Alan’s Metal Carport Buyer's Guide

Are you considering adding a carport to your house? Here’s a quick checklist to help you decide if a prefabricated metal carport is your best option.

• A metal carport is right for you if…

You have vehicles you want to protect

A carport will help protect your vehicles from damage caused by the sun, wind, rain, snow, ice, and hail.

You have a limited budget

Prefabricated metal carports are much less expensive than wood or concrete carports.

You want a low-maintenance carport

Steel carports last a long time and require very little maintenance. Insects, dry rot, and fire won’t damage your metal carport.

You want to increase the value of your home

Adding an attractive metal carport to your house can make your property more appealing to potential buyers and add thousands of dollars to the resale value of your home.

You don’t want to fuss with a complicated and potentially expensive do-it-yourself project

Building a carport yourself might seem like it would be cheaper than buying a prefabricated carport. But manufacturers get volume discounts on materials, don’t charge you for left-over materials, and already have all the tools they need to install the carport. As a result, buying a prefabricated carport is often cheaper than building one yourself.

• A metal carport is not right for you if…

Your budget is under $1,500

A basic, one-car carport starts at a little under $1,500. A two-car carport starts at a little under $2,000. Car covers are a cheaper way to protect vehicles. However, car covers should only be used for long-term storage of a clean car. Every time you pull a car cover on or off of a dirty car, you risk scratching the car.

You need a carport tomorrow

Regardless of how you go about it, getting a carport will take some time. In many cases you’ll need to get a permit, prepare the site, add gravel or have a concrete slab poured, and then schedule an installation. Metal carport manufacturers have lead times that can run from several weeks to several months. The exact wait time for small carports can be unpredictable.

If you need a carport ASAP, one option is to order a carport kit from a home improvement store. You can probably get it delivered in a few days and set up within a week. However, if you go this route, you will usually:

• Pay more money for a very basic, plain-looking carport that you can’t customize
• Get minimal wind and snow load ratings, with no option to upgrade
• Get a much shorter warranty
• Have a difficult installation job to do by yourself

But if you’re in a hurry, perhaps these trade-offs in quality, cost, and convenience make sense.

You belong to a homeowners association that doesn’t allow carports

If your property is subject to HOA rules or other restrictive covenants, you’ll need to check what is allowed in your community before considering a carport.

You want an attached carport

Most prefab metal carports can’t be directly attached to your house. The carport installers will need about three feet of space on every side of the carport in order to set it up (for some extra-large carports, even more space is needed). Local building codes may require additional space between your house and your carport. If you want an attached carport, you should hire a contractor to design and build a custom carport for your house. This will usually cost at least twice as much as a detached metal carport.

You want to protect your vehicles and equipment from theft

If you’re concerned about mischievous characters that might come around when you’re not home, you need a garage. Download my Metal Garage Buyer’s Guide to learn everything you need to know about planning and buying a metal garage. Another cost-effective option is a utility carport, which has an enclosed storage shed at the back.