In other instances, these zoning restrictions and ordinances go beyond keeping up a general aesthetic and are in place for practical purposes. This is the case according to an article published recently in The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Illinois. According to the article, which summarizes minutes from a Rochester Village Board meeting, the town approved a ban that prohibits portable buildings from being built near drainage and utility easements. It appears that such structures near drains, in particular, are posing an impediment in floods. The article, additionally, specifies that residents can request variance, although how much variance allowed isn’t delineated.

Nevertheless, this article brings up an important issue for purchasing a portable shelter like a carport, shed, or garage: following your local ordinances and zoning restrictions. Manufacturers may not allow a shelter to be returned once it has been purchased and shipped, and you should be aware of your local laws before picking out any type of shelter ranging from a portable garage to a metal carport. Not only should you make sure that you can have such a structure on your property, but also many laws restrict the area in which the shelter can be placed and its size. In many neighborhoods, two-car portable garages may be the largest such a shelter can be.

But a recent editorial in the News-Sentinel debates whether these restrictions on historical properties are a hindrance or a practicality. The editorial discusses a homeowner in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who had a historically-designated property and, as a result, needed to have every minor external change approved by the town’s Historic Preservation Review Board. After two years of this, however, the owner decided to have the historical designation withdrawn, as he wanted to have the freedom to do what he wants to his property.

Although homeowners of non-historical properties don’t have true freedom, either, not having to approve every change with a local board means adding external structures like carports or changing the paint color on the siding is less of a hassle. Nevertheless, the editorial brings up another point: making such changes can devalue the property and, if the current owner ever decides to sell, the value may be less than the amount for which he bought it.

Carports, in particular, are structures that have restrictions on even ordinary properties, and adding one to a historically-designated home is nearly impossible. If you need the practicality of a carport, however, a homeowner should have the privilege of adding one, even if it’s only a small structure in the backyard. Those considering adding one or more carports should check with local ordinances and parking laws first before purchasing a structure and obtain a building permit before erecting it.

A portable garage can be expanded by the use of portable garage kits, which are sold by almost every portable garage, carport, and canopy manufacturer. Various portable garage kits are sold to add additions to a portable garage such as additional flaps or screens. A combination of kits, as well as additional poles for the roof, may be needed to expand your current portable garage and accommodate your storage needs.

An angular, or box-shaped, portable garage is easier to expand than a rounded portable garage, as the width, length, or both can be expanded. As the side poles can essentially remain the same, only spaced differently, the poles composing the roof of the portable garage may need to be replaced, as the spaces between the sides will be larger. As a result, the polyethylene canopy for the roof may need to be replaced, as well, to accommodate the larger, newer roof.

Side panels or flaps help with protecting vehicles or other investments stored by a portable garage, and many side flaps or panels can include a zipper door. Separate portable garage kits can be ordered for these additional aspects, such as if your new expanded portable garage will need larger side flaps or a larger door.

To expand a portable garage with a rounded roof, one option is to simply make a longer garage. Some additional portable garage kits allow you to add extra legs to the portable garage and expand its length. In addition to additional poles to add more legs to the portable garage, a canopy and additional side flaps are included to expand your enclosure.

There are two types of portable storage and shelter structures:

• Portable garages. Portable garages are essentially permanent portable structures in that they will go up and protect vehicles for an entire season, if not longer. In some cases, carports, which are portable garages with partial walls, will protect cars all year long. Other types of portable garage structures include boat and RV structures and portable animal shelters. Economically, protecting a boat with a boat shelter that will last several years is a better option than shrink wrapping or tarping a boat, as the boat will have a shelter that can be used over and over and can have other purposes, as well. All of these structures have a galvanized or powder-steel frame and a polyethylene canopy or metal top that is UV treated.
• Party tents. “Party tent” is a name for a temporary shelter structure, one that will go up and come down within a day or two. Going by names like “wedding tent,” “pop-up tent,” “frame tent,” “pole tent,” and “EZ up tent,” this type of temporary structure is used at weddings, backyard and beach parties, and flea markets, as they are easy to set up – pop-up or EZ up tents only need one person to set them up – and are an economical option for shelter and a centralized place for events and parties. These types of structures are made of a steel frame with a vinyl or polyester canopy.

When picking out a canopy, decide for which purpose you’ll need it. Is it for storing cars and seasonal vehicles or is it for shade during an event? Either way, portable shelter and storage retailers all have a variety of economical options for your choice.

Shelters of America claims to have the guaranteed lowest prices on their entire inventory of outdoor shelters. However, on occasion, a competitor could have a lower price product and, to continue to prove they have the highest quality products for the lowest prices, Shelters of America will offer this discount.

So, how does the discount work? If you find an identical item at a competitor’s store, and identical means the same brand, model, size, style carried by Shelter of America and the competitor, you can contact Shelters of America by telephone to point out the lower-price item – even if the item is in an advertisement by their competitor – and then they will go to the competitor’s website to verify the claim. Once it has been verified, the same item at Shelters of America will be sold at five percent lower than the price advertized by the competitor.

For a price example, suppose Shelters of America is selling a small portable garage for $620 and a competitor online store has the same item – same brand, model, size, style as the one found on Shelters of America – for $600. Once this is pointed out to customer service at Shelters of America and verified, the portable garage will be discounted by five percent of the competitor’s price, which would be $30 in the case of a $600 portable garage, and would be sold for $570.

• As a garage – A portable garage can protect your everyday vehicle, such as your car. If you have additional items that need to be stored, such as equipment, those can be stored in a portable garage, as well.
• When a seasonal vehicle needs storage, such as a boat or an RV during the winter, a portable garage can protect it when not in use. A portable garage, whether metal or a polyethylene canopy, keeps out UV rays and is water proof while also being breathable. Therefore, when a seasonal vehicle is sitting in the storage of a portable garage for several months, the paint will not fade, the surface will not crack, and the vehicle won’t experience dry rot and mildew due to trapped moisture.
• As an animal shelter – A portable garage can be an animal shelter, such as a run-in horse shed or a dog kennel. While a dog kennel is smaller, it has a polyethylene roof and dividers to create multiple dog kennels. A run-in horse shed, on the other hand, is open, allowing horses to run in and out of it, like an open stable, during the day.
• As a work shop – Like a brick and mortar garage, a portable garage allows for work space outside of the house. If you keep your tools and work bench in a portable garage, you can do any wood or fixing projects without having to leave or go back inside the house.

A portable garage has the same features of a brick and mortar garage and more. In addition, unlike a standard garage, a portable garage can be expanded to accommodate several vehicles or to add additional storage space and can be given walls, whether full or partial walls, during the year. Adding additional polyethylene walls or expanding a garage can be done simply with a kit and a day’s worth or less of work.