Building your carport with CCA pressure-treated poles & Laths is a smart idea. The price of your vehicle doesn’t determine your choice as to whether you want a carport or not! It does help with creating a shaded space that will prevent the sun from damaging your vehicle over a long period.

However, building your own carport isn’t that hard to do. As long as you have a basic understanding of DIY work, the right tools for the job, a friend to help with the heavy lifting, and a detailed plan of what you want to do – your car will be cozy in no time.

Here’s 12 Things to consider before building your CCA pressure-treated pole carport.

Step 1 – Choose Your Location to build your carport

When you have identified your perfect spot you can start dreaming – which structure will enhance your property’s value – and be a practical solution for undercover for your vehicle.
You could add your CCA pressure-treated pole carport to an existing wall – or you can start from scratch! Just make sure you are happy with your chosen location it will be difficult to move the structure in the future

Step 2 – Planning permission, you’ll need to get permission fro your local authorities

An important step to any building project is the building plan. Your town council will require plans that they will accept (at a cost). This is necessary for permission to build.

Included is a link as an example for what the municipalities use:
https://eservices.joburg.org.za/pages/BuildingPlanProgress.aspx

Step 3 – Make Sure You’ve Got All The Tools You Need to build a carport

There are 12 Tools that you will need to build your CCA pressure-treated pole carport!

1. Keep in mind that safety is extremely important. Make sure you do it yourself safely by identifying and preparing for any potential hazards, make sure you have strong gloves for protecting your hands from possible splinters that might come off the CCA pressure-treated poles and timber that you will be using. Safety goggles and ear protection are also important.
2. Shovel
3. Measuring tape
4. Hammer
5. Hand saw
6. Carpenter’s square
7. String line
8. Spirit level
9. Ladder(s) (preferably 2).
10. Power tools you may need for the job can include a circular saw
11. Angle grinder
12. Hammer drill.

Step 4 – Set out the perimeters and make some marks (with timber pegs)

Once you determined how many cars your CCA pressure-treated carport will shade you are set to go!
Clear the area where the carport is to be erected and set out the perimeters. Start by measuring out from the wall of your home to the desired width (3 meters is standard) and measuring parallel to your home (6 meters is standard), and then driving pegs into the ground to mark each of the four corners. Then, insert simple hurdles into the ground just a little further past each peg in preparation for your string lines. For your pegs, you can use CCA pressure-treated droppers. your CCA pressure treated log carport will be freestanding it should have sturdy Cca pressure-treated poles as corners (120-150mm)

Get the perimeters – Start by putting out your first 2 pole hole positions. Stretch string lines from one hurdle to the next (each string line should be touching two pegs—if not, adjust accordingly), creating a rectangle the size of the carport. Remove the pegs, and the corners created by the string are where the concrete post footings will be located.

Step 6 – Dig holes for your CCA pole posts

Dig a hole at each of the four corners to house your CCA pressure-treated posts. The dimensions and depth of your holes will be determined by your soil type and are normally covered in your building permit. Make sure your hole is a min of 600mm deep for the corner posts.
NOTE: If you are using steel posts, these will normally be secured via mounting plates on a cement slab using a hammer drill to make the bolt holes.

Step 7 – Mix and Pour the cement

Mix enough cement for one CCA pressure-treated post hole at a time, and pour it in the hole. Take a post saddle (a U-shaped metal saddle with a ‘standoff’ underneath to help prevent the post from rotting) and push it down into the center of the hole, ensuring the saddle part remains 25mm clear of the wet cement. Use a spirit level to ensure it is completely level, and then repeat the process for the other three holes.

Step 8 – Plant the posts for the carport

After leaving the cement to set over a week or so, you can then put up the CCA pressure-treated poles posts. Have a friend hold the post in the saddle while you make it exactly vertical using the spirit level. Then, drill a hole through the saddle holes and right through the post, insert a coach bolt and nut, and tighten to hold the post upright. Repeat with the other three posts.

Step 9- Create your datum line

This is a line to ensure the roof of your carport is level. Mark one of the upright posts with a pencil at the height you want the roof to be, then, use your spirit level to mark the exact same height for all four posts. Then unbolt the posts and cut them all to the desired roof height.

Step 10 – Attach the beams for the carport

While you have the posts on the ground, cut out the housings (notches) for the beams with your saw. Put up the posts again and with the help of a friend. Then, using ladders, place the side beams horizontally so they are resting in the housings, flush with the outside of the carport. Drill two holes and secure the side poles to the CCA pressure-treated posts with coach screws. (another way is to use galvanized steel rods and nuts to fasten the side poles.)

NOTE: With steel beams, you would join the center beams to the edge beams via bolts through the splice plates, and then join the edge beams to create a box frame.

Step 11 – Attach the rafters

First, set the fall of the roof for the rain to run off a min of 15 degrees will allow the rainwater to easily flow down and off the roof (preventing it from damming and creating a leak).

What is the standard for fall of the roof? anything between 10 and 25 Degrees

Gable Carport – 15 Degrees as standard. Other roof pitches available on request – 10 Degrees to 25 Degrees. If gable infills are included, then the length of the infill sheets is also adjusted for the pitch. Again, like a hip roof or dutch gable carport, the higher the roof pitch the longer it takes to install.

What is a 10% incline?
For example, a 10 percent slope means that, for every 100 feet of horizontal distance, the altitude changes by 10 feet: {10 ft over 100 ft} × 100 = 10%

Once you have determined the slope – you are ready to continue. Do this by hammering a nail at the front end of one of the side CCA pressure-treated poles, and running a string line down to the other end, and attaching a nail 40mm lower than the other nail (this is your run-off level). Repeat on the other side CCA pressure-treated pole and then nail a straight pole down on the inside of each side beam along the string lines. Then, cut your battens to the width between the side poles and fit one every 900mm or so by fastening them securely.

Table of Common Slopes in Architecture

Degrees	Gradient	Percentage
1.19°	1 : 48	2.08%
2.86°	1 : 20	5%
4.76°	1 : 12	8.3%
7.13°	1 : 8	12.5%

Step 12 – Fit the gutter and downpipe

It is necessary to keep the water from your CCA pressure-treated pole carport.
Begin with the gutter which will go along the lower end of the CCA pressure-treated carport (the back). Attach it to the back CCA-treated pole using gutter clips and make sure it has a slight run-off to ensure the rainwater runs down the downpipe. Then, connect the downpipe to the nearest stormwater drain.

Step 13 – Construct the roof of the carport

Lay your steel roof sheeting across the rafters whilst making sure it’s inside the side CCA pressure-treated poles, then attach it with appropriate fasteners. Finally, apply cap flashing over where the roof meets the edge of the beam for a totally waterproof edge. Always measure twice before cutting anything, because mistakes do happen and replacements can be costly and time-consuming. When you decide to do CCA pressure-treated laths for the roof you need to measure and cut the lengths required. Fasten your laths diagonally close to each other.

The following article was compiled by The South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA)

The carport is an unbraced structure. For this reason, the embedded poles carrying the carport must be set to sufficient depth to provide adequate vertical support. this will also prevent them from being uprooted by wind forces exerted on the structure.

In the case of an unbraced frame, the depth of embedment should be sufficient to clamp the lower ends of the pole vertically as there is no anchoring or bracing to prevent the pole from rotating. Before the length of the poles is determined, dig test holes to determine the type of soil and its bearing strength. Low-bearing strength soils may be effectively stabilized by the addition of cement; 1:10 for the soil used at the bottom and top of the old and 1:20 for the remainder of the backfill.

Thorough consolidation of the backfill is important. It should be rammed in layers of not more than 150mm thickness. The introduction of bricks and rocks in a soft backfill is not recommended as it will prevent proper ramming. Do not encase the support poles of a structure in concrete as the moisture may be absorbed by the pole will not have a way to escape. This will ultimately lead to the encased section rotting. A passage for water to escape must thus be provided. (See How to Plant a Pole)

Carport prices in South Africa

For professionally built carports made from high-quality and durable materials in South Africa, prices can range from R10,880 for a single carport and R15,880 for a double-garage design, depending on the sheeting and exact measurements.

Can I enclose a carport? Yes, you can enclose a carport.

The process isn’t particularly difficult. Even if you don’t consider yourself a carpenter, there are parts of this project you can do yourself. The most fundamental part of converting a carport to a garage stall is adding walls to the structure.