Everything You Need to Know About Carports and Garage Doors

Garolla green roller door on a carport

Carports have changed a bit since the 1970s. No longer are they simple lean-to structures with a flimsy corrugated plastic roof.

They now come in all shapes and sizes, from stylish self-standing wooden buildings on larger plots of land, to those made from steel, aluminium or PVC, offering a place to park vehicles away from the wind, rain and snow. In warmer climates, a carport offers excellent shade away from the heat of the sun.

Can you fit a garage door to a carport?

We often get asked whether Garolla fits garages door to carports? In the past that answer would have been no. However, that thanks to recent improvements in our roller garage door product range, we're now able to do so.

Our electric garage doors are tougher than ever, and installing a door to your carport will help you protect your car from opportunist criminals, and keep the elements away from any possessions inside your carport.

You'll be able to transform your carport from an open access space, to one which has an auto-locking roller garage door, which opens and closes at the touch of a button for ultimate convenience.

And because our roller doors roll up into an enclosed top box, you won't lose any of the ceiling space that you would by installing a traditional up-and-over garage door.

What is a carport?

For the purposes of installing a roller garage door to a carport, we require the building or structure to have two side walls and a roof in place.

When you book a survey with Garolla, we'll send one of our expert engineers to your property to carry out a dynamic risk assessment on your carport and to measure up.

They will explore whether you live in a high-wind area and whether a second garage door, or blocking up the open end would be required for our roller garage doors to operate at their optimum level.

As with our installations on a standard garage, all of our prices include FREE fitting and a FREE five-year product warranty*, giving you additional peace of mind.

Do you need planning permission to put a garage door on a carport?

In the majority of cases, you do not need planning permission to install a garage door. Doing so doesn't change the footprint or enlarge the building in any way, so fitting a garage door tends to be covered under permitted development.

There are a few, rare instances where planning permission could be required, such as if you're installing a door to a listed building or if the building is in a conservation area.

If you're unsure about whether you own a listed building then a quick search on Historic England Online will tell you. Likewise you can find out if your carport is located in a conservation area by checking with your local planning authority.

Can you turn a carport into a garage?

Garolla can help convert your carport into a garage, providing it has two side walls and a roof in place. Doing so will allow you to lock away your vehicle, bicycles, lawn mower and tools that you have in your carport, helping protect them from opportunist thieves and the elements.

Get in touch to book your survey today, and discuss how we can transform how you use your carport with the addition of a roller garage door.

*Dependent on meeting our carport product parameters advised by your Garolla engineer.