5 Things to do Before Buying Carports

If you have been shopping around looking at carports, you may feel like you are ready to take the leap and make the purchase. But before you do, there are few things that you should do first. After all, carports are usually delivered as a kit, in large boxes, so it is best to be prepared before it actually arrives. To be best prepared, here are five things to do before you make your purchase, these will help you avoid potential stress and regrets.

1. Make sure you have space. This seems really obvious, and though carports come in a variety of sizes, none of them are small. You probably already know where you want to erect the carport, but make sure you measure it properly to determine what size will fit best.
   


2. Check out local building regulations. These may be county, city or neighborhood regulations, depending upon where you live. Make sure you know what these regulations are, or you may have some real headaches down the road. Sometimes it is easy to think it is better to get forgiveness than permission, but many regulations are not forgiving. If you put up a building that violates local codes, you may be required to take it down, this is not something that you want to do, that is more than just a headache!
   


3. Prepare the area. Once you know the guidelines, and all is ok, then you need to prep the area for the carport. One nice thing about carports is the flexibility of the surface that you place it on. You can leave it as dirt or grass, you can lay gravel, or pour concrete. Regardless of what you choose, some prep is needed. You will want the area relatively flat, no areas for puddles to form. A slight angle is ok to allow for run off. Laying gravel or a concrete slab take a little more work, but are the most desirable options.
   


4. Call some friends and family. There is nothing like a work project to bring people together. You all gain a sense of accomplishment and can have a fun time too, combine it with a barbecue! Almost all carports are easy to assemble and can be done in anywhere from a couple of hours to a day or two. But putting one together by yourself is almost impossible. Make sure you have at least one other pair of willing hands (two or three are preferable) to make the work go smoothly and quickly.
   


5. Make sure it is ok with your wife. This, honestly, was not my idea, but my husbands. But we have been married for over 20 years, so if he thinks it is important, then it must be! He would probably say he has learned from experience, but it may just be common sense. But carports serve so many wonderful purposes, that this shouldn't be very difficult.
   

Now that you have done all the prep work, you are ready to go. If you haven't looked at carports yet, now is the time to shop around to see what is out there and to make the best choice to suit your needs.