I have been considering building a flat roof carport for the better part of a year, and I have done a fair amount of research to prepare for my big project. While researching the type of carport that I would build I came across many different options, including metal carport kits which seem to be pretty popular from what I can gather. However, the esthetics of the available kits just didn't suit me, so I am opting for a build from scratch project.

While I was researching the steps necessary for a project like this, I discovered that the first thing I needed to do before putting a shovel to the ground is to apply for a building permit from my municipality. This will need to include fairly accurate and detailed drawings, including elevations, of what I have planned, the measurements, the lumber dimensions, and materials, and any electrical and water runs that I will be including. The city doesn't require that I have this computer generated or anything, so accurate hand drawings are fine, but it does have to meet structural requirements for the snow loads expected in our area, as well as any particular building code requirements.

Sadly, while at city hall I was told that my property taxes would increase as a result of building my carport. At least this is the case in Ottawa, Ontario. The reason for this is that I am increasing the value of my house. The clerk tried to console me by telling me that building a full garage would increase my property taxes even more. It was a very small consolation.

My next step is to sketch out what I want the carport to look like. I know it will be made primarily from wood. I prefer the look of wood over most other materials. Also, when using wood as a material there are some nice lattice work and finials that can be incorporated into the design. I want the carport to have a Victorian look that compliments my house. Home Depot has a wide range of wooden decorative finishing details to give me inspiration. I will browse there sometime this week.

Finally I need to break my artistic rendering plan down into a building plan, and for this I will be consulting an engineering friend of mine. I have worked on a fair number of DIY projects myself, but I'm a builder not an engineer so I rely on someone else to make sure my plans will be up to code. Also, part of the reason that I'm building a flat roof carport is that I think I may want to use the roof of the carport as a second deck sometime in the future. This means that the loads and spans etc need to be calculated with that in mind, and it is just safer to have things properly engineered from the start.

I am very excited about getting this project started. I hope to actually get a shovel to the ground by the start of July. It will be strictly a weekend project for me. My hope is that my new flat roof carport will be finished by the middle of September with allowing myself a few fishing weekends.