Building Guide:
While a Carport is a significant purchase, it's an investment that can last many years and protect other assets, including your car, boat, farm equipment, and your RV. We offer a wide range of metal carport options at America's Elite Garages and Carports. However, what's most important to us is ensuring that you get the best carport possible, one that fits your specific needs.
What to Consider When Buying:
.Primary Use:
.Location:
Before installation, ensure you have a perfect place for the Carport/Rv Cover. All our metal garages for sale need a level of space for installation.
.Weather:
Where you live dictates what metal carport will suit your specific needs, if you simply need sun and rain protection, you can decide based on that. But if you live in a part of the country that sees heavy snowfall, or high winds, that needs to be taken into account.
.Certification:
Many local building regulations also require that the metal carports be certified when installed. Certifications are required to ensure the custom-built Carport/RV Covers can withstand a specific amount of wind and snow. In addition, a local inspector will review the building site and the building plans to make sure the structure is sound.
.Style:
We want you to love your Carport! While customization starts with filling your specific need, you have aesthetic choices ranging from roof style to color. Ultimately, you can have a metal carport built to protect your vehicles but one that perfectly complements your home.
When it comes to Carports, the options are almost limitless. One way to narrow down those options is by focusing on what vehicles you’d like covered. We have single- and double-car carports. For RVs, would you have the sides open or closed? We can always customize our metal carport to fit multiple vehicles or even taller steel carport plans for trucks and tractors. Read more about the different size metal carports we offer and some of the customization options below.
Roof Style:
Vertical Roof:
The vertical roof is our best roof and is recommended for areas with heavy snow loads and rainfall. The panels' ribs run from the roof's peak towards the eaves. The advantage of the vertical roof is that water, snow, and debris are directed towards the sides of the unit. We recommend that all buildings over 31' use a vertical-style roof.
. When going over 31' Long on a unit, it is recommended to with a vertical roof, as units over 31' long will have a seam in the middle of the roof on a Standard Or A-Frame Horizontal. The Vertical Style Roof will remove the seam and potential leaking down the road.
A-Frame Horizontal Roof (Boxed Eave)
Boxed Eave Style: This is an A-Frame style horizontal roof. The ribs on the panels run horizontally with the building. This is more economical since it does not have the hat-channel pieces that need to be installed with a vertical roof. Suitable for areas with heavy winds but don’t get much snow or heavy rains.
Standard Roof (Regular)
Regular Style (Standard): This roof style is the most economical. The Standard (Regular) Style Roof has rounded sides. The panels run horizontally from front to back and has a 6" eve on the front and back of the structure. This roof style is great if you live in an area without heavy winds and rain. Perfect for protecting your cars from sunshine and damage from exposure to the sun.
Roof Notes
. The Frame Length is 1' shorter than Roof Length
- Both the Vertical and Horizontal Roofs have a 6" overhang all around the unit. The Regular Style Roof has a 6" overhang on the front and back.
Example (12' Wide x 21' Long Carport, Physical Footprint 12' Wide x 20' Long)
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. Our Roofs have approximately a 3/12 pitch. The roof pitch varies a little depending on the width of the unit and a custom pitch can be built upon request at an additional cost.
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Gauge of the Frame:
14 Gauge Frame: Standard
The 14 gauge is 2.6’’x 2.6’’ in diameter rectangular tubing and comes standard. It is the most economical option.
12 Gauge Frame:
The 12 Gauge is 2.25’’ x 2.25’’ in diameter rectangular tubing. It is thicker and stronger than the 14 gauge and provides higher snow load and wind speed ratings.
. Comes with a 20-Year Rust-through Warranty
Recommended For
. Heavy Snow Load & Wind Speed Areas
. Units over 8' High
. Units over 18' Wide
Width:
Carports come in a wide range of standards, starting at 12′ and going all the way up to 60′. While a width of 12′ will provide protection for a single vehicle, you’ll need a width of at least 26′ to cover three. And, for larger trucks and tractors, this could stretch to 40′.
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Single and Double Wide:12’,18’,20’,22’, and 24’ Wide
Triple Wide: 26’, 28’, and 30’ Wide
Extra Wide: 32’,34’,36’,38’, and 40’ Wide
- All units over 30' must be installed on cement & Requires Forklift for Install
Width Guide
12' - Single Car, Truck, and RV
18' - Two Compact Cars
20' - Two Midsized Cars
22' - Two Full or Oversized Cars or Trucks
24' - Two Full or Oversized Cars or Trucks
26' - Three Midsized Cars or Trucks
Length:
With length, the number of vehicles matters, but there are other questions, too: Do you need additional storage? Are you only storing cars? Are you planning on a boat purchase in the future? Once you know the answers to these questions, the right length will be clear.
The industry standard lengths for prefabricated carports are 20’,25’,30’,35’,40’ and up in 5’ increments.
Notes & Tips
. The Base Rail is 1’ shorter than the roof length
Example (12x21 Carport, Physical Foot Print 12x20)
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. Units over 30’ long will have a seam in the middle of the roof on Standard or A-Frame Styles (horizontal panels). The Vertical Style Roof is highly recommended which can avoid seams and potential leaking down the road.
Side Height:
Steel carport height is measured by the side height, meaning the height on the sides of the structure, not from the very top point of the roof to the ground. The standard option offered on metal carports is 6’ height with the height requirements increasing to 8’ for any structure 32’ or wider. Our Carports start at 6’ high and go up to 16’ high. Please note any unit over 12’ does require a forklift to install and extra materials to build.
Notes & Tips
. Our Roofs have approximately a 3/12 pitch. The roof pitch varies a little depending on the width of the unit and a custom pitch can be built upon request at an additional cost.
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. Unit over 12’ does require a forklift to install and extra materials to build.
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. If you intend to enclose your carport later down the road and include a garage door, you will need to have a carport that stands at least 8’ tall at the leg height.
Additional Options:
Gable Ends: A horizontal panel that extends from the top of the legs up to the peak, to cover the triangular opening on the end of the structure and give you a squared-off entry. Also, reinforcing the structure and provides protection against harsh winds and weather conditions. They can be added to the Front and Back of the Carport
Side Panels: Panels are 29 gauge steel and are 3' wide by our standard lengths of 21’, 26’, and 31’. Panels can be added to the side of your custom carport to better protect the vehicle and provide extra strength to the framing.
Bows & Trusses: extra bows and trusses can be added to your custom metal carport or RV carport to make it stronger.
Bows and trusses are another option to add strength and stability to your metal carport. Bows and Trusses are the structural supports that fit inside the roof of the structure and along the sides to better support and stabilize the metal carport design. If you live in an area of heavy snow or intense weather, you should consider adding the additional strength to your metal building. All of the metal carports for sale up to 24’ wide will include a bow, and all units wider than 24’ have a truss.
Anchors: Very important option, and can vary depending on your installation type.
Carports and RV covers can be anchored to concrete slabs, poured asphalt, or to solid ground. To learn more about the different anchor types and ways in which our installation team anchors your structures, Click Anchors for more information.