CARPORT with deck on top is that considered floor area?

meli belle · 08-18-2012, 11:40 AM

this is for los angeles. i d like to build a 2 car carport open on all sides with a railing on top, therefore a deck. already have a 1 car garage with small opening area 7 feet wide and 6'6" high. an SUV wont fit thru opening and that is not changeable. My house is built over the garage . the city code requires 2 covered parking spaces.

After reading thru building code i m confused if a carport is considered (RFA) residential floor area. i m already built up 1600 sq feet on a 3100 sq foot lot. OR is it considered accessory building or patio cover.....in that case the city building code gives some exceptions ...i m allowed to build a 200 sq foot accesory building or a 250 sq foot patio cover and i m hoping carport falls into those classifications. thank you for any words of help

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**Jerry Peck** · 08-18-2012, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by meli belle

this is for los angeles. i d like to build a 2 car carport open on all sides with a railing on top, therefore a deck. already have a 1 car garage with small opening area 7 feet wide and 6'6" high. an SUV wont fit thru opening and that is not changeable. My house is built over the garage . the city code requires 2 covered parking spaces.

After reading thru building code i m confused if a carport is considered (RFA) residential floor area. i m already built up 1600 sq feet on a 3100 sq foot lot. OR is it considered accessory building or patio cover.....in that case the city building code gives some exceptions ...i m allowed to build a 200 sq foot accesory building or a 250 sq foot patio cover and i m hoping carport falls into those classifications. thank you for any words of help

Roof top deck is floor area.

If you are trying to keep within a certain FAR (Floor Area Ratio) that many places use, then any covered space is floor area for the FAR. In which case the covered carport would have a floor the vehicles are parked on, plus the roof deck, however, typically, the FAR is really more of a roof area ratio in that multiple floors one above the other only count as one floor, i.e., the roof area.

Not sure if that is what you are referring to or not.

meli belle · 08-18-2012, 12:22 PM

thank you for your reply. So if the deck it self has no roof covering....it is entirely open to the above air......and therefore not multiple floors....does that mean it would be exempt from RFA?

**Mark Fisher** · 08-18-2012, 12:49 PM

I think he was asking whether the issue is (what I'd call) Lot Coverage or Living Space.

For example, Zoning frequently regulates lot coverage, in which case it is the foot print that matters, regardless of the number or storys. If the regulation you are talking about addresses living space, then the number of storys is a factor. Of course it can also be a factor if it is enclosed and/or heated - that depends on your jurisdiction.

meli belle · 08-18-2012, 02:21 PM

Thank you. Here is part of the code Below
Do you think carport would classify as one of these
Like "pato cover" my present is about 250 sq feet
Does that mean I get additional 150 sq feet for carport
Cover and 250 sq feet for pato cover exempt
From square footage requirements

The following would not be counted towards the total square-footage:
• First 400 sq-ft, of covered parking area.

• Detached accessory buildings, no greater than 200 sq-ft; the total combined area not to exceed 400 sq-ft.
• First 250 sq-ft, of porches, patios, and breeze-ways with a solid roof open on at least 2 sides.
• Porches, patios, and breeze-ways that have an open lattice roof.
• Basements when the floor or roof above does not exceed 2 ft in height above the finished or natural grade, whichever is less.

meli belle · 08-18-2012, 02:22 PM

I meant my present garage is 250 sq feet can I gain
An additional 150 sq feet of covered parking per
This rule in the firm of carport ?

meli belle · 08-18-2012, 02:33 PM

This WOULD count towards residential floor area
RFA.

The following would be counted towards the total square-footage:
• The area within the exterior walls of all structures on a lot, except as stated below.
• Portions of building, in excess of 100 sq-ft, with ceiling height greater than 14 feet (ft) would count as twice the area.
• The area of stairwells will only be counted once.
• Any attic, or portion thereof, with ceiling height more than 7 ft.

The following would not be counted towards the total square-footage:

• First 400 sq-ft, of covered parking area.
• Detached accessory buildings, no greater than 200 sq-ft; the total combined area not to exceed 400 sq-ft.
• First 250 sq-ft, of porches, patios, and breeze-ways with a solid roof open on at least 2 sides.
• Porches, patios, and breeze-ways that have an open lattice roof.
• Basements when the floor or roof above does not exceed 2 ft in height above the finished or natural grade, whichever is less.

**Jerry Peck** · 08-18-2012, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by meli belle

This WOULD count towards residential floor area
RFA.

The following would be counted towards the total square-footage:
• The area within the exterior walls of all structures on a lot, except as stated below.
• Portions of building, in excess of 100 sq-ft, with ceiling height greater than 14 feet (ft) would count as twice the area.
• The area of stairwells will only be counted once.
• Any attic, or portion thereof, with ceiling height more than 7 ft.

The following would not be counted towards the total square-footage:

• First 400 sq-ft, of covered parking area.
• Detached accessory buildings, no greater than 200 sq-ft; the total combined area not to exceed 400 sq-ft.
• First 250 sq-ft, of porches, patios, and breeze-ways with a solid roof open on at least 2 sides.
• Porches, patios, and breeze-ways that have an open lattice roof.
• Basements when the floor or roof above does not exceed 2 ft in height above the finished or natural grade, whichever is less.

Sounds like you've answered your own question with those code sections, but the best way to know is to ask the zoning department as those sound like zoning requirements. What they say goes, so I recommend asking them to clarify what you are asking.