Got a new vehicle but didn’t have a place to store it? Are you dreading expensive material and labor costs from building a garage? A do it yourself carport is the solution.
Carports are like garages, have one or more open sides. However, compared to a garage, they are ten times cheaper to build and maintain.
You can make a simple carport by installing a canopy or a tarp. But these let water and dust pool up. Instead, you can build a do it yourself carport from scratch. There are tons of ideas out there, such as a carport made from plastic and PVC pipes.
So, without any further ado, here are a few easy ways you can make a carport from scratch.
4 Cheap Do It Yourself Carport Ideas
1. Shipping Container do it yourself carport
What you’ll need:
- 10/20/40-foot shipping container.
- Any metal-cutting saw.
- Solar-powered fan unit (optional).
- A loading truck.
- Store-bought or do-it-yourself canopy.
Are you a fan of smart recycling? Then you can make a creative yet simple carport using a shipping container. It consists of a shipping container with a large canopy attached to it.
The canopy can be made using any method. You can buy a store-bought fabric canopy, or you can borrow an idea from any of the methods listed below. If your container is dirty, you’ll need to wash it down. A simple soap solution will do the trick, followed by a light varnish if the paint has turned dull.
This idea is excellent for anyone on a budget. The canopy will provide shade for your car, while the container can be used as secondary storage. This way, you can completely detach the carport from your house.
However, you should only go for this method if you have an old shipping container lying around. A new shipping container will cost you no less than 7 grand. So buying a new container beats the entire purpose of this type of port.
To shape the container into a usable working space, you’ll need a circular metal cutting saw. You might want to install a solar-powered fan unit as well to keep the container cool in the summer. You’ll also need a loading truck to transport the container and unload it at your target location.
2. Wood Pallet Carport
What you’ll need:
- Wood pallets.
- Corrugated roof sheets.
- Self-tapping screws.
You can build a cheaper do it yourself carport using wooden pallets and a metal sheet for the roofing. This is not only a cheaper way to build a carport on your own, but it can be painted and decorated however you like.
Start by buying wood pallets. Each pallet typically has 6-7 wood beams. You’ll need to build on solid ground. Mark the desired perimeter of the carport. Then place your pallets upright along the perimeter and see if they fit the desired height.
The standard size of wooden pallets is 48†x 40â€. You’ll most likely have to either buy bigger pallets or stack them vertically. Be sure to stack their longer side up as this will give you the most height.
You can add a small roof using long wooden beams and fill the middle up with corrugated iron roof sheets. The choice is yours. There’s quite a lot you can make with wood pallets, such as sheds, beds, and other furniture.
3. Metal Carport
What you’ll need:
- Angle grinder.
- Rivet gun.
- 10 mm metal drill bit and rivet bit.
- Metal beams.
- Roof sheets.
- Carpenter’s spirit level.
- Silicone sealant.
- Tape measure.
- Stepladder and sawhorse.
- Hammer drill.
This type of carport is a bit advanced, but the finished product looks spectacular. It features a simple canopy made from metal beams with roof sheets between them.
Start by securing the mounting plates to your location of choice. You’ll need to measure and mark the correct distance between each plate. Use your hammer drill to drill in holes for the bolts. Then secure the plates. Note that this type of carport only works with solid ground.
Next, place your metal beams on the surface, spacing them evenly apart. Place two beams perpendicular to the center beams to act as the edge beams. Join the center beams to the edge beams and the edge beams to each other using bolts. You’ll want to seal the junction shut with a silicone sealant.
Now, use your 10 mm bit and drill holes on the corners of the edge beams. This is where you’ll attach your column brackets. Attach the brackets, then bolt down the columns through the pivot hole. Now, raise the frame, complete with the center crossbars and the edge beams. You might want to go two columns at a time, first the front ones, then the second ones.
Finally, install the roof sheets using a stepladder. You’ll need self-tapping screws for the sheet-edge junctions and rivets for the sheet-sheet junctions. To prevent rainwater from collecting, you’ll need to slightly slant the frame down and attach a downpipe or gutter system there.
4. Cheap Garden Carport
What you’ll need:
- 6-foot pole bender.
- Greenhouse plastic.
- ½†cross connectors.
- ¾†and ½†EMT conduit poles.
- ¾†self-tapping screws.
- Wiggle wire.
Need a place to store your garden tractors and lawnmowers? Here’s a cheap do it yourself carport for garden vehicles. And the best part is that it doesn’t even cost much. Most of the materials used here are recyclable and can be found lying around your garden.
For this, you’ll need wood pallets or posts, PVC pipes, and clear plastic sheets for the roofing. The pallets can be bought for cheap, while the PVC pipes can be recycled from unused irrigation systems. As for clear plastic, try getting PU as it resists rain damage.
First of all, you need to make the ground posts and the deck (optional). For the post, you’ll need EMT conduit poles or PVC pipes. Cut your poles in half, then mark off the first 36â€. That is how deep you’ll be driving your poles. Next, drive them into the ground using a sledgehammer and a level.
For the deck, you can either buy a pre-built one or make your own. The simplest way to make one is to buy a wood pallet and add either a slope at the front or some steps.
Now it’s time to design the arch. For this, you’ll need flexible PVC pipes or EMT poles. Mark the poles at 9†and bend your arches. Make another mark at 6†on the other end and insert the hoops into the ground posts.
Use your hoop bender to bend your poles up till the 9†mark. Then use a cross connector to secure the hoops to the ground posts. Make as many hoops as you need, depending on the size of your carport. Insert the hoop into the ground post up till the 6†mark. Secure everything with self-tapping screws.
Now it’s time to add the plastic. Use greenhouse plastic if available. Drape it over the entire carport and secure it with a wiggle wire lock. Make sure the plastic is tight and cut off any excess bits.
FAQs
Why do I need a carport?
Carports are like outdoor shelters for your vehicles. Unlike a garage, which is integrated into the house, carports stand outside the house. They’re useful when you don’t have a garage and want to keep your vehicles safe from the elements.
Carports are cheaper to build and maintain, but they’re not theft-proof. The one advantage they have over garages is that they don’t require you to follow any stringent regulations.
Detached vs. Attached carport?
The attached carports are the easiest to build. You just need a canopy and two posts to keep the canopy upright. They lean away from your house or shelter and cannot stand on their own. In contrast, detached carports require more effort to build, but they also open up more space for you to store more cars.
How big should my carport be?
Your carport should be big enough to accommodate your vehicle. It’s a good idea to measure the surface area of your vehicle beforehand. If you’re parking two vehicles, remember to leave some space between them. It’s also good practice to leave some clearance between your vehicle and the edges of the carport. It will accommodate sunlight or rain that hits at an angle.
How to build double and triple Carports?
Single carports are cheap and easy to build. But if you have more than one vehicle to store, consider double, triple, or even quadruple carports.
Double carports can simply be built by extending the perimeter of your carport to accommodate two cars. For triple carports, it may be easier to have one car parked perpendicular to the first two. It would save space, considering you probably have a limited working area.
Quadruple carports can be built much like double or triple carports. However, if your carport has a shelter from which the canopy juts out, you can build another canopy on the other side of the shelter. It will save space, but it only works when the shelter is detached and has free space behind it.
Conclusion
These were some of the do it yourself carport ideas that you can try today. Carports are cheaper to build than garages and a good workaround when you don’t have a garage. Carports also come in handy when you want to store more vehicles, and your current garage can’t accommodate them.
