Who Makes Harbor Freight's Portable Carports & How Much Do They Cost?

Harbor Freight is a well-known home improvement store that houses all kinds of tools perfect for your next project. Due to being known for having lower prices, there are even high-quality items for under $25 as well. However, the store has more than just tools — you can even find items that can help make your everyday life a bit easier. Sometimes you may find that you need more space in your garage, but you don't know where to safely store your vehicle or any of the other items that are in your way. That's when having a portable carport can help.

Harbor Freight sells a few different styles and sizes for carports, and Coverpro, an in-house Harbor Freight brand, makes all of them. Of the styles, you can find a fully enclosed type or the open-spaced canopy option. However, we will say that putting up the enclosed carport can be a bit of a hassle, so we do recommend following the instructions and even watching a YouTube video beforehand to make sure you put it up right the first time.

There is a wide range of sizes and prices for Coverpro's carports. The least expensive is a 10-foot by 20-foot canopy style for $145. It's not enclosed like the other ones. However, if you're looking to just get your vehicle out of the elements for a short period of time and for something a bit easier to put together, it's not a bad setup.

For a smaller enclosed size, the brand makes what is technically considered a portable shed — it is 10-foot by 10-foot. However, it is the perfect size to house a motorcycle or any large tools. You can even put your lawnmower in it for safekeeping. This one will run you $190, though, and the prices for carports only go up from there.

The two most popular portable carports are both enclosed and able to fit a vehicle. The 10-foot by 17-foot, which costs $230, is perfect for smaller sedans and other vehicles. When I owned one, I fit a 1990 Volkswagen Cabriolet inside with plenty of room to spare for storing other items. Lastly, there is a 12-foot by 20-foot portable garage that can fit an SUV or truck — this one runs $400. However, be aware that the height is only 8 feet for this carport, so if your truck is lifted too high, it may not fit.

Having owned one myself, I can say that the portable carport, though time-consuming to install, was worth having and served its purpose. It was up for nearly three years, and I could have gotten more years out of it if I had a reason to keep it. Within those years, it survived many windy thunderstorms and snow/ice storms without any holes forming or anything needing to be fixed. Though, if something does happen, Coverpro does sell replacement kits. Additionally, each of these covers got at least a four out of five-star rating from many users who were happy with their purchase. Some of the written reviews even state how well-made and long-lasting the carports are.

However, that doesn't mean these carports don't have their downsides. During the summer months, humidity can form inside it. We do advise you to keep the front door rolled up during nice days to help with the airflow. If you place your carport on soft ground like grass instead of dirt or gravel, you may want to put something down to help keep your car from sinking into the ground. One suggestion is using flat concrete stepping stones to build a driveway for just the tires to lift the vehicle up a bit. Nonetheless, these negatives aren't so bad in the big scheme of things, especially if you use this lifehack to leave a lot more space in your garage.