger -- but perhaps, at least in part, because the center one is wider.

When you look at the other photos, they all appear to be pretty evenly spaced. Following suit would appear to put your 2nd post on the inner edge of the dormers (similar to aa's first photo with 2 dormers) and the center ones a bit closer to the door, but not too much.

I would definitely NOT let the builder put the posts directly in front of the windows, no matter what! It looks as though you have some room for adjustment if you want without doing that. We have a post right in the middle of our picture window and I HATE it. Just seems stupid and poorly planned to me and it bugs me every time I look out. Can't wait to move it someday.

I had a business as an architectural draftsman for 20 years. With this type of elevation, it would have been drawn similar to the fourth, fifth or seventh picture aa62579 posted, with wider spacing between the two center posts flanking the door, and all other posts evenly spaced. With your elevation, this would move posts 2 and 5 1-1/2 to 2 feet closer to the center line, (the door), but they would not be in front of windows. In relationship to the dormers above, posts 2 and 5 would be at the inner edge of the roof break under the dormer above. I always preferred to keep a wider spacing so that the door, any sidelight windows and trim were visible with no posts obstructing.

Second time to post response - please excuse if the first shows up!!

Thank you all for your thoughtful comments and pictures! i really appreciate it. The center posts in each set are actually centered between the windows on each side (even though it doesn't appear as such in the picture!). By evenly spacing them the two posts flanking the front door will move more towards the window. Wish I could give you dimensions. The carpenter is out there now in the mud with everything torn up readying for the concrete pour. Anyway, I wanted to state that as it appeared I wasn't clear. It sounds like everyone thinks a larger opening at the front door will look OK? There will be railings between posts.

Also I would opinions on the diameter of the posts. I am thinking 8". The carpenter thinks 6". They will be 8 feet tall so anything larger than 8" might appear too chunky. Thoughts???

Thanks again. Look forward to hearing back.