Side by side
| Attached carport | Freestanding carport | |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit | Yes | Yes |
| Can it skip a permit if small? | No | In practice no: even a minimum single carport (5.4 m x 2.4 m, about 13 m²) is bigger than the 10 m² freestanding exemption |
| What the plans must show | How it connects to the house roof frame and footings, with engineering | Its own posts, footings and engineering |
| Planning rules | The same street setback, side boundary, 60% frontage and open-view rules apply to both | Same |
Both always need a building permit
The Cities of Stirling and Wanneroo both say every carport needs a building permit. The state's 10 m² exemption is for freestanding patios, sheds and gazebos, and a carport big enough to park in is larger than that anyway.
Attached carports
An attached carport ties into the house, so the plans need connection details to the roof frame and footings, and structural engineering. At Wanneroo, for example, attached roofed structures like patios need these details on every application. The R-Codes definition of a carport allows it to be closed in only where it meets the house or a boundary on one side.
Freestanding carports
A freestanding carport stands on its own posts and footings. It still has to meet the boundary rules: at Stirling, posts at least 1 m from the side boundary to skip planning approval; at Wanneroo, 1 m (or 1.5 m if longer than 14 m), or on the boundary if no longer than 10 m and no higher than 2.7 m with the roof 500 mm back. Building code fire rules apply too: 900 mm from the boundary, or 500 mm if the carport is open.
Which is easier to approve?
Neither skips the permit. The planning rules are the same, so the choice usually comes down to your site, the look you want and the cost of the engineering. Use our front setback calculator if it's going in front of the house.