If there is enough accessible space off-road for your car, a carport is an inexpensive way to provide shelter for it, and will, at the same time, double as a canopy over a side or rear entrance providing undercover access and additional storage. The basic structure could also be used as a drying area for laundry, a children's play area, or even an outdoor dining area during the summer when the weather is changeable.
A carport is classed as an outbuilding - regardless of it's actual location. As such it will not require planning permission unless it projects out in front of the local building line (usually determined by the front wall of your house); is not more than 3m (10ft) high; and as long as it does not end up covering more than half of your garden area. You won't need approval from the Buildings Regulator provided the floor area does not exceed 30m sq. (325sq.ft) and the structure is open on at least two sides. If you are in any doubt as to whether your proposed structure needs consent, check first with the planning department of your local authority.
A carport is a simple structure that requires only basic DIY skills and is an ideal first project for those seeking to undertake some larger scale building work themselves. The most important things to bear in mind are that the supporting posts must be absolutely vertical and true, and that the roof needs the correct slope so that rainwater flows away from the walls of your home. If the drainage runs from one end of the roof to the other, it will be easier to seal the join between the roof and the house as the flashing tape will run parallel to the corrugations in the roofing sheets.
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