Carports: what they protect, and what to get right on the drive
A carport is the least glamorous product we fit and one of the most appreciated, because the benefit shows up on the worst mornings of the year. It is also the one people most often size wrongly, buying for the car rather than for the car plus two open doors plus the walk to the front door with shopping. Here is what to think about before choosing a design.
Get the drive measured before you choose a design
Post positions, door swing and where the water goes decide the layout. We will work all three out on site and quote it in writing.
What a cover actually saves you
Frost and dew on the windscreen most of all, which is time back every winter morning. Then bird mess, tree sap and leaf staining, which are the things that quietly damage paintwork if they sit. Then UV, which fades dashboards and perishes trim over years. It will not keep the car warm and it is not security, and anyone claiming otherwise is stretching it.
- No scraping on frosty mornings
- Sap, resin and bird mess kept off the paint
- Dry access when loading the boot in rain
- Less UV on dashboard and seals
Wall mounted, freestanding and side sizes
A wall mounted carport uses the house on one side and posts on the other, keeping the drive clear and the cost down. A freestanding one stands on four or more posts wherever the parking is. Cantilevered designs put all posts on one side so you can open both car doors freely, which is worth a great deal on a narrow drive and costs more to engineer.
Sizing, done properly
Take the vehicle length and add a metre so you are not walking round the bumper into the rain. Take the width and add enough to open a door fully on the side you use. Then look up: roof boxes, aerials, tall SUVs and vans all need clearance, and a canopy sized for a hatchback is a nuisance the day you change the car.
- 1Measure the longest vehicle you expect to park under it
- 2Add walking space at the front or back
- 3Allow full door swing on the access side
- 4Check headroom for roof bars, boxes and aerials
Questions people ask us about this
Does a carport need planning permission?
Structures in front of the principal elevation are far more likely to need it than rear garden ones. Height, position and boundary distance all matter, so confirm with your local planning authority before ordering.
How big should a carport be?
Vehicle length plus about a metre, and enough width to open the door you use fully. Allow headroom for roof bars if you ever fit them.
Is a glass roof suitable over a car?
Yes. Toughened safety glass is used, it is quieter than polycarbonate in rain and it keeps the drive brighter, which matters if the carport runs beside a window.
Can a carport attach to the house?
Commonly yes, using the wall on one side, which reduces the post count. The wall build up decides the fixing method, as with any structure.
What warranty applies to a carport?
The structural frame is covered up to 10 years, with glazing under manufacturer terms and our installation workmanship guaranteed.
Roof material and rain noise
Glass looks best and is quietest, polycarbonate is cheaper and noticeably louder in rain, solid roofing gives full shade and total cover with no light through. On a carport visible from the front of the house, appearance and light usually push people towards glass; on a utilitarian side drive, solid or polycarbonate is a reasonable saving.
Drainage on a driveway
Roof water on a drive is more of an issue than in a garden, because a slick of ice in the wrong place in January is a genuine hazard. Downpipes need to discharge to a gully or a soakaway, not across the parking area or towards the garage door. This should be on the quotation, and if it is not, ask.
Front garden and driveway structures are more likely to need planning permission than rear garden ones, because they sit forward of the principal elevation. Check with your council early.
Ground and fixings
Tarmac, block paving and concrete all take post bases differently, and services often run under driveways. Post positions get set out with that in mind, and where paving is lifted it is reinstated around the base. On a slope, base heights are worked out so the roofline stays true rather than following the fall of the drive.
In short
Size a carport for the vehicle plus doors plus walking space, choose the roof for noise and light, and make sure driveway drainage is designed rather than assumed.