Table of Contents
Introduction
This single carportA roof that covers a driveway or other parking area, it does not have a door in the manner of a garage. A garage for one or two cars consisting of a flat roof supported on poles. is 6000mm (20ft) long by 3000mm (10ft) wide. It is the most basic of carports.
Because each site is different, and individual preferences vary, we have given options for postsee PILE installation and options for bracing.
The frame is made of woodTimber, lumber. The hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees. The roof has a minimal fallOf roof; Pitch; The incline angle of a roof surface.. The roof cover can be plastic PVCPolyvinyl chloride. A common thermoplastic resin, used in a wide variety of manufactured products, including rainwear, pipes, garden hoses, phonograph records, and floor tiles., tin or other metal. Choice of roof cover could well be decided by the type of conditions that the carport is likely to confront.
These plans make no allowances for extreme conditions.
Is your area subject to frosts? Find out the depth of the frost line and if applicable check to see if the footings require any special consideration. Usually the bottom of the footings should be below the frost line to prevent movement.
Check with your Local Authority to see what plans, permits, consents etc may be required to erect such a structure.
Wood sizes and measurements
The measurements throughout this project are given in both MetricMillimeter measurements. (mmAbbreviation for millimeter which is a metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter. 25.4 mm equals one inch.) and Standard/Imperial inches.
The metric measurements (mm) are given first followed by the imperialStandard. Feet and inch measurements. measurements (inch) in brackets (). For example 150mm x 50mm (2″ x 6″).
In the above example 150mm x 50mm means wood that is 150 millimeters wide by 50 millimeters thick.
And the equivalent in standard…
2″ x 6″ means wood that is 2 inches thick by 6 inches wide.
The wood used for this project can be either sawnRough sawn; Not gauged, planed or dressed. (rough sawn) or dressedSurfaced; planed; smooth; even surface; gauged. (gaugedSee DRESSED., surfacedSee Dressed., smooth finish). The measurements given throughout this project are for sawn wood.
If dressed wood is preferred, make allowances for the difference in wood thickness and width.
Use a wood suitable for in-ground applications for the posts and use a wood suitable for exterior applications for the rest of the carport structure. Any lumberAny of the framing wood. merchant or supplier will be able to advise on the types of wood most suitable.
Thank you for posting your on-line carport construction plans. They were helpful.
Craig
How do you estimate ,how many lumber do you need for example I’m gonna build a 10×12×18carport what I need is the amount of lumber that I need to use to build it.
Regarding your carport design….The only negative comment I have is the use of PVC roofing material. There are three drawbacks; #1. The sun will turn the timbers underneath charcoal black in the places the wood comes in close proximity with the PVC. #2. In the colder climates the PVC roofing is very brittle in the wintertime. If you are shovelling snow be very careful not to crack the roofing or damage it with your shovel. #3. PVC roofing will sweat in the days when there is a heavy frost on the roof. When the sun hits the roof condensation will build up underneath and start to “rain” inside the carport. An alternative suggestion is a tin roof. Sheath the roof and cover with heavy roofing felt. Then strap the roof with 2×4’s and install the tin. Much more durable and does not sweat, burn, or crack. Other than that, great site and good basic ideas….
Just one more point to add. The 4″ slope to the roof of the carport is not enough if you are using PVC roofing. The PVC has a tendency to bow downward and collect water between the rafters if there is not enough pitch to the roof. With tin I think you could get by with a 4″ slope but not PVC. Take care,
Langley, B.C. CANADA.
Thanks for the carport plans. I used it as a basis for constructing loose boxes-cum-stables for my horses.
Chris.
I built this carport after my first one collapsed because of snow. This was a very simple plan and I thank buildeasy for it. The only thing I did different was replaced the 4X4 with 4X6 for added support and I have to say it is perfect for an additional space. I built it with a friend in 2 days (because I needed the cement to dry) I use it to house my boat. And I have had 32″ of snow on it now for 3 weeks.
Bassinkurt.
Hi,
I used your plans for a cheap car port and it turned out well so far. I chose the dimensions of 12ft x 16ft because it was more suitable for me. I also reduced the dimensions of the lumber. Rather than using 2×8’s I used 2x6s, and I replaced the 2x6s with 2x4s. So the box on top was lighter in weight and because of this I was able to build it without any assistance. I figured the roof would be holding at most a 100 pounds of snow. I also bought shorter posts than I should have. I miscalculated the head room forgetting the 2x6s would bring the ceiling down 6 inches.
See pics. Initially I am just using a tarp as a roof. The polycarbonate roof panels would be around $300 so I’m postponing that for now. I looked into all sorts of roofing material and it seems that is this real cost factor in this project. Treated plywood is not much cheaper than polycarbonate panels.
The structure seems very solid. I have yet to test the pitch. Since my length is 4ft shorter, I went with the 4in pitch assuming it would be a steeper incline. But the incline is barely noticeable. I just finished so I have yet to see it in action. I can’t wait for some rain or snow to see how it holds up. It will be interesting to see if 6mil tarp will last the winter.
Total price was $250USD. A bit more than I had anticipated. Less than a car tent, but much more substantial. Thanks,
Drew from Michigan, USA
This is a cool carport plan. Thank you for sharing!
I love this site. Thank you for putting it up. So, here goes… I’d like to build this on a 24’x36′ existing concrete slab that we already have. The slab has 12″x12″ footers with 2 runs of #5 rebar in them. The inner slab is 4-1/2″ thick. I would like there to be a 1′ overhang on all four sides. We live in Tampa, Florida, USA where there are multiple bad tropical storms and hurricanes annually. My question is how will I know what size posts, rafters, beams and bolts to use? I need this to be up for years to come and not blow over in the first storm.