Aluminum Carport Builder in Fort Lauderdale
Plenty of homes here have a driveway and no garage. We build custom aluminum carports across Fort Lauderdale that keep the sun off your paint and the rain off your groceries. Choose a fabric awning roof to cover the basics, or an insulated aluminum roof that also beats the heat. Either way, the frame is aluminum, engineered for this wind zone, and permitted.
What a Carport Costs in Fort Lauderdale
Most contractors make you call to find out. Here’s where projects usually land.
Single car — $8,840 to $12,900
Roughly 12 by 20 feet. Covers one vehicle with room to open the doors. This is the common starting point for a smaller lot or a side driveway.
Two cars — $9,680 to $18,540
Around 20 by 20. Covers two vehicles side by side. Most homeowners who ask about a carport end up here.
Oversized, boat or RV — $12,300 and up
Taller posts, longer spans, heavier engineering. A boat on a trailer or an RV needs clearance most standard carports don’t have, and the structure has to carry more load.
The ranges overlap on purpose. A two-car carport with a fabric awning roof costs less than a single-car carport with an insulated aluminum roof. The roof drives the price more than the footprint does.
What moves the number
The roof
This is the biggest lever. The low end of each range above is a fabric awning roof; the top end is the insulated aluminum system. The next section explains the difference.
Attached or freestanding
Tying into the house is usually less expensive, since the structure borrows support from the wall. Freestanding needs posts and footings on all sides.
Footings and slab
If there’s already a concrete driveway in good condition, we work with it. If the slab is cracked, undersized, or there’s no slab at all, that’s added cost before anything goes up.
Height and span
Every extra foot of clearance and every foot of unsupported span adds engineering and material.
Permitting and engineering
add $1,500 to $2,500 depending on scope, on top of the ranges above.
Fabric Awning or Insulated Aluminum Roof?
Every carport we build starts with the same aluminum frame. The roof is where the price and the performance split.
Fabric awning carport — the affordable option
An aluminum frame carries a tensioned vinyl-coated fabric roof. It does the two jobs most people ask for: shade and rain. It also costs a good deal less than a solid roof.
However, it has limits, and we’d rather you hear them now. It doesn’t stop heat — the sun still warms the space underneath. It isn’t as clean-looking as a solid roof. And the fabric has a working life. Manufacturer warranties on fabric typically run five years; some run ten. At some point the fabric gets replaced while the frame stays put.
Insulated aluminum carport — the long-term option
A fully aluminum structure with insulated roof panels. It costs considerably more, and it’s the better product. You get shade, rain protection, and a real drop in temperature, because the panel stops the sun from radiating down onto the car. That matters in July.
There’s nothing to replace. It’s built to last 20 years or more, and it looks like part of the house.
Which one?
If you’re solving for sun and rain on a budget, the awning does it. If you want the heat gone and don’t want to think about the roof again, it’s the insulated system. Either way, we’ll tell you which one fits your driveway before you decide.
Why Aluminum, and Why Not Wood or Steel
South Florida is hard on outdoor structures, and a carport takes the worst of it.
Wood swells through the wet season, splits by spring, and needs sealing every couple of years. Termites find it eventually. Steel rusts, and near the water it rusts fast — anywhere east of Federal Highway, salt air will find a scratch and work outward from there.
Aluminum doesn’t rot, warp, rust or feed anything. A powder-coated finish holds up to salt and sun without repainting.
It’s also strong for its weight. That means fewer posts and wider spans, so you’re not reversing around a column every time you park.
On the insulated system, maintenance comes down to rinsing it with a hose twice a year. That’s the whole list. A fabric awning adds one job: keep the fabric clean, and plan on replacing it when it wears.
What a Carport Actually Protects
Your paint and interior
Florida sun is the real enemy here. Constant UV fades paint, cracks dashboards, and destroys leather and trim faster than most people expect. Both roofs block it. A covered car holds its finish and its resale value.
The car itself in a storm
Falling branches and wind-driven debris do more damage in a season than most people realise. This is where the two roofs differ most.
An insulated aluminum roof takes the first hit. A fabric awning doesn’t — a branch goes through fabric. Ahead of a named storm, the fabric comes down and the frame stays. If storm protection is on your list, that decides the roof for you.
You
A small point that turns out to matter. Getting in and out of a car in a July downpour, or loading groceries in it, is miserable. A carport fixes that the day it goes up.
Wind Code, Permits and HOA Approval
Broward County sits in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. Any permanent structure has to meet wind-load requirements written specifically for this part of the state, and a carport is no exception.
That means signed and sealed engineering, not a kit from a big-box store. We’ve seen plenty of those come down in a storm, and the homeowner is left with damage the insurer won’t cover because the structure was never permitted.
This applies to both roof options. The frame under a fabric awning is engineered and permitted the same way as an insulated one.
Permits are required. So are inspections. We prepare the drawings, submit them to Broward County or the City of Fort Lauderdale depending on your address, and handle the inspections through to close-out.
Setbacks matter too. Lot lines, easements and driveway placement all affect where a carport can legally sit, and we check that before designing anything.
If you’re in a neighborhood with an HOA, expect architectural approval on top. That’s common across Coral Ridge, Harbor Beach and the communities west of I-95. We supply the drawings and specifications your board will ask for.
Attached or Freestanding
Attached
An attached carport ties into the house and reads as part of the original build rather than something added later. It usually costs less, because the wall carries part of the load. It’s the right answer for most driveways running alongside a home.
Freestanding
Freestanding gives you placement freedom. If the driveway sits away from the house, or the roofline won’t take an attachment, or you want to cover a boat at the side of the lot, this is the option.
It costs more — posts and footings on every corner — but it goes wherever you need it.
We’ll tell you which one fits after we see the space. Often the lot decides it for you.
How the Project Runs
First, we come out and look. We measure the driveway, check the slab, and give you an honest read on what will work. Free, no pressure attached.
Then we design and quote. You’ll see a layout and a fixed price. If the number doesn’t work, we’ll show you where the cost sits and what changes it.
Next, engineering and permitting. Drawings prepared and submitted to the right jurisdiction for your address.
Then installation. Most carports go up in 2 to 4 days on site once the permit is issued.
Be aware that permitting is the long part. From signed contract to final inspection, expect 2 to 3 months. Most of that is waiting on the county, not building. We’ll tell you where your project sits rather than quoting a best case.
Finally, inspection closes it out, and you get documentation for your records. That matters if you sell the house.
Client Reviews
Common Questions
How much does a carport cost in Fort Lauderdale?
A single-car carport runs $8,840 to $12,900, and a two-car runs $9,680 to $18,540. Boat and RV covers start around $12,300. The roof — fabric awning or insulated aluminum — moves the price more than anything else. Permitting and engineering add $1,500 to $2,500.
Do I need a permit for a carport?
Any permanent structure in Broward County requires one, and skipping it causes real problems at resale and with insurance claims. We handle the whole process.
Will it hold up in a hurricane?
The frame is engineered to Florida Building Code requirements for the High Velocity Hurricane Zone and permitted accordingly. An insulated aluminum roof is part of that engineered structure. A fabric awning isn’t a storm roof — the fabric comes down ahead of a named storm and goes back up after. A kit carport from a big-box store is engineered for none of this, and that difference shows up after a storm.
How long does a fabric awning last?
The frame lasts as long as any aluminum structure we build. The fabric is the wear item. Manufacturer warranties typically run five years, and some run ten. When it wears, we replace the fabric, not the carport.
Can I start with an awning and add insulated panels later?
Usually not as a straight swap. The frame is engineered for the roof it carries, and insulated panels weigh more than fabric. If you think you’ll want panels later, tell us at the design stage and we’ll size the frame for them.
Can a carport be attached to my house?
Usually, yes. It depends on your roofline, wall construction and setbacks. Attached is generally less expensive, so we’ll look at that first.
Can you build one over my boat or RV?
Yes. Those need taller posts and heavier engineering, so the cost is higher, but it’s work we do regularly.
Can I add sides or storage later?
Easier if we plan for it now. Tell us at the design stage and we’ll frame for it.
Call (954) 787-7703 or fill in the form below. We’ll come out, measure, and give you a straight answer on what it takes.