A half century ago, when carports were first developed it was for areas of the country with relatively mild when compared to northern climates. The price of an automobile was significantly less as well. Carports were originally designed to give at least some protection from the sun and light rains for vehicles. There are several problems with this however. In the first place the cost of just the paint work on modern cars can be several hundred dollars, more than the cost of some cars when carports were first introduced. The weather is also changing, becoming much more dramatic and many storms are causing a great deal of damage to homes and vehicles.

The problem with getting a good carport installed is going to be a choice between durability, strength and cost. While everyone might want the best and strongest, which is either steel or aluminum, not everyone can afford them. When you use metal for your carport you will only have two choices, steel or aluminum. There are many more choices when you look at wood carport designs however. For instance, pine is very inexpensive and you can get decent strength for little money. Wood carports do require more maintenance to keep in top shape, which includes scraping, painting and sealing. This means you will be spending money on paint and sealer and time doing the work to maintain the wood.

But overall the wood carport design has much more variety than any other material. This material allows you to select a less expensive pine and still have decent strength and durability or you can spend a bit more for a much stronger wood, like oak or cherry, and have a carport that will last many years under harsh weather conditions. This is a great middle of the road building decision.