Choosing the Right Carport | A UK Guide

Carports are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, as they provide shelter and protection for your vehicle. They are more cost efficient than building a garage, and usually have a quicker turnaround time to build and come in kit form.

With this in mind, carports can be a cheaper and quicker way to protect your car.

Are carports cheaper than garages?

Carports come in kit form – they are typically made in bulk and imported into the UK. As a result, the prices tend to be cheaper that garages. As the sides of carports are open, this also gives a material saving compared to garages.

Do you need planning permission for a carport?

In the UK, as long as at least two sides are open and the carport is less than 30m2, carports do not need planning permission. Planning permission is not required, as long as you stay within reasonable requirements.

However, we’d always recommend contacting your local authority as there may be local restrictions in place.

Do carports require maintenance?

This depends on the material used. Our range of wooden carports would require routine treating, both prior to assembly and a continued effort every 3-12 months. This can help to offset the start of rot, and improve the longevity of the structure.

If you are looking for a maintenance free solution, we’d recommend a metal framed structure and polycarbonate roof. Our collection of metal framed carports come with a powder coating, so assuming this isn’t scraped off, it won’t rust.

Should the powder coating be taken off, we’d recommend using a metal protection paint such as hammerate to protect the exposed steel and stop the rusting.

How long is the warranty on a carport?

The warranty of a carport varies between 12 months and 10 years. Typically, most tend to be between 5-10 years, and are offered directly by the manufacturer. If looked after correctly, a carport can be in place for around 25 years.

	Rot Proof?	Warranty	Footprint	Post Thickness
Palmako Karl Single Carport	No	5 Years	3.6m x 5.12m	12x12cm
Palram Arcadia 5000 Carport	Yes	10 Years	3.62m x 5m	8x8cm
Palram Atlas 5000 Single Carport	Yes	10 Year	2.88m x 4.95m	8x4cm
Jagram Ludlow Carport	No	1 Year	3.21m x 5.6m	9×4.5cm

Do I need a base for a carport?

Each leg of a carport should be on a completely level concrete base. Any discrepancies will lead to the structure being skewed, which could cause lasting damage to the structure and lack of longevity.

The legs can either set into the ground with concrete, or the feet plates bolted onto the set concrete. You cannot fix a carport onto tarmac, as this is too brittle and flexible to be fixed.

If looking to park passenger cars in the driveway we’d recommend the concrete being at least 13cm thick, and at a very slight slope to allow water drainage.