I have been considering building a flat roof carport for the better part of a year, and I have done a fair amount of research to prepare for my big project. While researching the type of carport that I would build I came across many different options, including metal carport kits which seem to be pretty popular from what I can gather. However, the esthetics of the available kits just didn’t suit me, so I am opting for a build from scratch project.

The first thing I did was to go to city hall and get a building permit. I had heard through the grapevine that I could get a building permit with only rough plans. I had also heard that there were some hefty fines for those you started construction before getting the permit. The permit must be posted to the outside of my house or affixed to a window and clearly readable from outside of my house. The permit has to remain there throughout the entire construction period.

Unfortunately while I was discussing the requirements of my application, I was told that of course my property taxes would be increased the following year. This is something that I totally overlooked, but of course, any improvements and additional structures that I add to my property will increase the overall value of my property, therefore my taxes will go up. The only consolation is that a carport will bump up my taxes far less than an attached full garage.

My next step is to sketch out what I want the carport to look like. I know it will be made primarily from wood. I prefer the look of wood over most other materials. Also, when using wood as a material there are some nice lattice work and finials that can be incorporated into the design. I want the carport to have a Victorian look that compliments my house. Home Depot has a wide range of wooden decorative finishing details to give me inspiration. I will browse there sometime this week.

The final step before actual construction is to get my plans approved by an engineer. I have a lot of building experience but it is best to have a certified engineer go over the plans carefully before I even start the foundation. I think there is a very good chance that I might use the flat roof as the base for a second story addition at some point in the future. I don’t have the money to do the second floor addition right now but I want to have the option in the future. Accordingly, an engineer can help me calculate the load I need to plan for. I may do the second story addition in steps. Perhaps in a year I will build a deck with outside access.

So that’s as far as I’ve gotten so far with planning my big summer project – I just need to wait for the ground to dry out a bit since the spring has been pretty muddy, but I’m hoping to start digging some footings by the beginning of June. Even though I only have weekends to build my new carport, and I will certainly lose a few to fishing trips and weekends at the cottage, there’s still no reason that I shouldn’t get the whole thing built and finished off before fall. That will give me plenty of time to finish the details and painting before it starts snowing.