You may have heard of carports, but you might not have ever seen one. You can find them in certain parts of the country, but not so much in others. In some parts of America, you will find garages exclusively.
Many homeowners are investing in carports if they buy homes without garages. What should you get, though, if your new home comes with neither? We’ll discuss that in detail to help you decide.
What Does the Term “Garage” Mean?
To begin, let’s just make sure you understand what we mean when we use both of these terms. A residential garage comes with four walls and a roof. You can get one that attaches to your home or one that stands alone.
You can normally store one vehicle in it, though you can also get double garages that can accommodate two vehicles. You might also get one that can fit even more vehicles than that, though they will cost more.
You sometimes find garages with storage space in addition to parking spaces. Some people have a refrigerator or chest freezer in their garage to accommodate some extra food. Large families might have this feature.
What About “Carport?”
The term “carport” and “garage” don’t mean precisely the same thing, though they usually serve similar purposes. A carport resembles a covered structure that protects a vehicle like a garage does, though in a more limited capacity.
Carports can keep rain and snow off of vehicles, like garages do. You might see a free-standing carport or one that attaches to a wall. A carport does not traditionally have four walls and a roof. It might have a roof and one or two walls.
If you see a carport and then look at a garage, you’ll immediately notice that the garage has four walls and therefore completely encloses the vehicle or storage items. A carport, by contrast, might have a little bit of exposure since it does not have four walls.
When Should You Get a Carport?
We mentioned earlier that in some parts of the country you will see more garages, while in others you will see more carports. You can always install either one, but in some situations, it behooves you to get a carport, and we’ll talk about that right now.
For one thing, carports generally don’t cost as much as the average garage. If you want shelter for your vehicle, but you don’t have a great deal of money, you will probably factor that in.
The average carport might cost $3K-$9K, on average. You can usually install one for about $6K, depending on the size, the part of the country in which you live, and several other factors.
Some materials will cost more. You must also consider whether you’re getting a prefabricated kind, which costs less, or a custom-built one, which probably costs more.
You must also think about crime in your area. In many instances, you will want a garage if you’re worried about thieves stealing your car and taking it for a joyride or breaking into it. If you live out in the middle of nowhere, though, and theft or vandalism seems unlikely, you can probably get away with a carport.
How much protection you want will likely enter your plans as well. If you know that you get violent snowstorms or rainstorms where you live, then you will probably want to avoid getting a structure that doesn’t have four solid walls.
When Should You Get a Garage?
A new garage normally costs anywhere from $10K-$27K, on average. You might expect to pay $20K for a new one in most circumstances.
That’s a sizeable chunk of money, and not everyone can afford it. If that seems out of your price range, but you want protection for your car, you might have to go with a carport instead. It’s better than nothing.
If you discover that you live in a high crime area, then you may feel like it’s worth the expenditure. You’ll know that you can drive your prized vehicle into the garage, shut the door, and activate the alarm. There’s very little chance someone can break into it or steal it once you do that.
If you know you get some serious weather where you live, you can put the car in the garage and feel good about it if you know there is a storm heading your way. Also, you can walk directly from the garage into your house if you added a covered breezeway. You may like the idea of not having to make a mad dash to your front door through the rain, which may become necessary if you install a carport instead.
How Can You Decide?
Looking at your finances will probably make the biggest difference when you’re thinking about garages and carports. A financial outlay of $6K might seem doable, but spending $20K may seem okay if you know you’re going to remain at that location for many years to come.
If you have a car that you particularly prize, that might further incentivize getting a garage. You may feel leery about leaving your beloved Maserati in a carport where hail can pelt it or where a thief might try to make off with it.
Whether you go with a carport or a garage, you can feel like you’re making your property more appealing. Either option will add value, and that might translate to higher offers when the time comes that you want to move on from that property.
Consider your future in the house, the cost, and what you intend to do with the garage or carport before making your decision. Talk to the other adults in the household, assuming you value their input. You should talk something like a $20K expense over with your spouse or partner, if you have one. Hopefully, the answer should become obvious when you spend some time looking at each option’s pros and cons.
