The building regulations of a carport can vary among different states. The carport regulations of one council may be considered irrelevant in another council. As such, we recommend that you check with your state whether you need to adhere to certain regulations when building a carport. For now, here is all you need to know:
Visit Fair Dinkum Builds for carport options.
Difference between a carport and a garage
A carport is a shelter built for cars and it consists of a roof supported by posts, without walls. The carport is mostly built as a separate structure next to a house and has an open side. On the other hand, a garage is a car shelter that has all four walls and a roof. The garage may be attached to the house and in some cases, it is built as a standalone structure.
Where to find the right information about carport regulations
Finding the correct source of information can prove challenging at times. The first place we always advise people to start is at their local council’s website. Local councils are a great source of accurate information because the websites contain fact sheets about minor domestic structures like carports.
How many carports can a residence have?
Some states allow only one carport to be built per residence, while other states have no restrictions about the number of carports that can be built on a property.
Do you need a permit to build a carport?
In most states, you will be required to possess a permit before you can build any structure on your property. Even if the structure will not go into the ground, it is better to have a permit and avoid any legal problems that may arise. If you come from a large state, chances are high that the local council will require you to have a permit before building the carport on your property.
If the state is considerably small, a permit to build a carport may not be necessary. As we stated earlier, the best action to take would be to call visit the office of the local government in your state and get the right information.
How to get a carport permit
Suppose you visited your local government’s office and you were informed that you need to obtain a permit before building a carport on your property. Where would you start?
Follow these simple steps to obtain the permit to build a carport:
Contact the nearest agency of your local government
The government offices in your area will give you all the information of the carport permit and other building regulations that you need to know.
Schedule an appointment in advance
The process of getting a carport permit is easy because carport permits do not have high demand. Although the process may be quick, we recommend that you schedule the appointment in advance so that everything will have enough time to fall into place.
If you plan to build the carport on your property in 3 months, you may as well start the process of obtaining the permit now rather than two months later. If you start the process of the permit too late, the permit may not be ready in the time period you had planned to build.
Application process
Once you start the application process, you will be required to fill out an application form. Be sure to provide the relevant information and enter N/A where necessary. You will also need to pay a fee so that your application can be processed.
Wait for the application to be approved
Do not go ahead and start building the carport assuming that your application will be automatically approved. Sometimes legal complications may arise causing your application to be declined or its approval to be delayed. If you start installing and building a carport on your property then your permit applications get declined, you will suffer frustration and loss from the costs you will incur.
You may also get into legal trouble if you build a carport without a permit. Follow the right procedure patiently and all will turn out well.
Receive the approval
Once our permit is approved, you can go ahead and build the carport you desire. You can build a carport from scratch or obtain the services of carport building companies who will come and install a ready-built carport on your property.
Building requirements of a carport
When your carport permit is approved, it may have some specifications of how the carport should be built. This could be in form of:
Location
1. Within the front setback
The carport should be built within a specific front setback only if it is built on a sloping parcel of land. However, the carport should not be closer than five feet to the property line. The carport should also not be more than a height of 15 feet above the street’s centerline.
2. Within the back or side setback
The carport may be built within the rear or side setbacks if it will be at least 5 feet away from the property’s frontline.
Appearance
The carport structure may be required to have a solid roof, overhang, or lattice. In some cases, the carport may be required to have all the above structures.
