What Is a Carport, and Does It Beat a Garage in Slidell?

A carport is a roofed shelter for a vehicle that stays open on the sides, either freestanding on its own posts or attached to the house. In Slidell, a carport often beats a garage on cost and airflow and is simpler to build on a flood-prone lot, while a garage wins on security and full protection from wind-driven rain.

Most people asking “what is a carport” already know the basic idea. The real question behind it is usually whether a carport is enough, or whether they should save up for a garage. We build carports, not garages, so take our view with that in mind, but we’ll lay out both sides fairly and point out where Slidell’s weather and flood maps tip the balance.

What is a carport?

At its simplest, a carport is a roof on posts over a parking spot. It keeps sun and rain off your car, along with the falling leaves and pine sap that come with a wooded Slidell lot, without fully enclosing it. Carports come in a few common forms:

• Attached. One side ties into the house, usually along the driveway, so you can walk from car to door under cover.
• Freestanding. Stands on its own posts and footings anywhere on the lot.
• Single or double width. Sized for one vehicle, or for two vehicles or a car plus a boat.
• Material. Aluminum, steel and wood are the usual choices, each with its own maintenance profile.

What’s the difference between a carport and a garage under the building code?

Openness. The International Residential Code, which Louisiana adopted in its 2021 edition, treats a carport as a structure open on at least two sides. One that isn’t open on at least two sides is treated as a garage and has to meet the garage rules. That matters if you’re tempted to wall in a carport later, so keep it in mind before you buy side panels.

What is a carport called when it’s attached to the house?

People use a few names: attached carport, lean-to carport, and in some older homes a porte-cochère when the roof covers the driveway at the entrance. The function is the same, a covered spot that connects to the house. The difference that matters for building is how the roof ties in, because an attached carport has to be flashed and connected to the house framing correctly so it doesn’t leak or pull loose in high wind.

Is a carport better than a garage in Slidell?

It depends on what you need it to do. Here’s how the two compare on the points Slidell homeowners ask us about:

• Cost and build time. A carport is a lighter structure with no walls or doors, so it generally costs less and goes up faster than a garage of the same footprint.
• Airflow. Open sides let a wet car dry out. In our humidity, a closed garage without ventilation can hold moisture and grow mildew on stored items.
• Security and storage. A garage locks. A carport doesn’t, and anything stored under it is visible and exposed to weather.
• Storm protection. A garage blocks wind-driven rain and flying debris far better. A carport keeps falling rain and branches off the roof of your car, but not sideways rain.

Why Slidell’s flood zones and storms matter for a carport

Many Slidell lots sit in mapped flood zones, and the city has seen serious flooding, including the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina. That shapes what makes sense to build. An open carport lets floodwater flow through instead of pushing against walls, and there’s little inside to damage. A garage on a flood-prone lot faces elevation questions and stores belongings at ground level. Before you plan either, check your flood zone with the permit office, because it can affect what you’re allowed to build and how.

Wind is the other Slidell factor. A carport roof is a big surface that wind wants to lift, so the footings and every connection need to be designed for our hurricane season, not just for shade. We covered how lake wind and flood zones shape covered structures in our post on patio covers in Slidell, and carports follow the same engineering logic. See the area we serve on our Slidell service area page.

What is the best material for a carport in a humid climate?

We steer most Slidell homeowners toward aluminum. It doesn’t rust, and it’s light enough to keep footings reasonable. A quality powder-coated finish holds color in strong sun. Steel is strong and often cheaper up front, but any scratch in the coating invites rust in our humidity. Wood looks warm and can match a traditional house, but it needs regular sealing and is open to rot and termites. Our aluminum cover and wooden cover pages show the difference in finished look.

What size should a carport be?

Measure what you’ll actually park, then add room to open doors and walk around the vehicle without brushing a post. A pickup or SUV needs more length and height than a sedan, and a boat on a trailer needs more again. If you might add a second vehicle later, building a double now is cheaper than adding on. We also check roof height against the vehicle with anything mounted on top, like a roof rack or a bass boat’s console.

What is a carport used for besides parking?

Quite a lot. Homeowners use carports as covered party space for crawfish boils, as shaded workspaces, and as a dry path from the driveway to the side door. An attached carport near the kitchen door can double as an overflow patio. If you want the space to work that way, plan for lighting and an outlet, plus a concrete pad sloped for drainage. Our string lights page has ideas for making it feel like a room.

One more planning tip: think about where the carport’s roof water goes. A double carport roof sheds a lot of water in a Slidell downpour, and a gutter with a downspout aimed away from the driveway and the house keeps that water from pooling where you walk.

Do you need a permit for a carport in Slidell?

Plan on asking. Permit rules for covered structures are set locally. Inside city limits, the City of Slidell runs its own building safety and permits division, while unincorporated addresses go through St. Tammany Parish. We’ll cover the parish side in more detail in an upcoming post on carport permits. Until then, the safe move is to call the office that covers your address before you buy materials.

Thinking about a carport for your Slidell home and want to see whether it beats a garage on your lot? Big Easy Patio designs and builds carports and patio covers across the Northshore. Call (504) 384-8978 or use our contact page for a free estimate.