One piece of advice for buying a carport or any type of portable shelter for permanent use is to consult your local zoning laws. Often, these ordinances are created to keep up property values in certain towns, cities, and neighborhoods, but they’re also subject to change. In the case of Mesquite, Texas, the town’s carport ordinance is about to go through some major changes, particularly for front-of-the-house structures. While, ideally, keeping your carport or portable shelter is best at the back of your home, all shelters may be subject to such regulations. If you live in Mesquite, here are some of the changes that will happen for front carports:
• The carport must be the same color and same material as the rest of the house.
• Metal is no longer an acceptable material for front carports. Polyethylene and metal carports, however, aren’t mentioned.
• All carports must have a pitched roof, but that roof cannot be higher than the roof of the house.
• The structure should cover no more than 400 square feet.
• The structure must also be built over a drive way – no grass or concrete pavement.
• Neighborhoods platted after 1973 cannot have front carports.
Regarding all of these new ordinances, having a backyard carport is nearly easier to own than keeping one in the front. Nevertheless, this revised ordinance doesn’t address some significant issues regarding carports and other portable structures. First off, can the structure have side walls or are only open structures permitted? Can the structure be anchored, either by concrete or metal anchors? Does the law change in regards to shelter for seasonal vehicles like RVs and boats? Can only vehicles be stored in carports or are other materials permitted? Hopefully, with additional revisions of this ordinance, such points will be addressed.
Comments are closed.