Confusion around garages and carports

Despite how clear the answer may seem, judging by many real estate listings around the country, the answer will vary depending on who you ask.

If you're thinking about adding one to your property though, it's the council, state or territory regulations and definitions which matter.

In simple terms, a carport is a permanent structure with a roof and some permanently open sides (at least two open sides in the ACT, or at least one open in NSW, as examples).

A carport might be attached to the house (or possibly even be part of the house under the same roof), or it may be attached to a garage or shed, or it may be freestanding.

A garage will have all four sides enclosed, and at least one door big enough to allow an ordinary passenger vehicle in and out. It too may be part of the house, or freestanding, and it will also be a permanent structure.

In either case, it doesn't really matter what the floor is made of. Ideally you'd want it sealed, but pavers or pebbles or grass or dirt or anything else that you can park on will not change the structure from one to the other.

Garages and carports are also likely to be tall enough to comfortably stand in.

However, some states or territories, (and depending on what the land zone currently is, and what you already have on the property), if it's under a certain height (from ground to peak), and under a certain floor area, it may be deemed exempt.

Under certain dimensions (but still enough to store a very small vehicle or motorcycles) you might even be able to think of it as a garden shed (and seek approval or claim exemption that way).

That said, if your residential property is in WA, SA or NT you'll probably need approval regardless. The size exemptions in Queensland and Victoria can be pretty small too.

NSW, ACT and Tasmania tend to have slightly less restrictive limits before approval is needed.

The placement of the structure may also determine if it needs approval. Attaching it to an existing building or having it further forward than the front wall of the house may affect whether approval is needed (or granted), again, depending on where the property is.

RECENT EXAMPLES

In terms of descriptions of garages and carports in real estate listings, there can be some interesting (and not always useful) interpretations.

The description for one home in Young, NSW said that it had an enclosed carport, which was an accurate description from an engineering viewpoint at least. The structure started out as a carport with steel posts and a steel roof, and someone has since bolted plywood sheets to the outside, also creating barn-style swinging doors at the front.

What council thought of this being enclosed though, is unknown. This is when doing your due diligence before purchase becomes important.

Another example was seen in Warrnambool, Victoria which said it had an open garage. It was a lovely brick structure with three walls and a roof all matching the home, plus a concrete floor and it was big enough for two SUVs, but the absence of any front doors made it functionally a carport, not a garage.

There was one in Stawell, Victoria described as a garage-carport. It was under the main roof of the house and so also shared one wall. It also had a roller door at the front (and a high front fence level with it) so it had privacy from the street. However, it was open at the other side and the back, so that makes it a carport too.