Carolina Carports

[Matt Kirsch]

Any experience with Carolina Carports, or metal buildings in general?

I'm looking for an inexpensive and convenient way to expand my existing covered storage.

Right now I have a 24x40 pole barn. Ideally I'd tear it down and build a 40x60 with 12' high doors, but between cost and the fact that the town won't let me do it... probably won't ever happen on this property in my lifetime.

Steel buildings seem to be about 1/2 to 2/3 the cost of a conventional pole barn, and they go up quick with minimal site prep. Access to my back yard is limited and I really don't want 10-wheelers and bulldozers shredding the place up and collapsing my house's foundation.

I've got a Carolina Carports dealer nearby. Price for a 24x31x11 which would match up to my existing barn and double my space is $3750 before tax.

[Tezell]

There is a Carolina Carport plant near me. I have never heard anything bad about Carolina Carports. My Dad has a boat house that they put up and he has had zero problems. There is a ton of them in use in my neck of the woods.

[Eugene]

Know nothing about Carolina Carports.

Dad and I had a Porta/Grace all metal building put up on a lot next to our warehouse, shop, storage building. Used for storage. It was just the frame work, roof, siding, ends, and a 12' wide, 12 ' high roll up door and one walk in door. We never finished the interior or add any utilities. Just use it for farm machinery storage. Quite satisfactory.

Dad also has a Porta/Grace all metal building put up on his house property as a 2 car garage. Probably 24 feet wide and 30 feet long. Two car door on street side, single car door on opposite end, one walk in door on street side and one walk in door on back side. Dad insulated, finished the interior, added natural gas heating, electricity, concrete floor. Turned out quite nice.

Guessing, both building are about 22 years ago and still in excellent condtion.

[Don McCombs]

I'd check with your town to see if a carport is permissible where a real building wouldn't be. You may be in for a surprise.

[midmo]

Some car ports are not covered by insurance or what is under them.
Ron in Mid Missouri

[Gary Dotson]

I had considered one of those type structures, a few years back, don't know what brand they were, though. Around here, they're considered temporary structures and can be put up without permits & such. I think that if you're just looking to keep stuff under roof, they'd be ok. Ron's probably right about the insurance, though.

I ended up putting up an American Steel Span 30' X 40' steel arch building with a gravel floor and no utilities, strictly a storage building, and have been pretty happy with it. My only issue with it, is that I get condensation on the inside that drips on my stuff. It might be worthwhile to spray insulate, at least the top portion of the building. Hind sight is 20-20!

[Matt Kirsch]

I may be out of luck on the zoning...

http://www.ogdenny.com/data/documents/B ... andout.pdf

Reviewing the town rules, my 24x32 (officially) already far exceeds the accessory building rules for residential property.

The zoning board might grant a variance, but I'm not going to worry about it until I've got the $$$ for the building. In the meantime the heavy iron's just going to have to stay out at the folks' farm...

On top of that I have no idea if my current barn is even legal (it was on the land when I purchased it so I should be okay), so I may not want to rock the boat.