Single vs Double Carports: Choosing the Right Size for Your Block

The short answer: a single carport is usually enough for one car on a narrow block or side driveway. A double makes more sense if you have two vehicles, a big 4WD or ute, or plan to add a boat or caravan later. Either way, the right size comes from measuring your actual vehicles, doors and walkways, not from picking a standard kit size.

If you’ve just bought a boat or a second car and there’s nowhere covered to park it, or a hailstorm warning has you staring nervously at the car in the driveway, you already know why getting the size right matters.

After more than 17 years of building custom carports, patios and decks across the Gold Coast, the most common regret we hear is a carport sized for the car the family owned at the time, not the ute, caravan or second car that turned up a few years later.

17+

Years building custom carports, patios and decks on the Gold Coast

3 x 6 m

Common single carport kit size, with doubles around 6 x 6 m

5.37 m

Length of a current Ford Ranger double cab, before a tow bar

Oct to Apr

Queensland’s severe weather season, according to BOM

Carport kit suppliers commonly list a single at roughly 3 metres wide by 6 metres long and a double at roughly 6 metres by 6 metres, with a typical height of around 2.4 metres. Some flat-roof kits are lower, at around 2.1 metres. Those standard sizes are a fine starting point for a small hatchback. They get tight quickly once you add a family SUV, a dual-cab ute with a tow bar, or kids climbing out of the back seat with sports bags.

Here’s the planning guide we use as a first pass before we measure your site. These are broad guides, not construction specs.

Grab a tape measure and get the real numbers. Here’s what to measure on each vehicle:

• ✓  Length, including the tow bar, bike rack or spare wheel carrier
• ✓  Width with the mirrors out, as published widths often leave mirrors off
• ✓  Height, including roof racks, roof pods or a rooftop tent

Spec sheets help too. Current dual-cab utes are well over 5 metres long, which is why a 5 metre carport doesn’t really cut it for most ute owners.

Manufacturer overall lengths as listed by CarExpert and carsales, before tow bars or accessories. Red bars are dual-cab utes; the grey bar is a standard kit length for comparison.

Body widths are manufacturer figures and usually exclude mirrors. Always measure your own vehicle with any accessories fitted.

The vehicle is only half of it. You need room to open doors fully without dinging a post, carry groceries in from the boot, and walk past the car to the front door or side gate. Use this checklist when you’re working out the space you need:

• ✓  Can every door open fully without hitting a post or the other car?
• ✓  Is there a clear path past the car to the front door or side gate?
• ✓  Can you open the boot or tailgate and still walk behind it?
• ✓  Where will bikes, bins or a storage cabinet go?
• ✓  Will a post sit right where a door swings open?

Post positions matter as much as overall width, because a post in the wrong spot can make a wide carport feel narrow.

Good to know: the minimum single garage size commonly cited under Australian Standards is 3.0 m wide by 5.4 m long. That’s a bare minimum to fit a standard car, not a comfortable size for an SUV or ute with doors wide open.

A single carport is a smart choice when you’ve got one vehicle, a tight side driveway, or a block where a double would eat into your front yard or bump into setback rules.

• ✓  One vehicle, with no second car on the horizon
• ✓  A narrow block or side driveway
• ✓  A front yard you don’t want to lose
• ✓  Tight setback or site cover limits

A single built a little wider than standard often does the job of a cramped double for less cost, and it looks neater from the street.

A double is worth it if:

• ✓  Two cars live outside
• ✓  One of them is a large 4WD or ute
• ✓  You want covered space for a trailer or jet ski next to the car
• ✓  You’d use the extra width for play, parties or weekend projects

Plenty of homeowners with only one car still go double, because the extra width becomes a shaded spot for the kids to play, a covered area for parties, or a work zone on weekends. Adding a second structure later usually costs more than building it once.

Height is where kits often fall short. A standard height may suit a sedan, but a 4WD with a roof rack, a boat on a trailer, or a caravan with an air conditioner and aerial on top needs much more clearance.

Measure the highest point of whatever you’ll park there, add room to manoeuvre, and plan for the tallest vehicle you might own down the track.

Roof style changes how much space you can actually use:

Most carports in Queensland need a building approval through a certifier, and siting is where many projects get complicated. Carports are Class 10a structures, and under the Queensland Development Code (MP1.2, for lots of 450 square metres and over) a common starting point is:

Gold Coast City Plan rules, overlays, easements and site cover limits can change these, so a site-specific check always beats a generic number online.

Wind matters too: the Gold Coast sits in wind Region B, rated intermediate under the Australian wind loading standard, rather than the cyclonic regions further north. Coastal sites still get strong storm winds, so engineered posts, tie-downs and footings really matter.

• ✓  We coordinate the drawings, engineering, certifier and any council applications for our projects, so you’re not filling in forms on your own.

A carport is often the first thing people see from the street. Matching the roof pitch, fascia, posts and Colorbond colours to the house makes it look planned, not bolted on.

If you already have a patio or pergola, it’s worth tying the carport into the same style so the whole property reads as one design.

Think about the next few years:

• ✓  Are the kids getting their licence?
• ✓  Is a caravan on the cards for retirement?
• ✓  Are you thinking about a boat?

A few extra metres of width or length now costs far less than a second carport or a rebuild later. Planning ahead also helps with setbacks, because you can design within the rules from day one.

Gold Coast storm season brings hail, heavy rain and strong winds. The Bureau of Meteorology says Queensland’s severe weather season runs from October to April, and its records for the Gold Coast Seaway show mean annual rainfall of about 1,302 mm. Add summer UV and salt air, and a car left in the open takes a beating year-round.

1

Measure

We measure your vehicles, driveway and boundaries, and send a quote within 48 hours.

2

Design and Approvals

We match the roof and colours to your house and organise engineering, the certifier, and any council applications.

3

Build

We set the footings, put up the frame and roof, connect the stormwater, and clean up.