How Carports Are Actually Sold: Manufacturer vs. Dealer, Explained
CarportBay Editorial Team Last checked
A carport manufacturer builds the structure in its own factory, and a dealer sells it to you. Some companies do both. To see which applies, ask the seller for the manufacturer of record, then check that name against the maker's own website.
On this page
What is the difference between a carport manufacturer and a dealer?
A manufacturer builds the carport in its own plant, and a dealer sells carports built by someone else. The two roles sometimes sit in one company and sometimes in two, so it helps to know which word fits the company you are dealing with. The four terms below mean the same thing everywhere on this page.
In short: the manufacturer builds the carport, a dealer or retailer sells it to the buyer, and some makers sell straight to the buyer with no dealer in between.
What a manufacturer is
A manufacturer builds the structure itself, fabricating the steel in its own facility. ACE Steel Carports describes that work on its own site: “we fabricate all the steel tubing and sheet metal as well as cut, bend, and weld every component”. The manufacturer of record is the company named as the maker of the specific carport you buy, and it is the name worth confirming before you pay.
What a dealer or authorized dealer is
A dealer sells a maker's carports and leaves the building to the maker. An authorized dealer is a dealer the maker has approved to sell its line. Viking Steel Structures heads its page “Authorized Dealer of NC Carports And Garages”, and American Metal Buildings writes “American Metal Buildings is a trusted dealer of Carolina Carports.”
What a retailer or marketplace seller is
A retailer or marketplace seller lists a brand that another company makes. The Lowe's listing for a VersaTube carport names VersaTube as the brand and Lowe's as the seller, so the brand and the seller are named separately on the same page.
What a broker or reseller is
A broker or reseller arranges sales of carports that other companies make, then passes the order along or sells it on to you. This page names no company in either role.
Which companies build carports and which ones sell them?
The table lists 11 named companies in alphabetical order, showing who makes, sells and installs, with a source for each fact. Every row uses the same seven columns and carries the company's own words, so you can read each claim as the company wrote it. Where a page names no maker, installer or seller, the cell reads “Not stated on the page checked”.
| Company | Role it states | Who makes what it sells | Who sells it | Who installs it | Its own words | Source and date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE Steel Carports | Manufacturer that sells direct | ACE Steel Carports | ACE Steel Carports | Sub-contractor crews that work exclusively for ACE | “we fabricate all the steel tubing and sheet metal as well as cut, bend, and weld every component” | Source: ACE Steel Carports page, checked |
| Alan's Factory Outlet | Seller | Carolina Carports Inc and Eagle Carports Inc, per Alan's | Alan's Factory Outlet | The two makers, per Alan's (“manufactured and installed by”) | “The carports and metal buildings that we sell are manufactured and installed by Carolina Carports Inc and Eagle Carports Inc.” | Source: Alan's Factory Outlet help article, dated January 25, 2026, checked |
| American Metal Buildings | Dealer | Carolina Carports, per American Metal Buildings | American Metal Buildings | Not stated on the page checked | “American Metal Buildings is a trusted dealer of Carolina Carports.” | Source: American Metal Buildings page, checked |
| American Steel Carports Inc | Manufacturer that sells direct and through dealers | American Steel Carports Inc | American Steel Carports Inc and its dealers | Not stated on the page checked | “a leading manufacturer of metal carports, steel garages, workshops, barns, and more” | Source: American Steel Carports Inc page, checked |
| Carolina Carports Inc | Manufacturer | Carolina Carports Inc | Carolina Carports Inc and its representatives | Contractors the company names (“highly skilled contractors for the professional installation of each product”) | “The company's primary function is to manufacture metal carports, steel buildings, garages, barns, custom buildings, and metal products” | Source: Carolina Carports Inc page, checked |
| Carport Central | Seller | Not named on the page checked (it refers to “a nationwide network of trusted manufacturers”) | Carport Central | Carport Central (“We deliver and professionally install across the continental U.S.”) | “We work with a nationwide network of trusted manufacturers” | Source: Carport Central page, checked |
| The Carport Co. | Dealer | The makers it lists: ACE Steel Carports, American Steel Carports, Carolina Carports, Eagle Carports, US-Steel Buildings, VersaTube Building Systems | The Carport Co. | Not stated on the page checked | “an authorized dealer for several respected manufacturers” | Source: The Carport Co. page, checked |
| Eagle Carports | Manufacturer that sells through independent dealers | Eagle Carports, at six locations | Independent dealers, per Eagle | Not stated on the page checked | “over 50,000 metal carports and structures each year” | Source: Eagle Carports page, checked |
| Lowe's (VersaTube kit) | Retailer | The listing names the brand VersaTube | Lowe's | The buyer (“pre-engineered for do-it-yourself installation”; “installation not included”) | “Ships in 21 days or less from receipt of order” | Source: Lowe's listing, checked |
| US-Steel Buildings | Manufacturer that sells direct | US-Steel Buildings | US-Steel Buildings; a dealer option is offered | US-Steel Buildings (it lists installation and delivery services) | “a renowned steel structure design and manufacturing company” | Source: US-Steel Buildings page, checked |
| Viking Steel Structures | Dealer | NC Carports and Garages, per Viking's page | Viking Steel Structures | Not stated on the page checked | “Authorized Dealer of NC Carports And Garages” | Source: Viking Steel Structures page, checked |
Sorted by company name. Position in the table carries no meaning.
These rows show that the company that builds a carport, the company that sells it and the company that installs it are sometimes one business and sometimes three. Each row gives the company's own wording so you can check it.
How do you find the manufacturer of a carport you are about to buy?
To find the manufacturer, ask the seller to name the manufacturer of record in writing, then check that name on the maker's own website. Three steps cover it.
Ask for the manufacturer of record in writing
Ask by email or message so the answer stays on record. Request the maker's full company name, not a brand or a product line. A business name gives you something to look up. Alan's Factory Outlet shows what a clear answer looks like: a help article dated January 25, 2026 names Carolina Carports Inc and Eagle Carports Inc as the makers of what it sells.
Read the company's own pages
Search for the maker's own website and read its about and product pages. Check that the company describes building carports and that its name matches the one the seller gave you. Some makers say how they sell. Eagle Carports, for example, sells through independent authorized dealers. Some sellers name the makers they sell for, as The Carport Co. does on its manufacturers page.
Compare the two and note the date
Write down what the seller told you, what the maker's page says and the date you checked. If the names match, you know who made it. If they differ, or the seller will not answer, settle that question before you pay. Pages change, so the date matters.
Who installs a carport: the maker, the dealer or you?
Installation depends on how the carport is sold: a kit leaves assembly to you, while an installed sale puts a named crew on your site. Three sale models show up in the companies' own wording, and each one answers the question differently.
In short: a kit sale leaves assembly to the buyer, an installed sale uses the seller's or maker's crew, and a sub-contractor sale uses a separate crew the company hires.
Kit sale: you assemble
In a kit sale, you or a crew you hire assembles the carport. The Lowe's listing for the VersaTube kit calls it “All-steel construction pre-engineered for do-it-yourself installation”, and it says “Site prep, concrete work, or installation not included”. Pre-engineered means the maker designs the parts in advance so they can be assembled on site. If the carport arrives as a kit, the carport kit guide covers what comes in the box.
Installed by the seller or its maker
In an installed sale, the company that sells the carport arranges the crew. Alan's Factory Outlet says “The carports and metal buildings that we sell are manufactured and installed by Carolina Carports Inc and Eagle Carports Inc.” Carport Central says “We deliver and professionally install across the continental U.S.” Its page names no manufacturer, so ask who builds the carport as well.
Installed by sub-contractor crews
A sub-contractor is a separate business or crew that a company hires to do part of the work. ACE Steel Carports describes its installers as “a select group of skilled sub-contractor crews, who work exclusively for Ace Steel Carports”. Carolina Carports Inc names “highly skilled contractors for the professional installation of each product”. Ask the seller who the crew works for and who answers if something goes wrong on site.
Who stands behind a carport's warranty?
The company that issues a carport's warranty can differ from the company that sells it, so ask who issues it before you pay. Write each answer down next to the manufacturer of record you found.
- Who issues the warranty: the maker, the seller or another company?
- Is the warranty in writing, and can you read it before you pay?
- What does it cover: the structure, the installation or both?
- Who do you contact first if something needs attention?
- Does the warranty stay with the carport if the property changes hands?
This page lists no warranty terms, because the written warranty from the company that issues it is the only source that counts.
How was each company checked, and how often is this page updated?
Every row in the table was checked against the company's own page on the date shown, and the table is rechecked every quarter. For each company, we read its own page or listing, copy the wording we quote exactly, and record the page address and the date we read it.
Quotes appear in quotation marks as the company published them. A seller's page is quoted only for what that seller says about itself. The Carport Co. page, for instance, is quoted for the makers it lists. The latest check was on October 5, 2026, and a full refresh follows every six months. A change a company makes to its stated role is reviewed straight away. Pages change after we read them, so use the date on each row to judge how current it is.
Frequently asked questions
These seven questions come up most when people compare carport makers and sellers.
A manufacturer builds the carport in its own plant, and a dealer sells carports built by someone else. ACE Steel Carports says it fabricates “all the steel tubing and sheet metal”, while Viking Steel Structures describes itself as an authorized dealer of NC Carports and Garages.
Yes, some companies build what they sell and also sell through dealers. American Steel Carports describes itself as a manufacturer and runs a dealer program, and Eagle Carports builds at six locations and sells through independent dealers. Check each company's own page, because the arrangement can change.
Ask the seller to name the manufacturer of record in writing, then look for that name on the manufacturer's own website. Alan's Factory Outlet publishes the names of the companies that make what it sells, which gives you a page to compare against.
It depends on the seller, so ask before you pay. Alan's Factory Outlet says its carports are manufactured and installed by its named makers, and Carport Central says it delivers and professionally installs across the continental U.S.
Neither channel is better in every case, so compare the specific company and its sale terms. Ask who makes it, who sells it, who installs it and who issues the warranty, then check each answer against the company's own page.
Read the product listing for the brand name and the seller name, then check the brand's own site. The Lowe's listing for a VersaTube carport names VersaTube as the brand and Lowe's as the seller, and says installation is not included.
Each table row is checked against the company's own page on the date shown, and the whole table is rechecked every quarter. A full refresh follows every six months, and any change a company makes to its stated role is reviewed straight away.
Where to go next
These pages cover what this page leaves open: carport makers, kits, installers and the buying guide.