Having a car gives a person a lot of independence, as he/she will have access to go places wherever or whenever he chooses, however long the distance might be. Figuratively speaking, providing a home to the car naturally becomes the responsibility of the owner. It is a natural desire for the car owner to protect his car, by providing a safe establishment.

Apartments and houses normally come with their own garage facilities. Having said that, a fully covered garage space is not always a certainty for every car owner. There are smaller apartments that rent more units than the available parking garage spaces. In some cases, in spite of a space being available, a car owner might not want to utilize the services of a fully covered garage. Reasons could be an abnormal parking rental rates. In all cases, the non-availability of sufficient number of garage spaces causes enough concerns to the car owner.

In these situations, it becomes necessary for a car owner to look for carports as an alternative. A carport is an open parking space, free standing from the home, having four pillars and a roof on top thus offering the car good shade from the sun and protection from elements, sized to fit the car's and the owner's needs in most cases. Carports are simple and yet effective in serving their purpose.

Carports are usually constructed using wood, pillars, and sometimes concrete with PVC pipes on the roof. They are easy to construct and maintain too. Apartment houses have a generally accepted optimal height for their carports. Privately owned carports on the other hand are constructed in such a way as to accommodate the car owner's height and hence can be custom made.

Carports can be constructed with different styles of roofing - flat, tiled, arched, and sometimes unique styles as per the owner's taste and requirements. Essentially, whatever the design, the roof should serve the purpose of protecting the car against weather conditions. The recommended slope for the roof is at least fifty millimeters. A steeper slope is recommended if the material used in the roofing is PVC. Sloping of the roof ensures a faster running off the rainwater accumulated, and thus a cleaner and lighter weight is exercised on the carport.

While constructing a home, a traditional car garage is built as a part of the design for the home. Normally the owner would construct a double car garage , taking into consideration the possible addition of a second car to the family. Over and above this, the owner might want to build an additional space to accommodate children's cars or a renter's car. Expanding families tend to use the garage space for other purposes than parking cars. In these situations, carports are the best solution. Carports are relatively easy to build, only requiring the consent from local authorities, depending on the local laws of the region, state or country one is building it in. Make sure that you check all safety and manufacturer installation instructions.