Carports Installed: What Seller Prices Cover and What You Provide

Sellers word the inclusion in two ways. Alan's Factory Outlet, Carport.com, American Metal Buildings and Keen's Buildings call delivery and installation free or at no extra cost. American Steel Carports and Carport Direct say they are included in the price, and Carport1 and Carport Central say installation is included. This page treats free as the seller's own word.

Four sellers tie the included installation to a condition on the site. Carport Direct includes standard installation on a prepared, level site, Keen's Buildings offers it on level ground or a foundation, and Carport1 lists site rules for its crew. Alan's Factory Outlet says its crew delivers and installs once the site is ready. A site that does not meet a seller's terms is a question to settle before the order.

The service area decides whether the included installation applies to your address. Alan's Factory Outlet lists 21 states, Carport Direct 25 and Carport1 17, Keen's Buildings names the Southeastern United States, and Carport.com and Carport Central state 48 states. Match your address to the states a seller lists before you compare quotes.

Three sellers say the buyer obtains or handles the permit: American Steel Carports, Carport Direct and Carport1. Alan's Factory Outlet, Carport Central and Keen's Buildings point the buyer to the local office. Carport.com, Carport Direct and Keen's Buildings offer engineered or certified drawings for a permit application, and the Eagle Carports site lists a contact for engineered drawings. Whether a set of drawings meets a local office's requirements is for that office to confirm.

The thresholds differ by source. American Steel Carports gives 120 square feet, Keen's Buildings and the 2021 IRC give 200 square feet, and San Antonio and Pierce County give none, since each requires a permit for every carport. Each seller's figure is its own statement and does not replace the rule where you build. The Alan's Factory Outlet Florida page says a building permit is often required in many parts of Florida, even for open metal structures such as carports, and it advises contacting the city or county building department.

HOA covenants, utility locations and zoning variances sit apart from the permit. Installer licensing is covered on the carport installation page.

Two clocks run on an installed carport: the delivery lead time and the installation time on site. The sellers start the delivery clock at different points. The American Steel Carports FAQ counts from the day the buyer says the site is fully prepared, Carport1 counts from order confirmation, and Keen's Buildings counts from the order.

Installation on site is short at the sellers that state it. Keen's Buildings says most standard carports install in 2 to 4 hours, and American Steel Carports says assembly takes 1 to 2 days. Alan's Factory Outlet's time grows with size, from a few hours to 3 to 5 days for the largest buildings. The American Steel Carports blog is dated May 17, 2019, so its estimates are older than the FAQ's.

A workmanship warranty covers qualifying issues in how a building was made or installed, and a rust-through warranty covers corrosion that eats through the steel. Carport Central lists a 30-day workmanship term with 10-year and 20-year rust-through terms, while Carport1 lists a 1-year workmanship term. Three sellers print a rust-through term. American Steel Carports gives 20 years on 12-gauge galvanized tubing, Alan's Factory Outlet 20 years on optional 12-gauge framing and most roof panels, and Carport Central 10 years on panels and 20 years on qualifying steel framing. American Metal Buildings and Keen's Buildings show a 20-year warranty without its terms on the pages read, so ask which parts it covers and how a claim is made. Terms belong to each seller, so ask for the written warranty that applies to the carport you are quoted.

1. Who installs: the seller's crew, a subcontractor or an independent contractor?
2. What does the quoted price include, and what does it leave out?
3. What must the site be, level to what limit and cleared of what?
4. Which surface and which anchors does the quote assume?
5. Who obtains the permit, and are engineered drawings included?
6. Which certification applies, for which wind and snow load and which code edition?
7. What delivery and installation window will the seller put in writing?
8. What warranty terms apply, and who services them?

Carport1 says deliveries outside its standard service area may include additional charges, so confirm that your address sits inside the area the seller states. A buyer who prefers an independent contractor to a seller's crew can read about hiring a carport builder.

Ask that the answers appear in the written quote or order confirmation. The pages in Table 1 carry dates from 2019 to 2026 and can change, so a written answer fixes the terms for your order.