About
A map studio built on keeping place data accurate
Front Porch Maps builds interactive maps for tourism groups, downtowns, trails and towns that do not have a web team, then keeps them current year after year. We come from building and running national location directories, so accuracy, upkeep and clear paperwork are the core of how we work.
- Company
- LAKE WASHINGTON GLOBAL LLCOperator of Front Porch Maps, PetRehab Network and Where to Sauna.
- Experience
- 2,700+ placesKept current across two national directories we build and run.
- Service area
- Anywhere in the U.S.Entirely online, with one point of contact by email.
- Paperwork
- W-9, statement of work, invoicesPurchase orders welcome. A reply within one business day.
One accountable person, from preview to renewal.
Mike Su Founder
Data analyst and technology program manager who now builds and maintains map and directory websites for organizations that do not have a web team.
Mike has more than 15 years of data analytics experience across manufacturing, banking and cloud computing, most recently 7 years as a Principal Program Manager in the cloud computing industry, leading complex technical programs from plan to delivery. He holds a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He founded LAKE WASHINGTON GLOBAL LLC, which builds and runs two national directories, PetRehab Network and Where to Sauna (more about them below).
The skills behind those directories are the same ones your map needs:
- Website building: fast, secure sites that work on phones and fit into the website you already have.
- Data visualization: turning a PDF, spreadsheet or list into a clear, searchable map that visitors understand at a glance.
- Search visibility: the directories he runs reach visitors through Google search, and every map he builds includes a plain-text list that search engines can read.
- Accessibility: experience building for people with disabilities, and every map is built with WCAG 2.1 AA as the target.
- Security and reliability: 7 years in cloud computing, applied to protecting sites from spam, scraping and downtime.
- Automation: scheduled checks that catch broken links and outdated listings before your visitors do.
- Statistics and reporting: 15+ years of data analysis behind honest numbers for your board, such as views, clicks and what changed, without inflated claims.
Years of managing technical programs inside large companies shaped how Mike works with clients: clear scope in writing, realistic dates, plain-language updates and no surprises on the invoice. He is your single point of contact for every Front Porch Maps project, from the first preview to the yearly check-ins. You will not be passed between account managers or subcontractors.
Based in Washington State, working with organizations across the United States. Reach him at [email protected].
We already keep big lists of places current.
Front Porch Maps grew out of the two national directories Mike builds and runs under LAKE WASHINGTON GLOBAL LLC. Each has its own map search, and both depend on the same thing your map does: places that are accurate and easy to find.
PetRehab Network lists more than 1,300 vetted animal rehabilitation clinics across all 50 states and DC, searchable on a map by location. National breed clubs and pet-owner communities point their members to it from their own resource pages, including the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, the Dogue de Bordeaux Society of America, Tripawds, the New York Complementary & Alternative Veterinary Medical Association and the Dachshund Rescue List. The Rottweiler Health Foundation has shared it with its followers.
Where to Sauna lists more than 1,400 saunas, bathhouses and cold plunges across the United States, with the price of a visit, the kind of heat and whether there is a cold plunge. It is built to be the most complete sauna guide in the country.
Keeping thousands of listings current is the same work we do for a town’s map: checking that each place is real, correcting hours and addresses, fixing broken links, and making the result easy to search. A trail or a Main Street has fewer places, and gets the same care.
Related work
PetRehab Network
1,300+ vetted animal rehab clinics, all 50 states and DC. Linked by national breed clubs and pet-owner communities.
Related work
Where to Sauna
1,400+ saunas, bathhouses and cold plunges across the U.S., with prices, heat types and cold plunges.
Small organizations with a lot of ground to cover.
Tourism and visitor bureaus
Wine and ale trails, scenic byways, heritage areas and county visitor bureaus that need one map visitors can use on a phone, and that stays right through the season.
Main Streets and downtowns
Main Street programs, downtown associations, improvement districts and chambers with a business directory that changes every month: openings, closings, hours, parking and events.
Towns and community groups
Cities, small towns and community organizations showing projects, trails, art or public places, where residents and council members need clear, current information.
From your PDF to a map that stays right.
Free preview
You send a link to your current map, a PDF or a list. Within 3 business days we send a private preview built from your own places, at an address only you can share. No payment, no commitment.
Agreement and setup
We confirm the plan, the places, a target date and who approves the map, in a short written agreement. The setup fee is paid when we start.
Build and review
We build the finished map in your colors, check every place, and test it on phones, with a keyboard and with automated accessibility tools. You and anyone you choose review it and send changes.
Go live
We help you place it on your website with one line of embed code and hand you the print-ready PDF with a QR code. Your first year of care is invoiced on the day it goes live.
Keep it current
Send changes any time, or let a business owner send them. We check and update listings on the schedule your plan includes, and every map shows the month its places were last checked.
What we take care of
- Turning your PDF, list or website into a clean spreadsheet
- Design, building, hosting and testing
- Listing checks, corrections and broken-link fixes
- Print-ready PDFs, reports and the yearly accessibility check on the plans that include them
What we ask of you
- One contact person who can answer questions and approve the map
- Your logo, colors and any photos you want to use
- A note when you hear about a change, if you hear first
- Adding one line of embed code to your website, or asking your web person to
Accuracy is the product.
A map that shows a closed shop or last year’s hours costs visitors a wasted trip and costs you their trust. So we treat accuracy as the thing you are paying for.
- Good sources. We build from your own materials and from each place’s own website and contact details. We do not copy listings from Google Maps or other directories.
- Regular checks. Every plan includes a listing check. Year-Round Care adds a full sweep every quarter, and Full-Service Care every month.
- Visible dates. Every map shows the month its places were last checked, so visitors and your board can see it is maintained.
- Flag, don’t guess. When something is unclear, such as a missing address or a business that may have closed, we ask you instead of guessing.
What protects you when you work with us.
Your data stays yours
Your places live in a spreadsheet you own: Google Sheets, or Excel or CSV if your organization cannot use Google. Export it any time, including if you leave. The print-ready PDFs we deliver are yours to keep.
No dead ends if you leave
If you stop, the map stays up for 30 days, then becomes a simple list of your places or a link to your site, so visitors never hit a broken page. Come back within 12 months with no new setup fee.
Privacy
No ads and no advertising cookies on your map. We never sell or share data. Reports use aggregate counts such as views and clicks, not information about individual visitors.
Security and reliability
Maps are served over HTTPS on Cloudflare’s global network. Our forms are protected against bots and spam, and the base map uses OpenStreetMap data, so there are no per-view fees or surprise bills.
Accessibility
We aim to build every map to WCAG 2.1 level AA. We test with a keyboard and automated accessibility tools and review each map against the WCAG 2.1 AA checklist. How we build for access.
Continuity
Because your data and PDFs are yours, nothing you depend on is locked away. If we ever stopped offering the service, we would give you at least 90 days’ notice and help you move your places to another tool.
Six promises.
Built for small organizations
A trail association with two volunteers and a downtown program with one staffer should get the same quality map as a big city. Our plans start at $1,200 to set up and $900 a year, an amount a director can often approve without waiting for a board meeting.
Done for you
You send us a PDF, a list or a link. We do the building, the testing and the setup. You should not have to learn mapping software.
Honest pricing
Prices are on the website: a setup fee once, then yearly care that is included in every plan. Price increases are capped at 5% a year. Add-ons are listed with their prices.
We keep it current
Businesses close, hours change, links break. Every plan includes regular listing checks and refreshes, so the map stays trustworthy.
Straight answers
If something is outside your plan, we say so before doing it, and we suggest the plan that fits rather than keep billing extras.
Open about our samples
The sample maps on this site use made-up places so nobody is shown as a map client who is not. Real client maps appear only with permission.
Everything your finance team will ask for.
| Legal name | LAKE WASHINGTON GLOBAL LLC, operating as Front Porch Maps |
|---|---|
| Tax form | W-9 on request |
| Statement of work | One page listing scope, deliverables, what you provide, milestones, two review rounds and how the map is accepted. Ready for a board packet |
| Agreement | A short written agreement listing the plan, places, deliverables, timeline and renewal terms |
| Billing | Setup fee paid when we start. First year of care invoiced at go-live, then once a year on the same date. Itemized invoices by email |
| Payment | Cards accepted; ask about other methods. We can invoice against your purchase order |
| Renewal | Annual agreement that renews unless you tell us 60 days before. Price increases capped at 5% a year. 10% off care when you pay 2 years ahead, 15% for 3 years |
| Grants | We provide quotes and scope descriptions for grant applications. Many grants can cover setup and care for the grant period |
| Vendor forms | We complete standard vendor and security questionnaires. Tell us at the start if your rules require insurance documents, and we will confirm what we can provide |
| Contact | [email protected], replies within one business day |
More detail on prices, limits and add-ons is on the pricing page, and common questions are answered in the FAQ.
The free preview
Send us your list. We’ll send back a map.
A link to your current map, a PDF or a list of places is plenty. You will get a private preview within 3 business days.
or write to [email protected]