How to build a carport

The most popular question I get asked is the best method about how to build a carport.Your first decision is about carport design. Keeping is simple and being consistent with the look of your house is a great start. Take lots of photos of both your house and carport with designs that you like. Creating a strawman of the finished project is pretty easy if you have basic computer skills. These plans will next need to be submitted to your local council building department for approval. They will probably need at least 3 to 4 sets of plans and a list of the planned building materials.

Sometimes these building authorities will give approval over the counter, but you may have to wait a few weeks for it to go through the process. The carport footings are the foundatio upon which your carport is built. Your design and local authority will specify how deep they have to go. Once you have all your footing holes dug, your local building authority will probably want to inspect them prior to you pouring in the cement. If you intend to sit your posts direct into the concrete, but again need to be positioned careful and braced until the concrete sets.

You carport posts will probably be made from timber or metal. Unless you sunk them into the concrete you will need to secure them on the metal stirrups in the footings. I recommend letting the cement in the footings set for a few days before anly sort of load is applyed. When you finally erect the posts and beams you will see your carport take shape. Atop those beams is built the roofing structure. I reccommend a lightwight roof like metal sheeting. It pays to get a plumber to fit the sheets for you though. Your guttering should go on before the roof sheets.