Good builds start here
DIY Patio and Carport Kit Guides
Straight answers on measuring, approvals, what a kit costs and what the weekend actually involves. No sales pitch, and we say when the answer is your council’s rather than ours.
- vs BunningsDIY Patio and Carport Kits vs BunningsThe real difference is not brand, it is whether the kit is cut for your span or picked off a shelf in a standard size. A boxed kit is quicker to buy and cheaper to list. A cut-to-measure kit is sized to your place and comes with engineer-rated plans for your wind region.Read the guide →
- vs StratcoDIY Patio and Carport Kits vs StratcoCompare them on four things: whether the structure is cut to your span or assembled from a system range, what the quote actually includes, whether engineer-rated plans for your wind region come with it, and who does the building. Brand name is the least useful comparison available.Read the guide →
- Kit pricesDIY Patio and Carport Kit Prices in PerthPrice is driven by the span, the roof profile, the colour and where it is going — not by a list. We do not publish price ranges here, because a number that is not based on your measurements is a guess that gets corrected at quoting. Send the span and you get a fixed price for the kit.Read the guide →
- Build or buyIs It Cheaper to Build a Patio or Buy a Kit?Buying raw materials usually looks cheaper and often is not, once you add engineering drawings, offcuts, the fixings you did not know you needed and the extra weekends. A kit is priced as one thing, cut to your span, with the plans included. From scratch makes sense when the design is genuinely unusual.Read the guide →
- How hard is itHow Hard Is It to Build a DIY Patio Kit?For most people it is a weekend with a hand from somebody, not a trade skill. The work is measuring, digging, bolting and lifting rather than cutting or welding. The two parts people underestimate are getting the footings square and level, and lifting the roof sheets safely — neither is difficult, both are awkward alone.Read the guide →
- Council approvalDo You Need Council Approval for a Patio or Carport in WA?Usually yes. Most patios and carports in Western Australia need a building permit from your local government, and the application wants drawings, engineering and a site plan for the structure you are actually building. Rules and setbacks vary by council, so the only reliable answer comes from yours.Read the guide →
- How to measureHow to Measure Your SpanWe need four things: the width you want covered, the depth or projection, the height under your eave if it is attached, and the fall of the ground across the area. Measure at the tightest point rather than the most convenient one, and send a photo taken standing back far enough to see the whole space.Read the guide →
- Pergola or patioPergola or Patio? What the Difference Actually IsA pergola has an open roof of battens or slats: it filters light and lets rain through. A patio has a sealed roof, usually Colorbond, so the space underneath stays dry. In Australia most people who say pergola mean the second one. We supply patio and carport kits, not open-batten pergolas.Read the guide →
Next step
Not sure which kit suits your place?
Send the measurements and a photo of the spot. We will tell you what will work there, and say so if what you are asking for is not something a kit can do.