CARPORT PROPOSAL

[Guest]

Now don't all you professional contractor's laugh, but here goes my proposal. I can legally build a 300 sq.ft. CARPORT, six feet away from my existing garage, enclose two of the so-called walls with siding, and live happily ever after. I am considering a pole-barn style carport with say six vertical 4"x6"x12' beams sunk two feet into earth with concrete. We're talking essentially a 12.5'x24' roof area supported on say 2"x8" rafters; the goal is to keep this thing from being too top heavy. Thus, I'm considering a truss package of say twelve trusses spread over the 12.5 width of this carport. Does all this sound structurally doable? Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

have a pro buildit and sleep at night instead of worry about your weekend adventure with a hamme. better yet have the kids from the local school's building trades class build it. they'll probably do it cheaper than the pro and it still will be standing in a year.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

Weill I guess I shoulda mentioned I have experience building & framing houses. It's just that I've never quite designed anything so primitive. I spend my work-a-day life overseeing various contractors as a facilities manager, so on this project I wanna do it myself. Just need to know my rough engineering sounds feasible. Thank you.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

Sounds feasible. I don't know where you are, what your snow loads are, if you're in a earthquake country, what wind bracing is required, how deep frost is, what you'll be using for siding, or what you're using for roofing but if you work that out, your plan sounds fine to me.

I'd probably do 4x4 or 6x6 pressure treated posts set in concrete below frost line. 2x headers on top of that (size to depend on distance between posts), and trusses on top of them.

Make sure your headers bear directly on your posts, easiest if you notch your posts to take the headers. I've seen alot of these that depend on bolts in shear to hold the roof up.

Obviously, there are about two thousand little details we don't know and can't give you the go ahead without them but it sounds like you have a good start.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

I re-read your post, you want to know if you can legally do this.

In most areas, home owners can do their own permits and build their own stuff. The details sound legal but check things like frost line.

You'll probably need to get zoning approval first and that's the hard part sometimes. If your idea fits in with your towns "master plan", the next step is construction permits. Make your sketch showing size of posts, beams, materials, etc. Fill out the form and give it to your construction office.

When approved, start building. You'll probably need to have the inspector look at your holes before you put posts in (footing inspection) and if the rest will be exposed, a final inspection at the end. If you'll be covering anything up, you'll also need a rough inspection when framing is done.

Also, if you're wiring, you'll need a rough electrical and final electrical inspection.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

Thanks Ryan. I sure do appreciate your input. I'll go with pressure treated 6x6 and notch 'em for the roof support system. I'm in San Diego County where it never snows; never gets below 32F. I've already checked with the Building Permit folks and I can build the 300 sq.ft. structure without a permit. Zoning has given me the setback requirements which I can meet. There are no other legal parameters to worry about. Otherwise, I'd not even consider doing this structure. Thank you again.

[Guest]

Re: CARPORT PROPOSAL

I'm building a carport as we speak. I build up here in the wine country of the Bay Area.

E-mail me with you fax number and I'll send you a copy of what I've had to do on two carports now.

I've had to have them engineered and think this ought to pass your building department just fine, if you want a copy of the plans.