Carport Buying Guide
This is the most comprehensive guide on the internet that answers all your questions about buying carports and metal buildings. We also regularly publish blogs and articles about the carport industry, the top manufacturers and link to the carport review websites for you, the consumer. Our aim is to help you take an informed decision, buy at the lowest possible prices, and have a priced possession that increase the value of your home or business.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about Carports:
Carport Buying FAQ’s
Our installation crew are well trained professionals with years of experience in the metal building industry. Here is a list of things your crew will need so that you get a seamless experience.
- Your installation site may have utility lines running underneath. Water, gas, electric lines need to be demarcated properly before our crew can install the carport for you.
- Carport customers often complain about returns because the installers believe the site was not level whereas they believe the site was level. What is a level site for Carport installation? If your site is more than 3” off level, you will have to incur extra fees – cut legs on site. If you’re having a contractor pour concrete on your land lot, please ask them to make it fully level without the 3” level off.
- If you have a custom requirement such as building on another structure or on concrete walls, please call us before the installation of your metal building. There is a small “install over existing structure” fee you will have to incur and that fees is determined by the complexity of the structure over which the carport/building is to be installed.
- Additional labor fee applies in case our installers must clear any debris or other things from your installation area.
- If your building is more than 13’ tall, you need to provide our crew with a lift.
- Having your payment ready before the installers arrive is a great practice. Our crew have “runs” during which they may be installing multiple metal buildings.
Carport Direct works with the manufacturers who are nearest to your location and are offering the lowest possible price on your carport or metal building. If you’re location is in proximity to the manufacturer’s coverage area, you can expect your building in less than 2-3 weeks. The installation time also depends on the size of the building. If you’re in a state north of Pennsylvania, your building will take between 4-8 weeks for delivery and installation. If you’re in an urgency and your site is prepared, give a call to our ordering department and they should be able to help you with an expedited delivery.
You do not pay anything today on Carport Direct. When you order your building with us, we just authorize your card. Our ordering department calls you before charging your card within 24-48 hours of your order to confirm your building. Once you’re satisfied is when we go ahead and charge your card for 10%-16% of the building total price. We do not collect any sales tax upfront either. The balance is only collected when the work is completed and your building is about to be installed. If your buildings retail price is more than 25,000, we ask for 50% of the remaining amount one week before the installation. Our installation crew/shop managers call you to confirm your availability and we send you a partial invoice for buildings>25,000. If your building costs less than 25,000 USD, you pay the remaining amount upon delivery and installation of your metal building.
The metal building is made up of metal tubing which includes trusses, bows, legs, nipples, sleeves, ridge caps, hat channels, purlins, L bracket, and the baserail. These buildings utilize 14 GA steel for tubing which is 2 1/2″ by 2 1/2″ thick. A thicker tubing material known as 12 GA is used which is 2 1/4″ by 2 1/4″ thick galvanized steel. The sheet material is 29 GA and some manufacturers offer 26 GA stronger gauge material.
Yes, you can. We can cut openings on the sides or the ends of your metal building which is known as a frameout. These frameouts range from 6 x 6 to any width and length that maybe suitable for your needs. Since the legs will be cut in order to support the frameouts on the sides, there is a small side frameout fee applies to your building when you request a door or a frameout on the side. You can put residential style garage doors of your choice in your garage building.
Extra side panels give your metal structure a more finished appearance and increase the curb appeal of the carport. These panels also protect your RVs from rough weather, heavy rains, hail, and snow. Weather can wreak havoc and side panels are an excellent way of reducing the impact of bad weather on your motorhomes.
When you have three or more cars, you need a wider building. Maybe you have a full-size truck, a sedan and a boat. You may have two oversized trucks and a mini. Whatever your need, if you have three vehicles, we offer the more cost effective side entry options to you. When you increase the width of your building, closing the ends is more expensive. When you park cars alongside the sides, the only extra fee you incur is that of the frameouts or doors on the side. However, it saves you the extra burden of a 32-50 wide building which is usually categorized as a commercial metal building.
You can technically place an 8 feet tall door on an 8’ leg height building. However, the door will be placed at the center of the end(s). If you are needing two doors side by side on the ends or the sides, the rollup of the door (in an open position) needs a feet higher legs to accommodate it.
Yes, here are the parking guidelines for cars, trucks, and SUVs in a carport or garage:
- 12′ Wide Carport: 1 Car, Truck, or SUV
- 18′ Wide Carport: 2 Compact Cars, Compact Trucks, or Compact SUVs
- 20′ Wide Carport: 2 Mid-Sized Cars, Mid-Sized Trucks, or Mid-Sized SUV’s
- 22′ Wide Carport: 2 Full Size Cars, Full Size Trucks, or Full Size SUV’s
- 24′ Wide Carport: 2 Full or Over-Sized Cars, Full or Over-Sized Trucks, Full or Over-Sized SUV’s
The tallest legs that can be ordered are 20 feet. Our installation professionals are equipped with the tools to handle installation of up to 10 feet without the need of a lift but we require a telescopic fork lift above those heights.
No! Most of the manufacturers do not take direct orders and neither will the price be any lower. They would prefer you visit a partner or a dealer and Carport Direct is a proven online dealer for most of the good carport manufacturers. We are available through call, chat, and email support, we provide almost 24-hour support (barring a few wee early hours Eastern time) and are your representatives at the manufacturers to get your order fulfilled at the earliest.
We use concrete wedge anchors, mobile home anchors, and rebar anchors for different anchoring applications. If the structure were to be mounted to a concrete pad then traditional concrete wedge anchors would be used. We offer a rebar anchor that is intended for use when a structure is mounted directly to dirt or gravel surface. On our certified buildings, a helical mobile home anchor is used. On non-certified structures, these can be purchased as an optional item.