Carport Pergola Kits

Measuring for Your Pergola Carport Kit

When selecting the perfect carport driveway pergola, begin with a width measurement to accommodate your car, cars or taller SUVs and trucks with roof racks. Add extra space for a comfortable clearance to this number for an accurate inside post and height measurements. Then, mark the length of the desired parking spot – crucial for determining your pergola’s dimensions.

With these figures in hand, explore various wood pergola kits that fit your space. Take for instance our 16×20 freestanding kit with 10′ posts: it boasts a spacious inside post area of 12 feet by 16 feet, with 16’ rafters forming the depth and 20’ beams providing generous width, suitable for two vehicles. If you have extra tall vehicles to cover, you’ll need to consider how you’ll be mounting the posts and the height of the vehicles. If you’re mounting your posts in the ground, consider selecting 12′ posts to accommodate needed extra height.

If you’re planning to set up your pergola on a concrete base, opt for a kit with corresponding mounting options, complete with all necessary materials for assembly. Choosing an in-ground installation? Make sure to factor in your local frost line and ensure ample post depth for stability and sufficient overhead clearance.

Additionally, our lineup includes solar-ready and metal roof covered pergola variations, adding extra protection and aesthetic appeal to your setup. With these two pergola styles, review the pergola specifications to ensure that they will meet your required dimensions. Something that will impact the size will be the location and chosen method for mounting the posts for your pergola. For tailored guidance on picking the right pergola size, take a look at our pergola measurement guide.

Where to Mount My Pergola Carport Posts

Wondering about the best way to secure the posts for your new carport pergola? Consider whether they should be positioned in the soil adjacent to your driveway or directly on the concrete. When installing posts in the ground, one consideration is how to maintain the appropriate height?

Here’s a straightforward guide: Dig your footing holes to the requisite depth (beyond the frost line in your region) and use post mounting brackets to affix the posts to the concrete foundations or onto your existing driveway slab. These brackets provide a reliable connection and elevate the post bases by an inch off the surface, protecting them from water accumulation.

While exploring our pergola kit options, you’ll have the flexibility to add post mounting hardware that matches the wood type you select. We offer standard sizes of 8′, 10′, and 12′ posts, but we can also trim them to custom dimensions if required. For concrete slab installations, the 8-foot or 10-foot posts are optimal. For our Big Kahuna PLUS covered pergola kits with metal roofing, note that the post heights will vary to accommodate the slope required for the roofing. All of our Big Kahuna pergola kits have been engineered to withstand 175 mph wind gusts, and the Big Kahuna PLUS also is engineered to accommodate snow loads in most U.S. locations.

Ensure that the footings are deeper than the frost line to prevent upheaval. For in-ground installations, you have the choice of setting the posts with or without a flared concrete base. The flared base is ideal for frost-prone areas, as it helps prevent the posts from being displaced.

If the installation process seems somewhat daunting, we highly recommend consulting with a professional contractor to ensure your pergola stands strong and true for years to come. Call us with any questions you have about our carport pergola kits.

How Do Carport Pergolas Get Shipped?

Once we’ve finished up your new carport pergola kit, we will carefully crate it and make it secure for shipping and delivery. From the tailored wood components and high quality hardware to the detailed packing list and step-by-step assembly instructions, everything you need is included. We custom build a pallet that goes under and around each pergola, stack the pergola pieces on the pallet, then strap the pieces down and build crating around the outside to protect the lumber. Here are a few tips so you can be prepared to receive your new pergola. For the style pergolas we recommend for driveway pergola carports – the Big Kahuna, Big Kahuna PLUS, Big Kahuna Solar-ready, and Sombrero – the kit will arrive on the back of a semi truck and you and your team will need to hand unload it piece by piece. Plan to have 2-3 healthy adults available to help unload the pergola (2-3 healthy adults can typically unload a standard size kit in about 20-30 minutes). Bring gloves, a tool to cut the strapping from the crate (either a pair of scissors or a knife), and possibly a screw gun with a Phillips bit to uncrate the lumber. Every kit is crated a little differently due to the different sizes of pergola kits available. Not all crates will need to have screws removed but those that do will usually have 4-6 screws to take out in order to remove the pergola pieces from the crate. You’ll need to plan to dispose of the crating material, as the drivers are not required to remove the crating. Inspect and unload each of the pieces, and neatly stack them in an area that will be protected from weather until you assemble your pergola.

FAQs About our Carport Pergolas

From size to wood type, and how to install your new pergola style carport, this section will answer a few of the top questions asked about carport pergola kits.