2 April 2023 · Sharon Winson
Do I need planning permission for a carport?
In most UK gardens a carport goes up without planning permission. These are the height, size and position limits to check before you order.
In most cases, no — a carport does not need planning permission in the UK. A carport counts as an outbuilding under permitted development, so as long as it sits behind the front wall of your house, stays within the height limits and covers no more than 30 square metres, you can normally build it without applying for consent.
When can a carport be built without planning permission?
A carport falls under permitted development when all of the following are true:
• It sits behind the principal elevation — the main front wall of your house — not in front of it. • It is single storey, with eaves no higher than 2.5 metres. • The overall height is no more than 4 metres with a pitched roof, or 3 metres with any other roof type. • If any part of it stands within 2 metres of a boundary, the total height stays at 2.5 metres or less. • It has no veranda, balcony or raised platform more than 0.3 metres high. • The floor area is no more than 30 square metres. • Together with your other outbuildings, it covers no more than half of the land around the original house.
Most Palram carport kits are designed with exactly these limits in mind, which is why the vast majority of the kits we deliver go up with no paperwork at all.
When do you need planning permission for a carport?
You will usually need permission — or at least a conversation with your council first — if your home is a listed building, or if you live in a National Park, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads or a World Heritage Site. On that kind of designated land the rules tighten further: if the carport would sit more than 20 metres from the house, its floor area is capped at just 10 square metres.
If any of these apply, contact your local planning authority before you order. The Planning Portal publishes the official guidance on outbuildings, and a quick call to the council costs nothing compared with taking a structure down later.
Which style of carport suits your space?
Within permitted development you still have a genuine choice of style. A freestanding carport stands on its own posts anywhere on your drive, while a lean-to carport fixes back to the house wall and suits narrower plots. Both styles are available as aluminium and polycarbonate kits that stay comfortably inside the height limits above.
Browse the full range of carport kits, or go straight to the lean-to carport kit for tight spaces and the heavy-duty Arcadia carport for a freestanding double-post design. If you want cover for a seating area rather than a car, a patio cover follows the same permitted development rules.
Do I need planning permission for a carport in my front garden?
Usually yes. Permitted development does not cover structures in front of the principal elevation of your house, so a carport on a front drive ahead of the front wall normally needs planning permission. Check with your local planning authority before ordering.
How tall can a carport be without planning permission?
Up to 4 metres with a pitched roof, or 3 metres with any other roof type — and eaves no higher than 2.5 metres. If any part of the carport is within 2 metres of a boundary, the whole structure must stay at 2.5 metres or under.
How big can a carport be without planning permission?
Up to 30 square metres of floor area, provided your outbuildings together don't cover more than half the land around the original house. On designated land such as an AONB, a carport more than 20 metres from the house is limited to 10 square metres.
Do carport rules change in a conservation or designated area?
Yes. In National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Broads and World Heritage Sites the limits are stricter, and listed buildings need consent. Always speak to your local planning authority first in these areas.