A carport is cheaper than a garage because it is a product with a fixed footprint, while a garage is a building project. The comparison below is where that difference actually sits.
Where the money actually goes
| Double carport | Double garage | |
|---|---|---|
| Supplied & installed | R12,500 - R24,000 | A building project, not a product |
| Foundations | Post footings only | Full strip or raft foundation |
| Walls | None | Brickwork on all sides |
| Roof | IBR on a steel frame | Trusses, sheeting or tile, ceiling |
| Door | None | Motorised door and track |
| Council | Often exempt; check first | Approved plans required |
| Time on site | One day for a standard double | Weeks |
Carport figures are Pretoria supplied-and-installed bands - the full set is on carport prices in Pretoria. A garage is a building project and is priced per job by a builder.
What a carport does not give you
Walls. That is the whole list, and everything else follows from it. No walls means no lock-up storage, no security against theft from the vehicle, and no barrier against wind-driven rain coming in from the side. What a roof does give you is the part that matters most for the car itself: hail, UV and frost all arrive from above.
If the reason for wanting a garage is storage rather than the car, a carport plus a locked store is usually the cheaper build.
The middle options
Between an open carport and a full garage sit two builds people often do not price. A cantilever carport removes the posts on one side so car doors open fully against a wall or boundary. Closing in one or two sides with sheeting or shade cloth cuts wind-driven rain without becoming a building - see How to Cover Carport Sides.
For one vehicle, the entry point is a single carport at R6,500 to R14,000.
Price a carport instead
Every standard footprint with its supplied-and-installed band is on carport prices in Pretoria.
Before you build
The rest are on carport questions answered for Pretoria - including whether a carport is credited when you sell: Does a Carport Add Value to a House?.
Related detail
Can a carport be converted into a garage later?
No, not directly. A carport frame is designed to carry a roof and resist uplift, not to support walls and a door. Closing in the sides gets you shelter from wind-driven rain; it does not turn the structure into a garage.
Which is faster to have standing?
The carport, by a wide margin. A standard double on sound paving is installed in one day. A garage is a building project measured in weeks and needs approved plans before anything starts.
KB Carports builds carports in Pretoria across Tshwane - free on-site measure, and a written quote that states the steel, the footing method and the clearance height.