carports
Single, double, flyover and insulated carports — engineered for Australian conditions and matched to your home's rooflines and colours.
carports in the illawarra
A carport should look like it belongs — not bolted on. BC Complete designs and builds custom carports from our base in Dapto, across Wollongong, the Illawarra, Macarthur and Southern Highlands, matched to your home's roofline, pitch and COLORBOND® palette.
We handle the full build: site measure, engineered design, council approval (Exempt, CDC or DA), footings, posts and roofing. Insulated roof panels are available on every design — quieter in rain, cooler in summer, no condensation.
Get a Free QuoteSized to your vehicles with proper clearance for doors, boats and 4WDs.
Raised roof line above the existing house — extra clearance and a feature look.
Foam-core panels — quieter in rain, cooler in summer.
Roof profiles matched to your home's existing rooflines.
Wind-rated engineering and concrete footings spec'd for your site.
We lodge CDC or DA with your local council and engage the certifier.
recent work
your options
Most of our carports are a mix of these choices. We match the roof shape, pitch and colour to the house.
Fixed to the house at the fascia or wall, so you step from the car to the door under cover. An attached carport connected to a fascia has to be fixed to a professional engineer's specification, and on a single-storey home an exempt carport can't rise above the gutter line.
Stands on its own posts, clear of the house. Good where the driveway runs beside the home or the fascia can't take the load, and easier to place for a boat or trailer.
A raised roof that lifts above the existing roofline for extra height and light. It reads as a feature rather than an add-on, and suits homes with a low eave.
A skillion is a single sloping plane and the simplest. A gable or hip roof matches a pitched house, which is how you get a carport that looks original to the home.
Single-skin COLORBOND® steel is the budget option. An insulated panel has a foam core between two metal skins: quieter in heavy rain, cooler underneath and no condensation dripping on the car.
Steel posts and beams keep it slim and low-maintenance. Timber suits Hamptons and cottage homes and can be painted to match.
sizing
As a rough guide, a single carport is around 3 m wide and a double around 6 m wide, both about 6 m long. That's roughly 18 m² for a single and 36 m² for a double. Allow extra width to open doors and unload, and extra length for a ute, 4WD or tow bar.
Size matters for more than parking. In NSW, a carport can be built with no approval only if its floor area is within the exempt limit for your lot:
| Your lot | Largest exempt carport |
|---|---|
| 300 m² or less, any zone | 20 m² |
| Over 300 m², residential and other non-rural zones | 25 m² |
| Over 300 m², rural zone or Zone R5 | 50 m² |
So a typical single carport can often go ahead with no approval, while a typical double carport, at around 36 m², is over the limit on a suburban block and needs a Complying Development Certificate or a development application. The same goes for height: an exempt carport can be no more than 3 m high, so a carport tall enough for a caravan or a boat on a trailer usually needs approval too.
Our carport council approval guide goes through every rule in plain English.
Source: State Environmental Planning Policy (Exempt and Complying Development Codes) 2008, clause 2.20, read October 2026.
before we quote
An exempt carport sits at least 1 m behind the front wall of the house and 900 mm from the side boundaries, with the roof 500 mm clear. Narrow lots and corner blocks often need a different route.
Steep driveways are common under the escarpment. We set post heights and footings to the fall so the roof sits level and the car still clears it.
Southerlies hit this coast hard. Footings and tie-downs are sized to your site's wind rating, and near the surf we use fixings made for salt air.
On bush fire prone land, an exempt carport within 5 m of the house has to be non-combustible. We check your address before we settle materials.
what it costs
Every carport we build is priced as a fixed-price quote after a free design meeting, so you know the full cost before anything starts.
how it works
We measure the driveway, check the setbacks and roof connection, and talk through roof styles and colours.
Engineered drawings sized for your site's wind rating, and the right approval route confirmed.
If it isn't exempt, we lodge the Complying Development Certificate or development application.
Footings, posts, beams and roof, with roofwater piped into your existing stormwater.
We clean up and hand over with our 7-year structural workmanship warranty.
reviews
"Brad and his team built an awesome carport to compliment our Hampton look for our home. His workmanship is highly…"
"Great quality work, honest and understood my budget. Highly Recommend Cal and Brad plus their crew."
"Brad and team, many thanks for the work you did on our patio roof. It was quite a challenging job but it was done to the highest standard. I’m happy to recommend you."
Built by BC Complete
From bespoke timber pergolas to engineered insulated roofs and louvered systems, we specify the right build for your home — we're not tied to one brand.
why bc complete
Brad runs every project personally — same point of contact from first call through to handover. No call-centre, no handoffs.
Australian Standard compliant builds, engineered fixings, certified structural timber and COLORBOND® finishes. We don't substitute on the build.
7-year structural workmanship warranty on every BC Complete install, plus a 15-year Apollo manufacturer warranty on engineered systems and 15–50 year warranties on composite decking.
We prepare and lodge your DA or CDC, engineering certificates and site documentation — so you don't chase councils or certifiers.
free homeowner guide
Doc. BCC/HG-2026 · 13 pages · PDF
For carports, our carport approval guide sets out the NSW rules in plain English. Our free PDF walks through the Exempt, CDC and DA pathways for decks and patios across the Illawarra, Macarthur and Southern Highlands — so you know what's involved before you commit.
Plain-English breakdown with limits, paperwork and timelines.
Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Wollondilly, Camden, Campbelltown, Wingecarribee.
What to expect from first call to keys-in-hand for decks and patios.
Exactly what your certifier or council will ask for at each pathway.
The download should have started automatically — if it didn't, use the button below. Expect a friendly call within one business day to answer any council-pathway questions for your project.
questions, answered
Not if it meets every exempt development rule. The main ones: a floor area within the limit for your lot (20 m², 25 m² or 50 m²), no more than 3 m high, at least 1 m behind the front building line, at least 900 mm from each boundary with the roof 500 mm clear, and at least two sides open. Miss one and it needs a Complying Development Certificate or a development application. Our carport approval guide covers every rule, and we lodge whichever applies.
20 m² on a lot of 300 m² or less. 25 m² on a larger lot in a residential zone. 50 m² on a larger lot in a rural zone or Zone R5. Only one exempt carport is allowed per lot with a house on it.
Usually not on a suburban block. A typical double carport is around 6 m by 6 m, or about 36 m², which is over the 20 m² and 25 m² exempt limits. It can still be approved through a Complying Development Certificate or a development application, and we handle that for you.
The NSW rules don't treat a "temporary" or "portable" carport any differently. If it's a roofed structure for cars with at least two sides open, it's a carport, and the same size, height and setback rules apply. It must also be installed to the manufacturer's instructions.
For an exempt carport, at least 900 mm from each side and rear boundary (5 m in rural and R5 zones), with the roof at least 500 mm from each boundary. Closer than that needs approval.
Not as exempt development: an exempt carport has to sit at least 1 m behind the front building line. Complying development has its own street setbacks that also keep a carport behind the house, so a carport forward of the house needs a development application. We can tell you early whether it's worth applying.
Yes. An attached carport connected to the fascia has to be fixed to a professional engineer's specification, and on a single-storey home an exempt carport can't go above the gutter line. Where the eave is low, a flyover roof that lifts above the house is often the better answer.
Only so far. A carport must have two or more sides open and at least a third of its perimeter open. Close it in beyond that and it becomes a garage, which is assessed differently, so talk to us before adding walls or a door.
An insulated panel has a foam core sandwiched between two metal skins. It's noticeably quieter in heavy rain, blocks radiant heat in summer, and won't condensate underneath. Single-skin COLORBOND® is the budget-friendly option and still looks great.
Yes — we work in the full COLORBOND® range and can match existing roofing where it's an off-the-shelf colour. For older or custom finishes we'll provide samples to confirm before order.
Most carports are completed in 1–2 weeks on site once approvals and engineering are confirmed. The approval phase typically takes 2–6 weeks depending on the pathway.
keep reading
Guide
Every NSW exempt carport rule in plain English, plus when you need a CDC or DA.
Guide
Exempt, complying development or a development application, explained simply.
Service
The same insulated roofs, over your outdoor area.
Area
Our home suburb, including the new West Dapto estates.
Book a free on-site design meeting — fixed-price quote back within 24 hours.
Book a Design Meeting