Carport design/build

kaiser715

Doing hard time
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Location
7, Pocket, NC
I'm going to do a 3-bay carport, not garage, at the new house. We were going to do one of the metal carports, but it won't really fit in well with everything else we are doing, and the size/orientation I was looking at got to be right spendy, so am thinking I will build from scratch, with wood posts and trusses, and shingled roof to echo the pitch and style of the house.

It will be on into the summer or fall before I have time to build it, but am thinking of going ahead and pouring the slab while I'm doing other concrete work and landscaping. I need to scratch out a drawing for the permit, though.... Carport will be something like 26d x 33-36w (10'-11' between posts for drive-thru spots). Planning on 8 total posts, 8x8x8'. (Will also have diagonal bracing at post/beam intersections, and tie-downs on the trusses.)

Going to use a post base, maybe something like the simpson CPT88Z, set with wedge-bolts or redheads whenever I get around to building the frame (so I don't have anchors waiting to trip over between now and then).

Like this:
simpson_cptz.jpg

Posts down in the ground (like a pole barn) or sonotubes won't work so good in the carport area, because rock (layer of hard brownstone) is 12-18" down.

I figure to form and pour the slab at 4", with remesh in the field, with the edges dug down to maybe 12" from top surface of slab, 12" wide at the bottom, with a double perimeter run of 1/2" rebar. Concrete footing/slab will run outside of the posts about 6" so I won't have fasteners right in the edge of the concrete.

I figure that'll be substantial enough for a carport, and OK, if someone decided to wall it in in the future for to make a regular garage.

Like this:
12795433_515785541936996_3581253320270212412_n.jpg



Any thoughts, opinions, etc...???

(This is in Lee County...inspections are still pretty good at working with a napkin drawing.)
 
Sounds legit. What size posts? Gonna share any more napkins, I mean prints?:)
 
You likely won’t pass inspection unless concrete is below your frost line for the posts.

Even for a deck footer in eastern NC I had to go at least 12” deep.
 
You likely won’t pass inspection unless concrete is below your frost line for the posts.

Even for a deck footer in eastern NC I had to go at least 12” deep.
Looks like frost is 4-6 inches, but code does say I have to go 12" below undisturbed soil or engineered fill....

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You likely won’t pass inspection unless concrete is below your frost line for the posts.

Even for a deck footer in eastern NC I had to go at least 12” deep.

Looks like frost is 4-6 inches, but code does say I have to go 12" below undisturbed soil or engineered fill....

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Agreed...code says 12" below. Otherwise, should be fine...
 
Here are some rough drawings....

First pic is how front of the house is done. Will use Polynesian style trusses to mimick the porch roof on all 4 sides of the carport. Gables on the short 26' sides. Carport will be on back side of house, perpendicular to the back wall. Looking out nearest window, you will see gabled end of carport...

8450e88e040753de729ea99eb4703a15.jpg
83809c08dec9bb96dcbefaab6d8312fb.jpg
a50ac859f1fb7852e7dc686b2977ac39.jpg
18b53d80c72d3ad287b152b43af29abe.jpg



Same pitch, etc, but gable area won't be as wide or tall as the house because the carport is about 20' narrower....

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Iirc, anything over 12x12, or may be it's 12 ft on any side. They do mostly overlook the metal carport though. One of the inspectors told me a couple years ago that they had issued exactly two permits for those....both to city inspectors.

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Have you looked at the red iron truss guys?

The house has an overhang beyond the columns that your sketch doesn't show.

Did anybody ever flash that arch-top window?
 
Have you looked at the red iron truss guys?

The house has an overhang beyond the columns that your sketch doesn't show.

Did anybody ever flash that arch-top window?

Looked at R&R, which I'd read about here at NC4x4. Still a possibility.

Sketch was a quickie...will do correct/detailed later.

Yes, they took care of the window tyvek and flashing...
 
I need help with some measurements for maneuvering room with the cars. Thinking about turning the carport 90 degrees from what we were thinking, and creating a driveway/paved courtyard between the house, raised patio, and carport.

Trying to figure out how far the carport should be from the house, if we go this route (Dimension line marked with a circled "B" in the diagram), and also how far to allow for backing out of the carport to head towards the driveway (Dimension line "A" in the drawing).

Right now, our DD's are a Ford Escape and JKU. Subject to change, of course, but not much bigger. Pickup (CC Stuporduty) will take the outermost bay.

I'm thinking about 20' for "A" and 35ft for "B" as a minimum.

Opinions? Is there a "standard" for such? @shawn @trailhugger


b49cc306d39d5985b73188404c3924c5.jpg
 
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I'll take some pics of my setup in the daylight. I have an attached 2 car garage, a 15x~20 and 30x40 carport. The two carports are built with basically prefab 2x4 trusses and 6x10 welded I beam including the uprights which we're then covered with brick that matches the house and matching shingles. Paved all around except the large carport has gravel inside. I was going to close it in but having access from all sides is nice. It's also nice because my service bed truck and qclb Dodge would suck to park in the garage but still stay covered.

Then there's a 40x60 shop, another metal carport and two more garages down the hill. You can never have too much covered space.
 
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