Is It Cheaper to Buy a Metal Carport Kit and Build It Yourself, or Have One Delivered and Installed?

You've seen the kits online. Lower sticker price, ships to your door, "easy assembly." And if you've got a free weekend, a couple of helpers, and a level piece of ground, it sounds like the obvious move. We hear this question all the time from farmers in Texas, homeowners in Ohio, and contractors sizing up their next project: does the kit route actually save money once everything is on the ground and you're staring at a pile of steel panels?

The honest answer is that it depends on a few things most product pages won't tell you. So let's walk through both options to get a better view.

Key Highlights

• A metal carport kit typically costs less upfront, but freight, tools, site prep, and labor from hired help can close that gap fast.

• When you order Delivered and Installed through Get Carports, our crew shows up with the building, the hardware, and the expertise to finish the job, usually in a single day.

• Kit installation mistakes are your problem to fix. A misaligned frame or an anchor driven into the wrong position isn't covered by the kit manufacturer.

• Engineer-certified options with stamped drawings are available through Get Carports, which matters if your county requires permit documentation.

• When buyers do the full math on a kit build, including freight, concrete, tools, and labor, the cost gap between kit and installed is usually smaller than it looked on screen.

• Call us at 888-633-0787 or Design Your Building at GetCarports.com to see what a Delivered and Installed carport runs for your property.

Want to compare the real installed cost before you commit to a kit?

Design your building online or call 888-633-0787 to price a delivered and installed carport for your property.

What You Actually Pay for a Metal Carport Kit

The Listed Price Is a Starting Point

A kit price covers the structural steel panels, framing components, and the hardware packed in the box. That is it. Delivery to your location comes on top, and for a full-size carport, freight from a manufacturer can add a few hundred dollars before anything touches your driveway.

Then there's the foundation. Most kits assume you're anchoring to concrete, which means you're either pouring a slab yourself or hiring a licensed concrete contractor. Ground anchor kits exist, but they still require a level, graded site with firm, well-drained soil underneath. If your ground isn't there yet, you're paying someone to get it there before the real work even starts.

Tools and Hired Labor Are Never Included

Metal building kits need specific tools. A drill with metal-rated bits, a level, a chalk line, a ladder for taller structures, and in most cases a second set of hands for anything over a two-car span. If you're renting tools, add that to the running tab.

And someone has to do the actual work. If you're a builder who's done this before, your time is the only cost. But if you're bringing in a handyman or a local framing crew, you're looking at day rates that stack on top of every other line item. A mid-size carport can take a first-time builder one full weekend to several days, depending on their comfort level with steel construction. Weather delays, parts that don't line up, and a learning curve all stretch that timeline further.

What Delivered and Installed Actually Costs

One Price, One Crew, One Day

When you choose delivery and installation through Get Carports, our crew arrives with everything: the structure, the hardware, the tools, and the experience to put it all together correctly. You're not coordinating multiple contractors or making a late-night hardware store run because something's missing. The job gets done, and you go back to your day.

The price you're quoted covers installation. There's no surprise labor invoice at the end. That matters a lot when you're comparing numbers, because a kit sticker price and our delivered price are measuring different things. The kit price is parts. Our price is a finished, standing structure on your property.

Engineer-Certified Options Are Available

Some counties require engineer documentation before they issue a permit, particularly for structures over a certain size or in high-wind and heavy-snow regions. We offer engineer-certified builds with stamped drawings available for those situations.

If you go the kit route and your county needs certification, you're handling that process yourself. That means finding a licensed engineer willing to stamp a structure they didn't design, which is a separate cost on top of everything else you're already managing. The process varies by state and can run several hundred dollars depending on who you hire. For more on how permits factor into your metal building purchase, see our metal building permit checklist.

The Hidden Costs Kit Buyers Don't Expect

A buyer looks at a kit price, compares it to our Delivered and Installed quote, sees a gap, and assumes the kit is the clear winner. Then the actual build begins.

Freight damage happens. Steel components shipped across the country arrive banged up sometimes. Filing a claim, waiting for replacement parts, and restarting your timeline is a delay most buyers don't budget for, in time or money.

Mistakes cost real money. One misaligned base column means re-drilling, and in some cases it means compromising the structural integrity of the whole frame. Our crew has built hundreds of these structures. They know exactly where first-time builders make errors, because they've seen and fixed those situations many times over. You won't have that experience on your first build.

A weekend project can become a three-week project. Weather, scheduling conflicts with your helpers, parts that don't seat correctly, and a steeper-than-expected learning curve all stretch the timeline. Meanwhile, your vehicles, equipment, or hay bales still need shelter.

Kit vs Delivered and Installed: Side-by-Side Comparison

Need a finished structure instead of a weekend project?

Shop metal carports by size, roof style, and use case, then request pricing for your location.

Who Should Buy a Kit, and Who Should Go Delivered and Installed?

A kit makes real sense if you have genuine construction experience, the right tools already on hand, a crew you trust, a site that's level and prepped, and time to give the project without financial pressure from delays. Those buyers can save money on labor. That's a real, honest savings.

But most buyers we talk to don't fit that profile exactly. A homeowner with a cordless drill and a neighbor who's handy is in a very different situation than a contractor who builds structures for a living. A farmer who needs his new carport operational before the first frost can't afford to spend three weekends chasing down a parts replacement and re-anchoring a column that went in at an angle.

Delivered and Installed makes more sense for anyone who needs the building done on a firm timeline, doesn't have deep experience with steel construction, or wants one phone call to handle the whole thing. It also makes more sense for buyers who sit down and run the actual numbers, freight plus concrete plus tools plus hired help, and realize the gap was much smaller than it looked before they started adding up the extras.

For a deeper look at what goes into anchoring your building correctly, our metal carport anchoring guide covers concrete, asphalt, gravel, and ground options in detail.

Do Permits Factor Into This Decision?

They might, and it's worth knowing before you order anything. Permit requirements for metal carports vary widely by county and state. Some areas require permits for any permanent structure, anchored or not. Others have size-based exemptions, or they treat ground-anchored structures differently than concrete-anchored ones.

One practical advantage of going Delivered and Installed through Get Carports: we offer engineer-certified documentation that gives your county's building department something concrete to evaluate. If you build from a kit without stamped drawings and your county asks for them after the fact, you're creating a problem that will cost more to fix than it would have cost to prevent.

Always contact your local building department before you order anything. The rules in your county are the ones that matter, and they vary more than most buyers realize.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a metal carport kit actually cheaper than having one delivered and installed?

Sometimes, but not always once you add everything up. A kit's listed price is lower, but that number doesn't include freight, site prep, tools, or any labor you pay for.

Does Get Carports offer Delivered and Installed metal carports?

Yes, and it's how most of our customers order. Our crew arrives with the building and all the hardware needed to complete the job. You're responsible for having the site level and accessible before the crew shows up. Call us at 888-633-0787 to confirm availability in your area and talk through your site situation before you finalize anything.

What site prep do I need to complete before Get Carports installs?

The site needs to be level, clear of debris, and reachable by our delivery vehicle. If you're going on concrete, the slab needs to be fully cured before installation day. If you're going on ground, the area should be graded and firm, without a significant slope or standing water.

Can I get an engineer-certified carport through Get Carports?

Yes. Engineer-certified options with stamped drawings are available for buyers who need permit documentation or whose county requires certified plans. Call us at 888-633-0787 to discuss your project and confirm what your building department will need.

What happens if there's a problem after Get Carports installs my carport?

When we install the building, we stand behind the work. If something was put together incorrectly, that's our issue to sort out. With a kit build, installation errors are entirely your responsibility.

How long does a Get Carports installation usually take?

Most standard carport installations are done in a single day. Larger or more complex structures can take longer.

Conclusion

The kit-versus-installed decision comes down to your skill set, your schedule, and the real cost picture. If you're a builder with experience, the right tools, and the time to see the project through, a kit can save you real money on labor. For most buyers, though, when freight, site prep, tools, and the real cost of mistakes are added up, a Delivered and Installed carport from Get Carports is much closer in price than it first appeared. And it comes with a crew that's done this hundreds of times before.

Design Your Building at GetCarports.com or call 888-633-0787. We'll help you figure out what makes the most sense for your property.