You will find the following guide very useful if you’re considering having a carport installed.
Do you want to better protect your car from the elements? In this case, you may be interested in having a carport fitted on your property whether it is a carport canopy or otherwise.
In the following guide, we’ll explain how much it costs to install a carport, what the installation process entails and we will also explore additional topics such as the various types of carports that are available and how long the installation work should take.
A carport is a structure that is covered by a roof in order to provide some degree of protection for cars or other vehicles from the weather.
Carports can be connected to a wall or act as a freestanding cover. Carports tend to have a wall or two, but this is not always the case. Carports are popular in part because they tend to act as a cheaper alternative to garages and in many cases, you can make one DIY.
Let’s first consider the cost of installing a carport.
In general, it will cost about £2500 to £3500 to have a carport fitted on your property.
However, the price will vary depending on the size and type of carport in question.
In the case of a single-attached carport, it’ll cost about £3000 to £4000.
The cost will land around £3500 to £6000 for a double-attached carport, £2000 to £2500 for a single-detached carport or £3000 to £3500 for a double detached carport.
You can expect the average cost to end up between £3000 and £4000 for a curved single-attached carport, £3500 to £6000 for a curved double-attached carport, £1000 to £3000 for a curved single-detached option, £1000 to £4000 for a curved double-detached carport or about £2000 to £2500 if you’d like a lean-to-carport. As you can see, the carport installation prices vary quite a bit.
On average, the labour costs will make up about 30% of the overall installation cost. This will land around £800 to £900 most of the time, although the cost of the labour will vary quite a lot depending on the type of carport used.
As for the supply costs alone, most of the time, this will end up somewhere between £1300 and £2100 or approximately 60% of the total cost. The remaining 10% is attributed to the average cost of waste removal.
The overall price tag will depend on factors such as the type, size and material used for creating the carport.
Some carports are constructed with timber and cost about £2000 on average while those made of metal will set you back between £3000 and £4000.
In addition, the number of cars and type of property can make the work easier or more complicated and thus can prove to be additional cost-affecting factors.
Beyond this, the location of your property and ease of access can also shape the total cost of installing a carport. The reason that your location will be a factor in the bill is due to the fact that labourers have different prices throughout the country.
For example, most contractors charge higher rates in London and the southeast of England than most parts of the UK. However, the north of England tends to feature lower rates than the UK average.
| Type of Carport | Labour & Waste Removal Cost | Supply Cost | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-attached | £1200 to £1600 | £1800 to £2400 | £3000 to £4000 |
| Double-attached | £1400 to £2400 | £2100 to £3600 | £3500 to £6000 |
| Single-detached | £800 to £1000 | £1200 to £1500 | £2000 to £2500 |
| Double-detached | £1200 to £1400 | £1800 to £2100 | £3000 to £3500 |
| Curved single-attached | £1200 to £1600 | £1800 to £2400 | £3000 to £4000 |
| Curved double-attached | £1400 to £2400 | £2100 to £3600 | £3500 to £6000 |
| Curved single-detached | £400 to £1200 | £600 to £1800 | £1000 to £3000 |
| Curved double-detached | £400 to £1600 | £600 to £2400 | £1000 to £4000 |
| Lean-to | £800 to £1000 | £1200 to £1500 | £2000 to £2500 |
We’ll now discuss the various types of carport including single-attached, double-attached and curved single-attached. Each of these carport designs come with their own pros and cons which we will explore in the following subsections.
We’ll also consider aspects of these carports such as their popularity, how expensive they are and in what ways they differ from one another.
It’s important to note that with any of the following types of carport, their costs will also vary depending on what material is used such as if it is wooden carport or one that is metallic-based.
In terms of the timber options, you may be interested in an oak carport or a type of softwood carport. There are also a range of carport ideas you can consider when it comes to design.
This type of carport, as the name suggests, is attached to a property although it is only designed to protect one car from the elements.
In most cases, a single attached carport will come with a price tag of around £3000 to £4000. This makes it more expensive than a single-detached carport but of course, cheaper than a double attached carport.
With a simple and convenient design for most properties, single attached carports are one of the most popular types available.
✔ Not overly expensive.
✔ Suitable design for most properties.
✖ Not as cheap as a single-detached design.
✖ Only suitable for one car.
As you may have guessed, this type of carport is simply an attached design that is suitable for two cars rather than just one. Unlike a single-attached carport, it may not be suitable for as many properties because of its size.
Double-attached carports tend to cost about £3500 up to as much as £6000, making it one of the most expensive designs alongside that of curved double attached. It is arguably one of the most difficult types of carport to construct.
✔ Provides cover for up to two vehicles.
✖ One of the most expensive designs.
✖ Challenging to build.
✖ Not suitable for all properties.
Unlike a single-attached carport, a single-detached version is separate from the house. This is also known as a single freestanding carport. On average, this type of carport will cost about £2000 to £2500.
In addition, this option is cheaper than both single-attached and double-detached carports. Detached carports are less likely to need planning permission than attached carports.
A single-detached design is perhaps the easiest to build, considering that it is only built to cover one car and is a standalone structure.
✔ Less expensive than a single attached design.
✔ Not as costly as a double detached carport.
✔ Suitable for more properties than a double detached carport.
✖ Probably won’t need planning permission.
Next, there is the double detached carport. It is a similar option to the previous design but of course, provides cover for up to two cars.
While it is more expensive than a single-detached carport at about £3000 to £3500, it is generally cheaper than either attached design.
A double-detached carport is a bit more difficult to construct than a single-detached carport but they are more straightforward than a double attached carport.
✔ Usually less expensive than an attached carport.
✖ More costly than a single-detached carport.
✖ Not a match for all properties.
This type of carport is an alternative take on the single-attached carport. Unlike a flat-roofed single-attached design, this option involves a curved carport roof.
The advantages of a curved single-attached carport are down to its more effective capacity for dealing with precipitation and its aesthetic value.
It may cost somewhere anywhere from £1000 to £4000 to buy this type of carport.
✔ Aesthetic value.
✔ Designed to effectively cope with rain.
✔ Not as expensive as a curved double attached option.
✖ May prove more expensive than a regular curved attached carport.
You may also be interested in a double attached version of a curved carport. As with the aforementioned choice, this type of carport comes with a curved design and variety of advantages. It will probably set you back somewhere in the range of £3500 to £6000.
This type of carport is more challenging to construct than most carports considering that there is a curved element to the roof and it needs to be connected to the property.
✔ Deals with rainfall well.
✔ Aesthetic design that is suitable for two vehicles.
✖ More expensive than a curved single attached option.
There are of course, curved detached carports on the market such as that of curved single attached designs.
This type of carport is cheaper than a curved single attached option coming with a cost of about £1000 to £3000.
✔ Cheaper than a curved single attached carport.
✖ Only suitable for one vehicle.
Just as with curved attached carports, there is a double carport to go with the curved detached options.
This freestanding carport will likely come with a cost of anywhere from £2000 to £4000.
✔ Cheaper than its attached alternative.
✔ Suitable for up to two cars.
✖ Not suited to all homes.
Lastly, there is the option of a lean to carport. What makes this option unique is that it tends to lean against the house. In most cases, lean-to-carports are built as an attached design, although freestanding lean-to-carports also exist.
This type of carport usually costs somewhere in the range of £2000 to £2500 although it could cost significantly more or less, depending on the exact details of the design.
✔ Protects your vehicle well from adverse weather.
✔ Not overly expensive.
✖ Not everyone’s cup of tea.
Let’s take a look at what building a carport entails. We’ll now break down each of the steps involved in the process:
Before any work can begin, you’ll need to choose a type of carport that suits your preferences and needs.
In the previous section, we showed how each carport design has its own pros, cons, price tag and general features. It’s essential to take these aspects into consideration before making a purchase. You’ll also want to spend a bit of time considering what material you’d like the carport to be made of.
If you’d like to use wood, then it should be a pressure-treated timber. In addition, the design must be suitable for your car(s) in particular.
Once you know which type of carport you want for your property, you can go ahead and either hire a professional or begin planning for a DIY carport project (which we’ll get to more in the next section).
As briefly discussed earlier in the article, there are circumstances in which you would need planning permission and building regulations approval for a carport.
Most of the time, having a new carport constructed (that is open on a minimum of two sides) does not usually need building regulations approval assuming that it has a floor space smaller than 30m2.
You can contact your local council if you have any doubts.
As for planning permission, in many cases, your permitted development rights will allow you to install a carport without need approval.
Planning permission is not required if;
Where your carport does not meet all of these requirements, you will need to submit an application of planning permission before the installation work can get underway.
Once a suitable location is chosen, the contractor will start by preparing the installation area.
The installer will first need to measure the ground and ensure that the location is entirely suitable for the carport.
The ground should be levelled out where required. Next, concrete will need to be laid out on the surface chosen either directly onto the ground. That is unless, there is an existing concrete area, in which case this will likely suffice.
The labourer may choose to employ a prefab carport kit in order to make the work that bit easier.
At this point, the contractor will begin constructing the carport by erecting the beams.
Before the beams are installed, the installer will need to dig holes in the ground with a depth of approximately two feet before fitting the beams in place.
They will also need to add about six feet of concrete to fill the holes so that the posts will remain in place.
The front and back beams should be placed in position prior to the side beams being fully installed.
It’s vital that the beams are fastened sufficiently. This will ensure that the structure is sound. Once the beams have been added, the roof may be fitted next.
Of course, the installation of a carport as a whole can vary depending on the type, particularly if it is a single or detached design. Whether it is attached or detached from your house will also affect how the roof is added.
When it comes to a carport roof, rafters will first need to be fitted to the side beams. This is to offer the correct level of roof support.
After this, the roof material needs to be added and fastened to the support rafters. Lastly, the carport installer will need to perform an inspection to ensure that the structure is solid and stable.
You may also wish to have some extra jobs performed at the same time as having your carport installed. For instance, if you’d like to have a new driveway installed, it could cost anywhere from £600 to £8000.
It will depend heavily on the scale of the driveway and whether or not you’d like a special patterned design. You may also decide that you want to have your front garden cleaned up to add to the aesthetic at the front of your house as it gains a new lease of life. This will cost you approximately £30 to £50 per hour.
Presumably, this work will take about an hour or two although, it could take several hours if you have a large front garden and a lot of maintenance work that is required.
Many homeowners decide to take it on themselves to construct a carport for their property.
If you would like to install a carport DIY, you will first need to check whether there is any building regulation or planning permission approval required. The circumstances in which such approvals will be necessary are laid out in the previous section.
Where building regulation approval is needed, building control must sign off on your project once it is complete. You may wish to source the materials separately or you could consider purchasing a carport kit.
There are a range of hazards and dangers associated with constructing any sort of outbuilding as a DIY project.
For instance, there is always a chance that you could get something wrong with the installation. In this scenario, you’d need to pay to have your work remedied or/and the entire project completed from scratch by a contractor.
As for more serious risks, when dealing with heavy or tall objects (e.g. beams), there is a risk of being struck by such objects. This could result in injury or even prove fatal. This is why taking safety precautions and wearing safety equipment (e.g. a helmet) is so important. You’ll need to ensure that you know exactly how to build a carport.
If you have any doubts, you should leave the work to a professional!
Whether you perform the work yourself or hire a carport installer, there are still a range of issues that can arise with a carport installation and disadvantages worth considering.
Let’s first consider the cons of choosing a carport over the latter option.
Disadvantages of a carport:
Beyond that, having a carport built will also be disruptive (as would the construction of a garage) during the course of the installation.
Potential repairs include roof repair, discoloured glazing, timber rot and rusting steel.
The nature of the issues that you can expect to arise will depend on the type and design of your carport.
We’ll now break down some possible repair costs.
| Type of Repair | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Rotting Timber | £50 to £150 |
| Roof Replacement | £600 to £1000 |
| Broken Steel Pole | £90 to £170 |
| Gutter Replacement | £500 to £700 |
As for maintenance, you’ll need to clear out/clean the guttering every so often (about £100 to £150 if hiring a professional) and perform a paint job every so often (approximately £16 an hour if performed by a painter/decorator).
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Following the steps discussed in the section ‘What does building a carport involve?’.
This refers to using a carport to park a vehicle and protect it from the elements without the need for a garage.
Generally about 10-20 years. At that point, significant repairs or a full replacement may be required.
Yes, it is possible although they can be expensive and of course, are only suited to certain properties with enough room for a triple carport..
It will likely add to the value of your home but generally less than the approximate 5% value you could expect a garage to add to a property.
