Businesses and municipalities of all sizes can benefit from owning carports. These structures protect more than parked cars, but they can also be used practically as a shade canopy or decoratively to upgrade the aesthetic of a property.
There are so many unique uses for carports that this one-time purchase can give you years of practical use. Here is how businesses and municipalities can use an outdoor carport as a versatile protective covering.
What is a Carport?
When looking for protective outdoor coverings, you have many choices, such as an attached garage, detached garage, or carport structures. A carport is one of the least complicated and most affordable options because it is a semi-covered structure that can be installed without a foundation, though anchors are recommended.
Carports can have a fabric or metal roof which is supported by posts. The open-style makes it easy to integrate into various outdoor landscapes, providing shade and weather protection to vehicles, outdoor equipment, seating areas, and more.
Outdoor Structures for Different Options
There are many kinds of outdoor carports to suit residential and business needs. When you shop for the right fit, you’ll find attached and freestanding options. There are also different roof slopes, materials, and sizes.
Prefab carports are designed to be delivered and assembled as a DIY project or with the help of a contractor. Appropriate for the home, a business, or municipal use — these outdoor shelters have a wide variety of uses.
Protective Parking Area for Customers
A carport’s main function is to protect vehicles from extreme weather, so it’s no surprise that its most common use is to protect vehicles. A large carport or a series of carports can cover a large area so that multiple customers can benefit.
This is an excellent way to make people feel welcome and comfortable, especially if you live in an area with extreme weather, such as hot summers or snowy winters.
Public Transporation Shelter
Public transportation operations also benefit from the shelter of a carport. People need rides no matter the forecast, and a carport is a welcome sight during inclement weather. Whether passengers need to wait during the hottest part of the day or when it’s raining, a sturdy carport can keep them dry and comfortable until their ride arrives.
Protective Parking Spots for Uber Vehicles and Taxis
If you’re an Uber or taxi driver, it’s nice to know that you have a spot that is shaded and protected so you don’t have to worry about a hot car in the summer or a snow-covered vehicle in the winter. Protecting against these extremes will save you time in preparing your vehicle for pickups and guard it against weather-related wear and tear.
Cover a Picnic Pavilion or Playground Equipment
Public areas like parks, libraries, and community centers benefit from carports in many ways. Covered picnic pavilions make it possible to enjoy outdoor get-togethers even when it starts to rain or when the forecast calls for high temperatures. The shade and strong covering keeps harmful UV rays away and shelters people against the rain.
Playground Safety
Slides, swings, and jungle gyms can become toasty pretty quickly, especially when constructed in a fully exposed area without trees. A carport structure covers equipment so that kids can play in any weather.
Parents also don’t have to be on the lookout for slides that are too hot or for puddles of water that pool onto uncovered equipment. This allows families to enjoy their time outdoors without the weather dictating when the fun stops.
Cover For a Restaurant Patio
Carports are designed to handle bad weather. This is good news when you need outdoor seating to keep your restaurant as busy as possible. Outdoor seating is in high demand, but bad weather can immediately cut away profits if the tables aren’t covered.
Bad weather causes a seating crisis if a storm interrupts an outdoor meal and there is no spot to relocate guests. Use a carport to cover your restaurant's outdoor seating to make sure that guests can enjoy their meal regardless of the weather's whims.
Looking For a Good Restaurant Shelter?
If you’re looking for a shelter that’s going to be there for the good times and all the times in between, check out our all-steel Arrow Carport. It’s designed to handle up to 100 MPH winds and 35 PSF snow loads. You’ll keep up with all your customer’s dining needs and make maximum profit.
Outdoor Meeting Space
In this season of social distancing and extra health precautions, there are many advantages to having an outdoor meeting space available. First of all, this space offers extra peace of mind for employees or business partners who prefer to congregate outdoors.
Whether your business needs a covered seating area for lunch breaks or quick meetings, an outdoor carport can provide the shelter space you need to plan meetings without worrying about the weather.
Employee Recreation
When employees sit at a desk for a good half of the day, having the option of taking a break outdoors can be a mood booster. Sunlight is proven to boost moods and cognitive function, so an option to enjoy breaks outdoors can improve company morale.
Consider adding a couple of other conveniences like a vending machine and coffee dispenser and you’ll have a refuge that people can count on for a breather.
Office Parties
Not only can a shaded seating area provide daily seating for lunch and meetings, but you can also take advantage of this space for an outdoor work party. This cozy picnic area can be protected with detachable fabric siding or bug screens to protect guests during different seasons.
This expansion to your office entertaining options also gives party guests more space to roam when the main building may not have enough space to hold the extra guests during a packed holiday party.
Shelter Business Supplies
Businesses of all sizes need equipment to operate, but there may not be room in the building itself for everything. Fit large supplies that don’t need to stay indoors under a carport so that you can free up space within your work building. This is also an excellent place to store recreational items that your team uses like gas grills, extra seating, and more.
Outdoor Structures for Storing Large Items
If you have bulk storage that doesn’t need to be under lock and key, a carport can provide excellent protection. It’s also a secure place to park larger outdoor items that are essential to your business like farming equipment, yard care items, and more. You'll enjoy how low maintenance a carport is in exchange for the benefits you get.
Do you prefer something with a lock and key? We understand that more costly items like power tools and specialty office supplies can benefit from the protection from fully-enclosed structures. Check out our SOJAG Everest Steel Garage that has lockable front and side doors.
Decorative Entryway Awning
Offer employees and customers the convenience of shade and weather protection by placing an outdoor carport directly against your building’s entryway. This entryway awning covers a sizable area where people (and outdoor furniture) will be protected from the weather.
This is ideal for any sort of establishment, especially businesses in which lines form before the doors open. An entryway also shows customers that you care about their comfort because it gives them a space to prepare umbrellas before venturing out into a rainy parking lot.
Support For Solar Panels
Solar power is the future, and many locales are adding incentives for installing this power source in homes and businesses. Using carports to support this renewable power source can add value and convenience to your operations.
An Alternative to Solar Roofs
If you don’t want to attach solar panels to the roof of your business, using a carport can be a good option. This structure merely is a carport with solar panels on top of it, and it becomes dual-purpose: to protect your vehicles and provide supplemental power to your business. This can be especially useful if you’re trying out solar and are not sure if you want to commit to it.
Charging Stations for Parked Cars
Electric cars are trending and will eventually become a larger part of the vehicles on the road. Charging stations that are powered by solar panels are going to become more common sights in parking lots everywhere. Patrons will appreciate the convenience of charging their cars as they make shopping trips.
Employers can also provide these types of charging stations for their staff to give them peace of mind about having a fully charged vehicle when their shift is over.
No Extra Property Taxes
If you like the idea of adding a structure without adding taxable square footage to your property, then a carport is an excellent way to try solar without adding a roof to your property.
Since a carport isn’t a permanent structure according to law, you can get extra shelter without the extra taxes. However, it’s important to check with your local ordinances to see if your carport requires a building permit.
An Outdoor Carport for Many Uses
If you need a protective covering for business or municipal settings, you’ll find many uses for a metal or fabric outdoor carport. Our carport structures are simple to assemble compared to other carport kits due to their innovative split-frame connection and self-drilling screws. If you think it’s time to invest in a carport, explore our selection of ready-made carports today.