4 Things to Consider When Designing a Carport
There are plenty of great reasons to consider working with American Steel Carports, Inc. We have been in this business for many years, have an excellent track record, and offer fair prices for our metal structures. More than anything else, however, you may be motivated to work with us because of our commitment to customization. We want every customer to get exactly what they need for the project at hand, so we place a premium on making customization a breeze.
To help you get started, we’d like to provide some tips in this article on how to properly design your custom carport. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options and possibilities, this article should help point you in the right direction. When you are ready to get started, visit our free Build & Price tool to play around with design ideas. And, if you’d like help, just contact us directly and we’ll be happy to serve you.
#1 – Start with Intended Uses
The best place to start when designing your new carport is to think about what you’ll be using this space for once the carport is constructed. That’s the key piece of the puzzle because your intended uses are going to dictate so much about the design. For example, if you want to park three cars under this new roof, you’ll obviously need enough width for all three cars to fit comfortably. Or, if you are going to use this carport for RV parking, you’ll need a tall enough roof to make room for the RV to fit below. Whatever your planned uses may be, get those organized in your head first, and then work on finalizing the details of the design.
#2 – How Much Space Is Available?
Another important piece to this puzzle is determining how much space you have available on your property for the carport. It’s great to have dreams of a huge metal carport with enough room for big projects and ample storage, but that just might not be realistic in your situation. Pick out your intended building site and decide how much of that area can be dedicated to your carport. Also, remember to consider any rules that may come into the equation here, such as setbacks from the property line or HOA restrictions.
#3 – Consider the Weather
A standard carport has a roof and little else. This basic design is what allows metal carports to be so affordable. With that said, you might want to customize your carport to add additional features based on the weather in your area. If you live in a place that deals with the persistent prevailing wind and plenty of precipitation, closing the carport in the direction of the wind will help you keep the inside dry and offer more protection to whatever you decide to store under the roof.
In snowy places, it’s also a good idea to upgrade to a vertical roof design, rather than a horizontal layout. With a vertical roof, the metal panels run up and down on the roof rather than from front to back, and they do a better job of shedding snow as a result.
#4 – One Final Note
As you plan out this project, remember to consider the fact that your needs today might not accurately reflect your needs in the future. So, when thinking about something like the size of the carport, it’s a good idea to err on the larger side rather than building something that is just barely big enough for what you need it to do today. If you have the space available, you are unlikely to regret building a slightly larger carport than you truly need, as that extra space is sure to come in handy in many different ways over the coming years. This is a far more desirable situation than needing to tear down your carport and build a new one because the first one didn’t serve your needs for long.
Start Building Your Carport Today
At American Steel Carports, Inc., we make customizing a new metal carport as easy as it could be. After you spend some time thinking about how you want your carport to function, and what features you want it to include, working with us will allow you to make that vision a reality. And, of course, if you need some help bringing your vision into focus, we would be happy to work with you to finalize a design that makes sense for your situation. If you’re ready to start building, remember to explore our free Build & Price tool! Thank you for visiting and we hope to serve you soon!
