Side by side
| Carport | Garage | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is (R-Codes) | A roof for cars, open except where it meets the house or one boundary, with no door unless the door is see-through | Any other roofed structure for cars that is attached to the house |
| Building permit | Always | Always |
| Distance from the street | Can usually be about half the normal setback (e.g. 3 m on an R20 lot instead of 6 m) | Usually 4.5 m, or closer if at least 0.5 m behind the front of the house |
| Width across the front | Up to 60% of the lot frontage | Garage doors are limited too, often to around half the frontage |
| Next to a side boundary | Posts usually 1 m from the boundary; some councils allow posts on the boundary for short carports | Can be a boundary wall on many lots (R20 and above), within length and height limits |
| Fire rules near the boundary | Can be as close as 500 mm if it is open enough and non-combustible | Fire-rated wall needed when close to the boundary |
| Door | Only a see-through door | Any door |
| Cost to build | Usually much less | More: slab, walls, door and often fire-rated wall |
The big difference: how close to the street
Planning rules keep the front of the house open so the street looks good and is safe. Because a carport is open and you can see through it, it is allowed much closer to the street than a garage.
The City of Wanneroo's carport rules spell it out: on an R20 lot the normal street setback is 6 m (4 m on R30 or R40), and a carport can go at half that, as long as it is no wider than 60% of the frontage, you can see between the house and the street, and the materials suit the house. A garage, by contrast, usually has to sit 4.5 m back, or at least 0.5 m behind the front wall of the house (City of Stirling).
That is why so many Perth homes add a carport in front of the house rather than a garage. If you need to park in front of the house, a carport is often the only way to do it without planning approval.
Both need a building permit
Whichever you choose, you need a building permit before work starts. Wanneroo says a building permit is "always required for carports", and Stirling says the same for carports and garages. Planning approval is needed on top when the design breaks the standard rules, or the property is in a heritage area.
Turning a carport into a garage
Adding a solid roller door or enclosing the sides turns a carport into a garage under the planning rules. A carport built close to the street could then break the garage setback, and the change needs approval. If you want security, a see-through door (such as an open slat or mesh tilt door) keeps it a carport.
Minimum sizes
The City of Stirling's sheet gives the sizes it checks: a single carport or garage at least 5.4 m long and 2.4 m wide (3 m if next to a wall or post), and a double at least 5.4 m by 4.8 m (5.4 m wide next to a wall). Design to these and you avoid a common reason for planning questions.
Which should you choose?
- Choose a carport if you need to park in front of the house, want the lower cost, or have a narrow side setback.
- Choose a garage if you need security and storage and have room behind the front of the house.
- Not sure? Tell us your address and we'll tell you what your council allows on your lot before you buy anything.