Metal RV Carports: Clearance, Size and Price by RV Class

A metal RV carport needs a leg height of 12 to 14 feet for a Class C and 14 to 16 feet for a Class A, according to the seller guides checked in October 2026. Leg height is the height from the ground to the top of the leg, at the eave.

Three heights that sellers use as one

A metal RV carport has three heights: the RV's published height, the carport's leg height at the eave, and the clearance the RV actually has. Carport.com states that vehicle clearance is the leg height, not the peak of the roof. EMB Metal Buildings says two carports can have the same leg height but different interior clearance.

This page measures clearance as leg height minus RV height. A 14-foot leg is 168 inches, so a 134-inch RV leaves 34 inches under the eave. Published RV heights can also leave out rooftop gear. MaxSteel Buildings puts rooftop air conditioning at about 12 to 18 inches.

Leg height by RV class

Alan's Factory Outlet gives a leg height of 12 feet for a Class C, 14 feet for most Class A coaches and fifth wheels, and up to 16 feet when rooftop A/C or solar is fitted. EMB and MaxSteel give wider ranges, and the three sellers differ most on travel trailers.

Alan's prints sidewall height with each suggested size, so its Class B and travel trailer rows show the standard sidewall.

Six RVs against 12, 14 and 16 foot legs

A 2025 Newmar Dutch Star 4369 is 157 inches high, so a 14-foot leg leaves 11 inches and a 16-foot leg leaves 35 inches. The table does the same arithmetic for six RVs from 115 to 157 inches high, and prints a negative result as does not clear, with the shortfall in inches.

Clearance here is measured to the eave. RV Guide lists the 2020 model year Dutch Star 4369 at 156 inches. Heights from RV Guide or a dealer listing should be checked against the maker's sheet for your model year.

Why seller buffer advice disagrees

Sellers disagree on how much clearance a metal RV carport needs: EMB Metal Buildings (2026-03-02) says to add 6 to 12 inches, and MaxSteel Buildings (2026-08-26) says the carport should be about 3 to 5 feet taller than the RV, rooftop accessories included. For the 134-inch Four Winds 31EV, the EMB rule gives a leg of 140 to 146 inches, so a 12-foot leg (144 inches) works. The MaxSteel rule gives 170 to 194 inches, so a 14-foot leg (168 inches) is 2 inches under its minimum and a 16-foot leg (192 inches) falls inside the range.

For the 157-inch Dutch Star 4369, the EMB rule gives 163 to 169 inches and a 14-foot leg fits. The MaxSteel rule gives 193 to 217 inches, and a 16-foot leg is 1 inch under the minimum. This page names no winner, because the buffer you need depends on rooftop gear and roof style.

A metal RV carport comes with a regular, boxed eave or vertical roof, and sellers rate the vertical roof best for heavy weather and spans of 40 feet or more. Alan's Factory Outlet describes the regular roof as the lowest price, the boxed eave as an A-frame look, and the vertical roof as the most popular.

For an RV, the roof also changes the height you can use. EMB says a regular roof gives decent height in the middle but less near the sides, an A-frame roof gives better center clearance, and a vertical roof offers the most usable height overall. No seller page read prints a clearance figure by roof style, so ask the seller about the peak.

Roof style and leg height together drive most of the price gap in the cost section below. For the three roofs in more detail, read metal roof carport styles.

Listed prices for a metal RV carport on October 6, 2026 ran from $5.68 to $15.90 per square foot, and leg height and roof style moved the price more than floor area did. The table lists eight seller pages read on 2026-10-06, with price per square foot derived as the listed price divided by width times length.

Prices are the listed prices on the dates shown. Sellers change them, and several state that prices vary by state or customization, so confirm the current price and what it includes with the seller.

The two ends of the range sit on one footprint. Get Carports lists an 18x30 (540 square feet) at $3,065 with 7-foot legs and a regular roof, and at $8,585 with 13-foot legs and a vertical roof. That is $5,520 more, or 180 percent: $8,585 minus $3,065 is $5,520, and $5,520 divided by $3,065 is 1.80. The footprint has its own page: 18x30 metal RV carport.

Other rows differ in scope. Carport.com states a starting price for an 18x41 with 12-foot legs, Skyline shows a sale price against a regular price of $8,535, and the American Metal Buildings page was last modified on 2023-07-06, so read that row as a dated listing.

Read how carports are sold: manufacturer versus dealer, then compare two rows, since a listed price comes from whichever company sells it.

A metal RV carport is the wrong choice for an RV that needs more than the 16 feet of leg height where the Alan's and EMB guides stop, for a coach you want fully enclosed, or where a lease or covenant bars the structure.

On height, the MaxSteel rule asks for a leg at least 3 feet above the RV, so a coach taller than 156 inches needs more than a 16-foot leg: 157 plus 36 is 193 inches, and a 16-foot leg is 192. Four of the six heights in this page come from RV Guide or a dealer listing, so check the maker's sheet for your exact model year and equipment.

A fully enclosed RV needs wall and door framing, which an open carport price leaves out, so ask the seller for an enclosed quote. A lease, homeowners association rule or covenant can bar a permanent structure, so read that document before you order.

Prefer to install it yourself? Compare metal carport kits and the makers behind them Want it delivered and installed? Have an RV carport delivered and installed Alan's Factory Outlet lists delivery and installation in 21 states on its page updated 2026-07-17.

• Compare metal carport kits and the makers behind them
• Have an RV carport delivered and installed

Related metal carports:

• Two-car metal carports
• Metal lean to carports
• Metal roof carport styles
• How steel carports compare