Close in a Carport | Convert a Carport to a Garage
Carport Question: We live in a part of the country where most single family homes and even many townhomes have garages. In an old section of town, there are some old ranchers that were built with carports. I’m thinking about buying one of these with a carport and converting it. Is it worth it to convert a carport? Is it hard to make the conversion?
Converting a Carport
Great question! We too prefer garages over carports. While carports keep rain and snow off most of your car, they fail to completely protect it from the elements. Plus, you can’t safely store yard tools (and baby clothes) in a carport. For that, you’ll want a garage.
It seems simple enough – to convert a carport to a full out garage, you only need to add walls and doors, right? Well, basically yes. But, as with many projects, the devil’s in the details. Here’s a few things to consider before undertaking this project…
Was the Carport Permitted? Is it Structurally Sound?
The first thing you should do is have an inspector or structural engineer come out to the house and give you an opinion on the quality of the carport roof structure. While you won’t be relying on the walls to hold up the roof, you’ll want to make sure the roof is in good shape (especially the bottom of the roof that will be inside your garage).
Check to make sure that unatttended leaks in the roof haven’t led to wood rot, etc. When a leak occurs in a garage, it is usually quickly identified by an owner. In a carport, leaks are often unnoticed or left unrepaired.
Next, check the grading and quality of the slab. Does water pool anywhere? Would walls around the perimeter create a water pooling situation? If the carport is at ground level, it may need to be raised to be converted into a garage. In a carport, water can freely move from the front of the house to the rear (or vice-versa) right over the slab. When converted to a garage, you’ll want to make sure water makes its way around the slab.
Will You Have Enough Space?
Many of the carports in our area are a little smaller than the typical garage. Once you close in the carport, assuming you keep the same roof size, will you have enough space? Remember, depending on shape, you may want to install sofit vents in the roof for ventilation, so the walls won’t be able to come right to the edge of the roof on the sides parallel to the peak (this depends on the shape of the roof).
Is Converting a Carport to a Garage Worth it?
While we think it is absolutely worth it, the reality is that it won’t add any additional appraised value to most homes. Most appraisers will assume the same value for a carport and a garage, which will be based on square footage of the slab and roof area.
Is it Hard to Make the Conversion?
Assuming that everything checks out structurally, it isn’t that hard to make the conversion. Here’s the steps:
- Obtain appropriate permits.
- Address any structural / roof / slab issues.
- Frame out walls and rough-in doors.
- Install Advantech sheathing or another material, siding, and fascia boards.
- Install electric (lighting and receptacles) (will require separate permits & inspection).
- Install garage door tracks, install garage door opener(s), and install door(s).
- Add insulation and drywall on the interior (optional).
- Get final inspections.
Carport Conversion Resource
Of course, for each individual job there are too many variables present in making the conversion to give good tips on the project.
We recommend picking up a good tutorial like Quick Guide: Garages and Carports, available at that link from Amazon.com.
(Carport Photo Credit: Casey Serin)
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2 Responses to Close in a Carport | Convert a Carport to a Garage
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June 19th, 2009 1:29 pm
Also check to make sure code will allow for you to close it off. I know it’s not exactly the same thing, but a neighbor of mine in DC closed off his open carport like the one above. He put in a garage door to close off the alley entrance, but left the yard end of the carport open. He did it all himself and it looked great. Well, one of the thugs on the beautification board gave him a ’stop work’ order and he was told to either close off the yard end and make it a full garage or take down the garage door. Poor guy. I think he closed it off, thus losing half of his rowhouse yard where his kids played.
June 20th, 2009 8:14 am
Chad – Good tip. Especially within HOAs, there could be rules about partial conversions, or that prevent you from having a garage altogether.