How to Lift a Carport (Metal Carport Leg Extensions Options)
These easy-to-make structures are just basic protection against the elements. They are made just tall enough to handle the standard car or truck. When you get an RV, the carport may not be tall enough to handle the extra height. Raising a carport to accommodate an RV is not that difficult.
The longest time in this project will be spent in the planning area. In some cases that may take up to 6 hours to do. The actual work will only take about 4 hours. All you have to do is buy some metal. You will have to do some welding and bolting to get the metal extensions in place.
To learn more about how to do this project, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can duplicate the same effort for your carport and RV. Take a few minutes to see how valuable this information is
Lifting a Carport 101
Carport Leg Height
This will depend on the center height of your carport but for standard 12-foot center height, you are looking at having a 7-foot carport leg height. Standard cars and trucks measure between under 7 feet in height and this is ample room for those vehicles.
However, Class B motor homes can reach as high as 9 feet while Class A & C RVs can reach up to 10 feet in height on average. Given these figures, the 7-foot leg height is not going to be tall enough for an RV or travel trailer. Unless you own a very small travel trailer.
The width of your carport is going to come into play as well. How wide the structure is will influence, maintenance, cleaning, and other RV tasks. You need to make sure that while you have the correct height, you need to have enough width to let you do your normal tasks.
If you do not have enough width, you may have to do more than just raise the carport unless you plan on doing everything outside in the sun.
How To Lift a Carport
Some wise guy will say ‘very carefully.’ And while everyone knows that it does need to be said to remind people that they should not be in a hurry when doing this project. You do need the right jacks to handle the weight and get the extra height you want.
Some owners have used 3 large A-frame jacks and they lifted one side only, did their work, then lifted the other side. It took them a total of 4 hours to complete their work but not all similar projects will go that quickly.
Some people recommend removing the roof and if that is a possibility, it will make raising the walls a lot lighter and easier. Those same people remove the carport leg beams and start from scratch.
They make a concrete foundation, add rebar, extensions and then put the legs back into place, followed by the roof. This is a very labor-intensive way to raise your carport and also an expensive method.
Your method will depend on the construction materials used to create your carport. Some are simple aluminum poles with a tarp over the top for the roof. Those would be the easiest carports to raise.
Carport Extension Posts Options
The size and availability of extensions will depend on the leg material your carport was constructed from. You may have to go to steel yards or other metal retail outlets to see if they have any metal extensions in your carport leg size.
Some stores, like Home Depot or Lowes, may sell extensions in a variety of lengths and dimensions, and one size that we know of measures 2 inches by 2 inches by 2 feet. They will run you about $10.50 per extension and are made from solid and sturdy metal.
Some metal carports are made with the ability to go up in increments. This could be 1’, 4’, or 5’ increments. Check your carport’s legs to see if this is possible. Or you can talk to different carport builders to see what they have in stock.
Or, you can go custom. If you have a friend who is a metal fabricator, they can make those extensions to the right dimensions and get you the height you want to add to your carport. Metal extensions are not a popular item in many areas so this may be your only option.
Metal Carport Height Extension Kits
There are kits available but they may not be as inexpensive as you would hope. One company that advertised kits actually only had extensions that worked with square tubing measure 2 and 3 inches in size.
The positive aspect of these extensions was the taper at one end. You could slip one over the other and double your height safely. The cost is between $25 and $60 depending on the type of extension you buy.
The 2 by 2 inch by 2-foot extensions we mentioned earlier that cost $10.50 now cost $22 at the same outlet. That is the difference in price in just 4 years. You can buy one or 8 if you want depending on how many legs you have to raise.
Most of the kits we saw were for complete carports. Those range in price as well as dimensions. If you are starting from scratch make sure to get a carport that has the height and width that you need.
Other than that, the leg extensions seem to be sold separately in all the locations we were able to access at this time.
Arrow Carport Extension Kit
There are plenty of these carport extension kits available. They are sold by a variety of companies and you have plenty of designs to choose from. Your final choice will be influenced by your budget.
However, these extension kits are for complete carports and not just for raising the height of your carport. They are more of a replacement option or an addition to your existing carports.
There are some nice expensive designs using metal roofs and they are very inexpensive options where you use a tarp or a tent as your roof and walls. If you simply want to keep your roof and replace the wood or metal supports, these are good options to use.
Your cost will depend on the size of the structure and the materials used. We did not see any leg extension options in any of the outlets we checked. In this case, you have to go for the whole carport and raise your roof level according to the size of the kit.
If you are worried about anchoring these kits when completed, then you will be relieved to know that these same outlets sell top-quality anchors. Those anchors go deep into the ground so that your new carport remains safe and secure.
Can You Extend Your Carport?
Yes, you can and wood carports are probably the easiest to extend but they do require a lot of work. The majority of your work will be in the planning stages as you need to make sure you can match up the roof to the exact angle it was before you started this project.
In some cases, you may have to remove the roof to make the extension work go faster and easier. Getting the roof back on can be tricky. Then when you add the new roof portion, you have to match up carefully or you may have water leaks or other issues to deal with.
This is why planning is so important. it probably takes longer to do these stages of the project than the actual time it takes to do the real work. Metal carports will have their own set of challenges to overcome making it simpler and easier to replace the carport and buy a kit in the size you want.
Kits are easier to put up and you will not have to worry so much about getting the roof right. You will save time as the kit may be up faster than you can add an extension.
Metal Carport Length Extension Kits
The good thing about metal carport kits is that they can be stand-alone structures or they can be attached to your home or an existing building. You have a little flexibility in how you want the structure to be supported.
Also, these kits offer you a variety of designs so that you can have the carport that best suits your needs and living situation. There are wall-less options, walled options, tarp, and tent materials that either cover the roof only or enclose the carport completely.
The kind of kit you buy will also depend on your preference. If the tarp and ten style does not look good next to your home, then it will be best if you get a metal one with either a metal roof or roof and sides.
The key will be to make it wide enough. You do not want it too narrow or you may not have enough room to open the door of your vehicle and get out. The width will depend on how much property you have to work with.
Also, keep in mind that while stores and other outlets call these kits extensions, they are really replacements or new structures. You can attach them to your current carport to be a true extension but be careful of the terminology so you do not get the wrong idea.
How Much Does a Carport Extension Cost?
This depends on the model or type of extension you want to buy. The cost will depend on the size of the extension you are looking at as well as the materials used to make the extension.
Tarp and tent models are going to be a lot cheaper than all-metal extensions. We have seen those as low as about $500. These extensions may be cheaper but they do not look that good and if you live in a neighborhood that prides itself on looks, you may get a lot of complaints.
The metal ones range from under $1000 to over $2000 to give you a ballpark figure. Some Arrow kits are priced up to $5000 at one store and go as low as about $1500. Another store uses rip-stop fabric and can get as low as $299.
Your overall cost will depend on where you shop and how you want the extension to look. Then there are outlets that use vinyl instead of fabric or metal. These outlets have brought the cost down to roughly $400 on sale and some models go even cheaper.
How To Extend a Metal Carport
There are 4 steps involved in extending the length of a metal carport.
Step 1: Remove the roof and sides
This will give you access to the struts and make work a little easier. The panels you take off can be used again so just set them aside in a safe spot till you get to step #4.
Step 2: Extend the pad
This is essential if you already have a concrete slab for your vehicles to sit on when not in use. If your area is gravel, then you will have some site work to do to make the gravel even and solid.
Step 3: Erect the struts
In most cases, you will only need to add one strut but if you are making an extension for an RV you may have to add two or three to make sure the carport is long enough. The key here is to secure the struts in the same way the original ones were secured
Step 4: Install the sheeting
This will be for the roof and the walls if you had sheeting on the walls. Use your original sheeting and then buy new for the extension
If you are adding a lean-to type extension to the side of your existing garage, you will need to remove the sheeting from one side of the existing carport or garage, and part of the roof sheeting. Then attach the lean-to your garage after erecting the struts on the other side. Make sure to have a solid foundation before doing this step.
Then replace the old sheeting and make sure there are no gaps.
How To Build a Carport Extension
If you buy a kit, the instructions are going to provide you with the correct steps you need to take. It is the same as building any other structure if you do not have instructions to guide you.
You need a solid foundation to build on and this can vary depending on the purpose of the extension. Pier blocks are good if you are going with a gravel pad. Assemble your struts to the correct height and then secure them to the foundation.
After that make sure those struts are properly anchored so that they will not move on you. Then place the roof supports from strut to strut. That is if the supports are separate from the roof panels.
Then put the roof panels on or put your tarp or tent in place. Double-check to make sure everything is secure and stable. If you are using wood, then standard wood construction techniques are needed.
Carport Extension Ideas
Unfortunately, this is a limited option topic. There are only so many ways to build an extension. You can have open sides and only have a roof covering your vehicle. This will provide minimal shade and protection from the elements.
Or you can go with an enclosed extension where all sides and the roof are covered. This can be 100% coverage or you can go to 80% depending on the weather in your area.
Some owners only have a roof and one side covered. Then the materials you use can be metal, fabric, tarp, or vinyl. You can go with wood if you want but that takes some construction skills to get right and it might be a bit expensive.
As for design, you will always need a pitched roof so that rain and snow are easily removed from the roof’s surface. Some owners create a gable to make the carport extension look better while others do not.
The height will depend on the type of vehicle you are storing underneath the roof.
Some final words
Lifting a carport to make it higher is tricky work. You have to make sure that you work carefully as one mistake may topple the structure while it is in the air. That could cause injury or make you buy a whole new carport.
Sometimes it is better to simply replace the existing carport with an extension kit. Either way, the building materials are available for both options. Raising your carport is the cheapest way to go but it may not be the most practical.
