Why go cantilever
A cantilever roof is held from one side, so there are no posts at the front or the open side to steer around. That solves two problems the East Rand's older, narrow stands create: a post in the way of the car door on a tight side driveway between the house and the boundary wall, and a post on the reversing line where a driver backing a trailer or a boat has to inch past it. The clear span also looks architecturally clean where the homeowner wants it.
| Cantilever | Standard (posted) | |
|---|---|---|
| Front posts | None | Two |
| Best for | Narrow driveways, trailer reversing, clean look | Open stands, lowest price |
| Single price | R14,000 – R24,000 | R6,500 – R14,000 |
The engineering behind the clear span
Carrying a roof from one side puts more load through fewer, heavier footings, so a cantilever needs deeper foundations and a stronger steel beam than a posted carport of the same size — that is what the premium pays for. On the open East Rand veld the design also has to resist storm-wind uplift on the unsupported edge, which is engineered into the footing depth. The wider the cantilever, the more it costs; a full double cantilever is the top of the range.
Is a cantilever worth it?
On an open plot with room for posts, a standard double carport or a triple gives the same cover for much less. The cantilever earns its premium only where a post genuinely gets in the way of a door or a trailer, or where the clean look is the point. Weigh it against the other types on the carport prices in Ekurhuleni page.
Common questions
How much is a cantilever carport in Ekurhuleni?
A cantilever carport in Ekurhuleni costs from R14,000 for a single and R26,000–R42,000 for a double, supplied and installed. The premium over a standard posted carport pays for deeper footings and a heavier beam to carry the roof from one side.
What is a cantilever carport?
A cantilever carport carries its roof on posts along one side only, so the front and the opposite side have no posts. It gives a clear span for a narrow driveway, for reversing a trailer or boat, and a clean architectural look.
Is a cantilever carport worth the extra cost?
It is worth it where a front post would block a car door on a narrow East Rand driveway, or foul the line of a reversing trailer. On an open plot with room for posts, a standard posted carport gives the same cover for less.