Carports are a great addition to any home. They provide shelter from the rain and snow, as well as protection for your car when it’s not in use. However, buying a carport is more than just picking one off the shelf at your local hardware store.
There are many different types of carports available on the market today, each with their own pros and cons that you need to consider before making a purchase decision.
This article will take you through some of these factors so that you can make an informed decision about which type of carport best suits your needs. We’ve also provided a list the 6 BEST Carports NZ to assist you with your decision.
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The 6 BEST Carports NZ
1Palmako Robert Wooden Carport

Price: $7,999
Key specs: Size: W 3.59m x D 5.1m x H 2.99m | Material: Wood
Pros
- Classic unique design
- Covers a large area
- Quality wooden material
Cons
- Expensive
The Palmako Robert Wooden Carport is great for anyone who’s looking to keep their car, bike, motorcycle or boat safe from the elements.
Featuring a 16m² Nordic spruce frame and 3mm tongue & groove roof boards to last all year round, this stylish addition to any driveway adds an air of character without taking up your entire property space.
The Palmako Robert carport is a stylish and budget-friendly way to add some value to any home. Whether you choose natural or paint, this classic design will give your driveway an elegantly long-lasting touch.
2Palram Cantilever Double

Price: $6,990
Key specs: Size: W 578cm x D 495cm x H 273.5cm | Material: Aluminium
Pros
- Accommodates two cars
- Sturdy/solid build
- Rust-free aluminium material
Cons
- Heavy
- Can be difficult to setup
Let this product save your things from the wrath of mother nature. The Palram Cantilever Double is a stylish answer to your storage needs! Made for durability, with free-standing design and sleek dark grey finish, it’s perfect for any property.
The Wing design is great for areas with minimal room for anchoring, with all poles placed in the centre, making these structures extremely versatile. As well as a carport, it’s perfect as a patio cover.
It’s also easy to install the instructions come complete with accurate drawings and full-sized templates!
3Palram Carport Arcadia 5000

Price: $3,999
Key specs: Size: L 5.02m x W 3.62m x H 2.42m | Material: Aluminium/Steel
Pros
- Solid steel build
- Great price for high quality
- Easy to maintain
Cons
- Construction can be tricky
The Arcadia 5000 is a stylish, affordable way to weatherproof any outdoor area. It protects your car or boat, prevents leaves getting into the spa and makes grilling year-round an option!
Made with TwinWall polycarbonate construction that’s not only strong but virtually unbreakable, the Arcadia comes in dark grey powder coated aluminium and steel frame.
Simply hose it down to keep it clean or wait for Mother Nature’s good grace!
4Cantilever Carport

Price: $3,899
Key specs: Size: L 5.5m x W 3.0m x H 3.0m | Material: Aluminium
Pros
- Poles only on one side
- Design allows large cars or boats underneath
- Covers a large area
Cons
- Not as stable as other carports
An expensive car with no shade will eventually become an expensive car in need of extensive repair.
The Cantilever Carport is the perfect solution to protect your prized possession from sun damage and premature aging, providing a cool shady space for a variety of uses.
You’ll find it hard to believe this carport does so much. And the best part is, it’s quick and easy to install. With durable Cantilever Carports at your side, you need never worry about rain again! And if the weather turns bad? No problem: just take it down and store away until next year.
5Palram Carport Vitoria 5000

Price: $3,499
Key Specs: Size: L 5.01m x W 2.91m x H 2.39m | Material: Powder coated aluminum and galvanized steel frame
Pros
- Easy to move around
- UV protected material
- Allows for light transmission
Cons
- Cant fit taller items underneath it
The Palram Carport Vitoria 5000 is a stylish carport that offers protection from the rain, snow, hail and shedding leaves.
It features a simple, sliding 6mm TwinWall polycarbonate roof panel system that is UV protected, meaning it will not yellow over time.
The bronze tinted polycarbonate panels allow for 15% light transmission and are ready to assemble – pre-drilled profiles, pre-cut panels and pre-assembled gutters are all included.
The carport can be assembled by 2 people and is easy to move and reassemble.
6Ironsand Carport

Price: $2,399
Key specs: Size: 3.4 x 6.2 x 3.5m (WxLxH) | Material: Steel
Pros
- Easy to build
- Light frame easy to move around
Cons
- Doesn’t cover as much area as other carports
The Ironsand Carport has a generous roof overhang that protects your vehicle, machine or goods from the rain so you can keep toiling away.
Its weather-resistant steel exterior ensures rust doesn’t provide any issues to this quality protector.
It’s built to last with galvanised steel construction and high-tensile box section framing, at just 13 square metres in size, this carport is perfect for protecting anything small enough to fit under it.
Buy now for $2,399 from Tradetested.co.nz
Carport Buyer’s Guide
What type of carport are you looking for?
Lean-to
A lean to carport is the simplest form of carport. It’s a flat roof supported by one long side wall, often at an angle of about 35 degrees.
The design means that the carport is relatively cheap to buy and build, but it can’t be used for parking more than one or two vehicles.
However, if you want a low cost option that can provide shelter from water and weather, then this might be the perfect type of carport for you.
Free-standing
A free-standing carport is a roof supported by four legs that’s built into the ground. It won’t need any other additional support to stay upright. This also means that it takes up more space and will require more work to build, but it can seat more than one or two vehicles.
The advantages of a free-standing carport are that it has a flat roof and doesn’t need any exterior walls, which makes it very straightforward and easy to assemble.
The cons of this type of carport are that the legs take up a lot of space and it has a flat roof, which means that water pools on the surface and can cause damage.
What do you want the carport to be made out of?
Wooden
Wooden carports offer a lot of benefits. They can be customised to suit your needs and they’re relatively inexpensive to buy and build.
The cons of wooden carports are that they don’t last very long and they require regular maintenance so that they stay in good condition.
Aluminium
Aluminium carports are a good option if you want to reduce the cost of your carport or if you want something that will last for a long time.
The cons of this type of carport is that they might be slightly more expensive than wooden carports, so it’s worth comparing prices before deciding on which type to buy.
The other disadvantage is that these carports can’t be customised in the same way as wooden carports.
Galvanised Steel
Galvanised steel carports can be customised to suit your needs and they’re relatively inexpensive to buy and build.
The cons of this type of carport are that they might be slightly more expensive than wooden carports, so it’s worth comparing prices before deciding on which type to buy.
What shape roof do you want on your carport?
Carport roofs are defined by the shape of their frame.
The shape of the roof correlates to how it reacts to poor weather. For example, a sloped carport will have water and rain slide off of it, whereas a flat carport will not.
Consider what you want the shape of your carports roof to be before making a purchase.