What to Consider Before Building a Carport

Carports are covered structures that protect your car from rain, snow, and direct sunlight. These are especially useful when you don’t have the space or the financial means to build a full garage. Even if you do have a garage, you may have turned it into a storage space or a workshop. Either way, a carport is an excellent investment that will both protect your car and increase the value of your home.

Building a carport may seem like a relatively simple process, but it does require some forethought. Before building your own carport, it’s important to consider some important factors. If you ignore these, you may end up with a carport that doesn’t suit your needs or one that you’ll have to change at a later date.

Type of Carport and Location

You can build your carport to be a stand-alone structure or can attach it to the side of your house. It’s important to take location into consideration when determining this. In most cases, there’s one obvious spot for your carport, but you may be in a position to choose another area.

If you’re going to be using it for your car and your car alone, it should be closer to the house. Alternatively, if you plan on using it to house a boat or other structures, this could be further away from the house. You also need to look at utility lines such as those for water, electricity, and gas before deciding on a spot.

Aesthetics

When building your own carport, you’re not bound by designs as you would be if you purchased one that was already made. You should ensure that the carport fits with the overall design of your house, especially if you’re attaching it directly to your home. This means keeping colours, sloping, and other characteristics in mind when building the carport. This way, the carport will feel like a part of the structure.

Dimensions and Number of Cars

The dimensions of your carport depend on the number of cars you have. You have to make sure that the carport is wide enough for the car doors to be opened properly and accommodates all your cars and high enough in case you want to store a boat or caravan.

If you have a single car, it’s crucial for you to think ahead and determine whether you’ll be adding another car in a few years when your family expands. Adding an extra space is also a good selling point if you want to sell your home at a future date.

Legality

Since carports are structures, they require planning through your local government. To avoid complications at a later date, it is best to get all legal documents and regulations sorted out before you start building your own carport.

Ground

Another vital aspect most people don’t consider is whether the ground is level. Slopes can cause problems when building carports, and so, the ground must be level. You can either level the ground or build up the lower side with cement blocks. Alternatively, you can concrete the entire area for a more level result.

Keep these considerations in mind before building your own carport to ensure that it meets your needs perfectly.