A carport is the most honest structure we build: a good roof on good posts, protecting several tens of thousands of dollars of vehicle for the least money that does the job properly.
Why a carport earns its spot
Middle Tennessee weather is a vehicle tax: hail seasons, sap and bird traffic under every shade tree, July interiors you could bake in, and frost scrapes all winter. A carport retires most of that for far less than a garage, and unlike a garage it never fills up with boxes until the car sleeps outside anyway. It's the right tool surprisingly often, and we'll tell you when it is, even though the garage quote is bigger.
Built like architecture, not aluminum
- Stick-built framing: 6x6 posts set in concrete, headers sized for the span, braced for wind
- A real roof: shingles or metal matched to your house, with correct pitch, drip edge, and gutters where they help
- Rooflines that belong: gable, hip, or a clean mono-slope; attached to the house (flashed properly, like our awnings) or freestanding
- Height to suit the fleet: standard bays to RV-tall
- Options that make it work harder: a lockable storage closet on one end, lighting and an outlet, or an enclosed back wall against the weather side
Typical uses
Daily drivers on houses without garages, second and third vehicles, RVs and boats between trips, and equipment shelter on larger properties. A carport also moonlights well: a roofed slab is a party space the day you sweep it, which is the same instinct that leads people to pavilions, the carport's social cousin. When the mission grows into security and storage, the detached garage is the graduation path.
What drives the price
Footprint and height, then roof choice and attachment. Freestanding doubles cost more than attached singles for obvious structural reasons. Site prep is usually light (an existing driveway pad is often ready as-is), which is part of why carports quote so kindly. Itemized and free, same as everything.
Build process
Site check on the parking geometry (swing radius and door clearance matter more than people think), permits where required, post holes and concrete, framing, roof, trim and paint. Most carports are done within days once footings cure; the car notices immediately.
A note on permits: requirements for finished buildings vary with your city and county, zoning, setbacks, utility connections, and the scope of the project. We confirm what applies to your exact address as part of every quote, and coordinate the permit when one is required. The finished backyard buildings overview covers this in more detail.