If you are thinking about building a carport, you might want to look at more options than just a simple single carport. If you have the space available, a double carport can add a lot extra usable storage space, or other options you may not have even thought about.
Let's face it, the most common size of garage that people build is a double car garage. It just gives you the flexibility to store more than one vehicle, or one vehicle and you have room for either a workshop, or storing all kinds of other stuff, like your bbq, lawnmower and gardening supplies, or even a boat, seadoos or dirtbikes. The same goes for building a car port, if you have the room, then the added cost of making it a double wide carport is not that much more, but the options it gives you in terms of storage space are much greater.
You can go a few different directions with a two car carport. You can choose to build an attached carport, often referred to as a lean to carport, or you can build a stand-alone carport. Both will give you the same amount of physical covered space, but the attached version gives you a few extra advantages. Since it will be attached to your house or another building, it has a built in wall, which gives added protection against weather from that direction. It also gives you the option to have a door-way leading from your new covered carport directly into the adjoining building. And finally, the attached wall gives you the option to attach shelves or storage units at the side or back of your car port, depending on how you orient the structure.
Deciding on what kind of double carport you are going to build is probably the biggest decision of the whole process. If you have a bit more money but are short on time, you might want to contract a company to build your carport from start to finish. If you did this, you could choose from a whole range of options, including a nicely designed custom wooden carport. Depending on your intended use and the part of the country you live in will determine if you leave the floor unfinished, install pavers or pavement, or pour a concrete pad. The supports will require footings at the very least, and depending on the depth of the frostline in your area, you might decide to go with supports simply anchored down, or full footings that extend well below the frost line to prevent the supports from heaving over the winter. If you have someone build the entire project, make sure that the plans have been engineered for your particular areas weather patterns. Finding local plans will often be enough to ensure that the design has been properly engineered to suit the wind and snow loads for your area.
The other route you could go to save money is to build it yourself. There are plenty of on-line sources for double carport kits if you are handy, and want an all in one solution that will be quick to assemble. Once you order and have your kit delivered, you just need to make sure the site is prepared, and then a couple of people can construct most kits with 2-3 days of work. Actually this should allow enough time to prepare the site and footings as well, although pouring a concrete pad for your carport might add some extra time for building up the forms and curing once it's poured.
Which ever style you decide to build, once you've finished and you have a lovely double-wide carport, I'm certain you will be happy that you decided to include the extra space. You might even be able to include extra overhead space because of the larger interior attic space due to the larger span, although with a lean-to carport you won't end up with all that much extra headroom because of the shallower roof slope. After it's been completed you might want to consider some upgrades. I know that I get a lot of use out of the wall of storage cabinets that I added to my carport. On a double carport, storage cabinets could be designed that they act as an extra wall, creating a little extra security and protection for whatever you store inside. Good luck with your double carport!
