What is the Best Foundation for a Carport?

As you work on the design for a new carport, you are likely to be focused mostly on the structure itself. You’ll want to make sure it’s the right size and shape for your needs, and that it has any extra features you require. The design is crucial, of course, but don’t forget the importance of the right foundation. In this post, we are going to explain some of the options for a carport foundation and help you determine which is best for you.

Do Some Preparation

No matter what kind of material you choose to use for your carport’s foundation, you’ll first need to do some site prep. Typically, this will consist of leveling the ground to give your carport a flat spot to call home. Depending on the existing grade of the land in that area of your property, and the makeup of the soil, this can range from being a quick and easy project to being a significant undertaking.

As you start to work on the timeline for this project, consider carefully how much work it will require to create a level spot big enough for the carport. Also, remember that you will need to have suitable access to the carport if you plan on parking vehicles in this structure. It’s likely that you’ll need to get help from a contractor to move enough ground to bring this project to life.

Carport Foundation Options

With a level piece of ground ready for your carport, you can now think about what you are going to use to cover the ground. The “best” foundation for your carport might not be the same as what works best for someone else; it all depends on your circumstances, what you’ll use the structure for, and more. Here are four options that are worth considering:

Concrete

This is probably what you thought of first when picturing a foundation for your carport. Concrete is popular in this application for a variety of reasons. First, it’s relatively easy to install, although you’ll probably want to trust a professional rather than taking the DIY route, just to make sure you get good results. Concrete is impressively durable, gives the carport a finished look, and makes a solid base for parking vehicles throughout the year. As a default option, you could certainly go with concrete as your foundation and never look back.

Gravel

For an affordable, less-finished foundation option, you could cover the ground under your carport with gravel. This obviously doesn’t come with some of the same performance benefits as concrete, but it’s easy to lay down and can be moved in the future, if necessary. You’ll get nice drainage through the gravel, as well, which is a bonus if water gets under the roof of your carport for any reason.

Asphalt

If you like what concrete has to offer but don’t want to spend the money on that kind of foundation, consider having asphalt laid down on your site. There is typically more maintenance required with asphalt than concrete, but it looks nice and also makes a great place to park your cars or trucks.

Bare ground

As a final option, you could do nothing at all other than level the site and have the carport constructed. Of course, you’ll want to think carefully about whether or not this will work practically for your needs as the years go by. It’s tempting to think of the savings from not putting in a formal foundation, but remember that bare ground changes condition dramatically throughout the year. What might be a firm, solid base in the summer could become a muddy messy in the fall and winter months.

Lay the Groundwork

Putting your foundation in place as early in the process as possible will help you avoid any unwanted delays or frustrations later in the construction process. Once you have decided what kind of foundation will be used, get to work on completing that part of the task so your carport can be assembled as soon as it arrives.

To get started on creating a new carport, head to our Build & Price tool and design something you love. Alternatively, you can contact us directly to work with an experienced member of our team. Ordering from Carport Kingdom ensures you will get a quality product for a fair price, so there is no need to look any further. Let’s get started on this project today!