How to Change your Carport into a Multi-Season Living Space

Who wouldn’t want to extend the easy breezy summertime and spend a little more time outdoors relaxing? If you have a carport, you can! By turning your carport into a multi‑season living space, you can spend more time entertaining family and friends. Here are some tips to help you get your project off the ground.

What kind of budget am I looking at?

As you can imagine, your budget entirely depends on how far you want to go, but a good roundabout number is between $10,000 and $20,000. Construction costs can be reduced if:

• you don’t change the carport floor
• you don’t lay footings or pour concrete walls,
• you don’t add plumbing or extensive wiring.

To get a ballpark figure of construction costs, check our link below: 40% of the amounts shown are for materials and 60% are for labor. This distribution might just inspire you to save money by doing some of the work yourself, but you will not want to overestimate your handiness!

For a more extensive explanation of the work that goes into turning a carport into a garage, refer to this text.

A Failure to Plan is a Plan to Fail!

If you attempt a project of this scale without a good plan, you run the risk of exceeding your budget and ending up with a half‑finished space because you ran out of money and couldn’t complete your DIY. First and foremost, determine if you will be able to dedicate your carport during the warmer seasons to this new “Florida room”. Are you okay with using the space as a shelter for your vehicles during the colder months, then transforming it into your sanctuary when temperatures warm up?

If the answer is yes, then you need to decide how you want to set up this living space. An existing carport has walls open to the outside, so you need to decide:

To explore your options, you may want to get assistance from an architect or architectural technician. They will be able to organize and structure the work to be done, make sure your building is up to code, and help you avoid surprises such as cost overruns.

How can I maximize natural light?

Different possibilities are possible, mainly based on the ease of access to the space and traffic flow you want to provide.

• You have several available options if the front of your carport is on the wider side. For instance, if your façade (from the house to the supporting post of the carport) is 12 ft. (3.6 m) wide, you could put in a 9‑foot (2.7 m) overhead garage door both in the front and back which would let in ample light when both are open.
• The front wall could be equipped with an all‑glass garage door, like the California model from Garaga, or another option is to select a contemporary style door with wide 40" x 13" (102 x 33 cm) windows, this style is available for all Garaga door models.
• As for the rear wall, you need to determine how much access you need to the backyard via the carport. A possible case for needing a lot of access could be storing an ATV in a backyard shed. Then it would be best to install a garage door in the rear wall to maintain the same level of access. Based on the size of each garage door and the size of the carport, you may be able to place these two doors back to back, if your space is at least 22' (6.7 m) deep.
• A reminder: if you are equipping the space with a garage door using a door opener, the depth (backroom) for this new space is the height of the door plus 48" (1.2 m). However, only 28" (71 cm) is needed if you are not.
• As for the longer side wall, you should be happy with the amount of natural light if you install a bank of double‑paned windows on a low (36" or 90 cm) wood or brick wall.
• If you do not install a garage door on the rear wall, it can be finished like the side wall, with double‑paned thermal windows. Choose the option that works best for your lifestyle and budget.
• Depending on the level of privacy or temperature you desire, you can close the front garage door and leave the rear one open to enjoy views and access to your backyard.

When it comes to choosing the type of glass for the garage doors, again it depends on how much privacy you want. There are numerous options like clear, satin, or gray tinted glass and even a translucent polycarbonate is available. You can ask to see samples and do your own tests.

Ready. Set. Go.

The next step is to contact us so that we can explain how to properly prepare the carport that is turning into your new living space. We know garage doors better than anyone else, and we can explain and advise about the best choices to make based on your precise needs while also respecting your budget. If you’d like, we can send you a free quote.

If you’d rather, you can come and meet us at our showroom. To help you in making your choice, you can use our Design Centre to choose the garage door style that suits you best. For some added inspiration, take a look at our image gallery.

• To what extent will there be walls or windows on the currently open walls?
• How will you enter the space? Will you be entering from the front or rear of the house? Is the space between your house and your neighbors restricted, or can you enter from that side? Should you consider installing garage doors and enter from the front?