Why front carports are different
The street setback is the area between the front boundary and the house. Planning rules keep it fairly open so streets look good and are safe. Carports are allowed into it more than garages, because they are open and you can see through them.
The standard rule
Under the R-Codes, a carport can generally go closer to the street than the normal setback for your lot (in many cases, half of it) when:
- it is no wider than 60% of the frontage of the lot, and
- it doesn't block the view between the house and the street.
For example, on an R20 lot with a 6 m street setback, that can mean a carport 3 m from the front boundary.
| Lot frontage | 60% of frontage |
|---|---|
| 10 m | 6 m |
| 12.5 m | 7.5 m |
| 15 m | 9 m |
| 20 m | 12 m |
Councils add their own rules
Many Perth councils have a local planning policy for carports and garages. They can allow carports closer to the street (some as close as 1.5 m) or be stricter, and they often have rules about roof style, materials and matching the house. That is why we check your council's policy for your street before designing.
Doors and walls
A solid door, or solid walls on the street side, turn a carport into a garage under the planning rules, and garages normally have to sit further back. If you want a door, a visually permeable (see-through) one keeps it a carport.