Carport vs Enclosed Garage: What to Know Before You Buy

Carports and enclosed garages can look alike from a distance. Same steel frame, same roof styles. But they do very different jobs. One is a roof over your vehicle. The other is a building you can lock.

Here’s what to weigh before you decide.

What a carport is

A carport is a roof on legs, open on the sides. Some have partial walls or one closed side, but they are mostly open. They protect from sun, rain, hail, and snow falling straight down. They’re quick to install and cost less than an enclosed building of the same size.

Carports work well for:

• Covering vehicles you use every day
• RV and boat covers
• Shade over equipment or a work area
• Covered parking next to a house or shop

What an enclosed garage is

An enclosed garage has walls on all sides, roll-up doors, and usually a walk-in door and windows. It protects from weather coming from every direction, keeps out animals and dust, and can be locked.

Enclosed garages work well for:

• Storing vehicles long term
• Keeping tools and equipment secure
• Workshops and hobby space
• Anything you want out of sight and out of the weather

Side-by-side comparison

	Carport	Enclosed garage
Weather protection	Overhead only	All sides
Security	Low	Lockable
Cost	Lower	Higher
Insulation possible	No	Yes
Use as workshop	Limited	Yes
Rent-to-own eligible	No	Yes

Weather: it does not just fall straight down

Rain blows sideways in a storm. Snow drifts. Leaves, pollen, and dust settle on everything. A carport keeps the worst off the roof and hood, but vehicles still get wet and dirty from the sides. If you want your truck, tractor, or classic car truly protected, an enclosed building does that job far better.

Security

An open carport keeps things dry, but anyone walking by can see and reach what’s under it. Tools, mowers, and trailers are easy targets. If you’re storing anything valuable, an enclosed garage you can lock is the safer bet.

Wind and certification

Both carports and garages need to be anchored properly and built for the wind and snow loads in your area. Open structures catch wind differently than enclosed ones, so the design and anchors matter. Our buildings are certified for local wind and snow loads, with engineered drawings available. Read more in our post on wind and snow load ratings.

Foundations

Some carports can go on gravel or ground with the right anchors. An enclosed garage you plan to work in or park on long term usually does best on a concrete slab with footers poured below the local frost depth. Concrete is quoted separately from the building. See our concrete foundations page.

Financing: an important difference

This one matters if you’re planning to finance. Open carports are not eligible for our rent-to-own program. That means no rent-to-own and no discount on open carports.

Enclosed buildings do qualify. Our rent-to-own program works like this:

• 15% down
• Monthly payments about 25% lower than typical rent-to-own programs
• 90 days same as cash from delivery (the clock starts at physical delivery)

If financing is a big part of your decision, that alone may point you toward an enclosed building.

Can you enclose a carport later?

Sometimes, but it’s often more trouble than it’s worth. Adding walls and doors later means more panels, framing changes, and possibly different anchoring or certification. If you think you’ll want it enclosed down the road, it usually makes more sense to buy it enclosed from the start.

Think about how you will use it in five years

A carport can be the right answer today and the wrong one later. If there is a chance you will want a shop, a place to store a project car, or locked storage down the road, factor that into the decision now.

A middle ground

If you want more protection than a carport without fully closing it in, partial walls, a closed gable end, or a closed side facing the weather can help. A lean-to off an enclosed building is another way to get covered parking next to locked storage.

So which one is right?

Go with a carport if you need simple overhead cover and are paying cash. Go with an enclosed garage if you want security, protection from all sides, workshop space, or if you want to use rent-to-own.

Browse building types on our metal buildings page.

Call or text John at 276-235-1191, or start a quote with the quote builder. We’ll quote it either way.

Common Questions

Can I get a carport through rent-to-own?

No. Open carports are not eligible for our rent-to-own program, and there is no discount on them. Enclosed buildings do qualify.

Is a carport cheaper than an enclosed garage?

Yes, an open carport costs less than an enclosed garage of the same size because it uses fewer panels and less framing.

Can I enclose my carport later?

Sometimes, but it often costs more than buying it enclosed from the start because of added framing, panels, and possible anchoring changes.

Does a carport need a concrete slab?

Not always. Some carports go on gravel or ground with the right anchors. Enclosed garages for long-term use usually do best on a slab.