We ordered a 12' x 21' x 8 ft' carport with upgrades from Carolina Carports, Inc. through their local agent, Scott's Carports. We have no problem with Scott's Carports. In fact, Scott was extremely helpful and courteous. The issues came during installation. We were told that the carport would be installed on a Friday. We had already spent lost of time, money and sweat making a steep-grade driveway "almost" level. CCI requires that your location be level within 4-6 inches for installation. We built a retaining wall and filled it with dirt and gravel, adding drainage, to comply with the 4-6 inch level requirement.
On the Friday that the unit was to be installed, we were called and told it would not be until the following Monday. We agreed. Upon arrival, the installation crew began assembling the metal roof supports, standing them up in position. They then went to level the legs and told us we were 9 inches off. We knew this could not be right. The crew checked again and found we were about 4 inches off. We wanted to dig-out the high spot and get it as level as we could, but the crew chief insisted that he did not have the time for that. He had two more jobs to do and could not wait for us to dig (which we eventuall did and it took about 10 minutes). Instead, he wanted to lift one end with blocks. He did not even have blocks with him. We called the CCI office to see if we could get the crew to allow us to dig out the small area so that we would not need to block-up the one end of the carport support. Actually, while the crew chief was on his cell phone raving to someone about the delay (all in Spanish by the way and yes, I did understand much of it), we started digging. The crew chief wanted to take down what had already been constructed as we were taking too much of his time. I had to remind him that we had been waiting three additional days for them so they could wait a few minutes for us.
Speaking to CCI HQ ourselves, after we dug the little trench that was needed to "level" the unit "perfectly", CCI told us it would cost us an additional $100 for the extra crew work. The crew did NOTHING. They just sat around while a couple of 60-yr-olds were literally on our hands and knees scraping the trench. CCI changed their tune when I told them I was not paying another $100 and they could take the thing down. The project already cost us over $2000 not including the cost of the retaining wall and fill materials. The crew chief was told by CCI to finish the job. Needless to say, he was very unhappy and man did it show. We want to be clear that we have no problem with the entire three-man crew being hispanic. Two of the three were very fluent in English so we did not have a communication issue. The problem was that the crew chief was under pressure by CCI to get three jobs done that day which typically take 3-4 hours each. I certainly do not want to be last on that day's install list.
If you order a carport or garage from this company, beware. You will be told that the build area must be withing 4-6 inches of level, but the installer requires that it be "perfectly level". The crew chief told me that this happens all the time and that CCI does not tell their customers what really must be done to prep the area. If we had known that the driveway had to be 100 per-cent flat and level, we would have seen to it before installation day. The installer was totally inflexible, discourteous and rude.
In May, 2016, we had an enclosed carport/storage shed installed by Carolina Carports. After only 8 months, in January, 2017, after several days of rain, the roof began to leak, damaging the items stored below.
Multiple phone calls and e-mails were sent to the company, most of which went unanswered. When, finally, a response was received, we were told that we would have to pay an additional $200, just to have an inspector come out to look at the damage. This is in addition to the $3000+ we had already paid just 8 months prior.
The company does not stand behind their products or workmanship.
There are a lot of storage shed/carport companies out there. do NOT purchase from this company!
I ordered a steel garage through Joes' Cycle Repair in Mechanicville NY aka Joe’s Carport & Metal Buildings on 8-24-2016. They send a crew to build it here on 11-10-2016. They show up @7:30 AM, and quickly proceeded to ask for (with broken English) additional money ($150.00, preferably cash) because the 6 inch knee wall was 9ft4.5 inches instead of 9ft, 5inches at the garage door opening. I told the lead man that I would take care of that problem myself and that there would be NO additional bills paid, period. After about twenty minutes, he said that the entry door placement was wrong and the he did not have any bracing (a header) that would be required to fix this problem. I informed him that NO ONE at his company gave me any indication that there would be a specific placement of the entry door, in fact, I had told a woman named Paula that there is going to be a four-foot frost wall underneath the structure and she commented that it would be “pretty high”’. I then explained that there would only be six inches of this wall above grade, she stated then that this would not be an issue. The lead man then stated "That's what happens when you buy this by telephone.”???? He then got into his truck and left. I then received a call from Carolina Carports that I would be charged an additional $500.00 for a return visit and that I would not be able to receive a refund of $1,385.00 because I sent them back. I did not send them back, They Left! Joe in Mechanicville doesn't know anything about this knee wall that I have been talking to him about for the last three months. He has been no help whatsoever. In fact, he told me that $500.00 dollars is not such a bad price to pay for my mistake. ??? There have been mistakes made aplenty, they don't communicate with each other and hold the customer responsible and my mistake was to trust this bunch of lowlife thieves in the first place.
Elephant structures cannot answer any questions and refers everything back to Carolina Carport. Who may or may respond, and never timely.
Carolina Carports blames everything on the permit process, ie. the county permitting. Ignoring their delays in returning calls, and providing plans. By the way the plans are sooo generic that there is no reason they could not be shipped immediately.
Now after waiting for plans, (weeks), then the county permit, I email Jason (at his beckoning) to get the process moving. A week later I call for an update, nothing! Now I am speaking with a Forida scheduler and let her know about scheduling issues and why a two or three day leadtime will not work. She stated she would try for a schedule before Nov 4th. Now a week later I call again about scheduling: I am now told the Nov 4 date will not happen due to permits coming in before mine. Funny, they could have have told me that two weeks ago, then one week ago, but now they are telling me after my call on October 29th. I do not believe her.
If I was not so far upside down I would cancel. But after a 10% deposit, cost of their plans, and the county permit, I must suffer their poor customer service. Which appears to be normal based on my reading of various sites
Carolina Carports Inc. Reviews
We ordered a 12' x 21' x 8 ft' carport with upgrades from Carolina Carports, Inc. through their local agent, Scott's Carports. We have no problem with Scott's Carports. In fact, Scott was extremely helpful and courteous. The issues came during installation. We were told that the carport would be installed on a Friday. We had already spent lost of time, money and sweat making a steep-grade driveway "almost" level. CCI requires that your location be level within 4-6 inches for installation. We built a retaining wall and filled it with dirt and gravel, adding drainage, to comply with the 4-6 inch level requirement.
On the Friday that the unit was to be installed, we were called and told it would not be until the following Monday. We agreed. Upon arrival, the installation crew began assembling the metal roof supports, standing them up in position. They then went to level the legs and told us we were 9 inches off. We knew this could not be right. The crew checked again and found we were about 4 inches off. We wanted to dig-out the high spot and get it as level as we could, but the crew chief insisted that he did not have the time for that. He had two more jobs to do and could not wait for us to dig (which we eventuall did and it took about 10 minutes). Instead, he wanted to lift one end with blocks. He did not even have blocks with him. We called the CCI office to see if we could get the crew to allow us to dig out the small area so that we would not need to block-up the one end of the carport support. Actually, while the crew chief was on his cell phone raving to someone about the delay (all in Spanish by the way and yes, I did understand much of it), we started digging. The crew chief wanted to take down what had already been constructed as we were taking too much of his time. I had to remind him that we had been waiting three additional days for them so they could wait a few minutes for us.
Speaking to CCI HQ ourselves, after we dug the little trench that was needed to "level" the unit "perfectly", CCI told us it would cost us an additional $100 for the extra crew work. The crew did NOTHING. They just sat around while a couple of 60-yr-olds were literally on our hands and knees scraping the trench. CCI changed their tune when I told them I was not paying another $100 and they could take the thing down. The project already cost us over $2000 not including the cost of the retaining wall and fill materials. The crew chief was told by CCI to finish the job. Needless to say, he was very unhappy and man did it show. We want to be clear that we have no problem with the entire three-man crew being hispanic. Two of the three were very fluent in English so we did not have a communication issue. The problem was that the crew chief was under pressure by CCI to get three jobs done that day which typically take 3-4 hours each. I certainly do not want to be last on that day's install list.
If you order a carport or garage from this company, beware. You will be told that the build area must be withing 4-6 inches of level, but the installer requires that it be "perfectly level". The crew chief told me that this happens all the time and that CCI does not tell their customers what really must be done to prep the area. If we had known that the driveway had to be 100 per-cent flat and level, we would have seen to it before installation day. The installer was totally inflexible, discourteous and rude.
In May, 2016, we had an enclosed carport/storage shed installed by Carolina Carports. After only 8 months, in January, 2017, after several days of rain, the roof began to leak, damaging the items stored below.
Multiple phone calls and e-mails were sent to the company, most of which went unanswered. When, finally, a response was received, we were told that we would have to pay an additional $200, just to have an inspector come out to look at the damage. This is in addition to the $3000+ we had already paid just 8 months prior.
The company does not stand behind their products or workmanship.
There are a lot of storage shed/carport companies out there. do NOT purchase from this company!
I ordered a steel garage through Joes' Cycle Repair in Mechanicville NY aka Joe’s Carport & Metal Buildings on 8-24-2016. They send a crew to build it here on 11-10-2016. They show up @7:30 AM, and quickly proceeded to ask for (with broken English) additional money ($150.00, preferably cash) because the 6 inch knee wall was 9ft4.5 inches instead of 9ft, 5inches at the garage door opening. I told the lead man that I would take care of that problem myself and that there would be NO additional bills paid, period. After about twenty minutes, he said that the entry door placement was wrong and the he did not have any bracing (a header) that would be required to fix this problem. I informed him that NO ONE at his company gave me any indication that there would be a specific placement of the entry door, in fact, I had told a woman named Paula that there is going to be a four-foot frost wall underneath the structure and she commented that it would be “pretty high”’. I then explained that there would only be six inches of this wall above grade, she stated then that this would not be an issue. The lead man then stated "That's what happens when you buy this by telephone.”???? He then got into his truck and left. I then received a call from Carolina Carports that I would be charged an additional $500.00 for a return visit and that I would not be able to receive a refund of $1,385.00 because I sent them back. I did not send them back, They Left! Joe in Mechanicville doesn't know anything about this knee wall that I have been talking to him about for the last three months. He has been no help whatsoever. In fact, he told me that $500.00 dollars is not such a bad price to pay for my mistake. ??? There have been mistakes made aplenty, they don't communicate with each other and hold the customer responsible and my mistake was to trust this bunch of lowlife thieves in the first place.
Elephant structures cannot answer any questions and refers everything back to Carolina Carport. Who may or may respond, and never timely.
Carolina Carports blames everything on the permit process, ie. the county permitting. Ignoring their delays in returning calls, and providing plans. By the way the plans are sooo generic that there is no reason they could not be shipped immediately.
Now after waiting for plans, (weeks), then the county permit, I email Jason (at his beckoning) to get the process moving. A week later I call for an update, nothing! Now I am speaking with a Forida scheduler and let her know about scheduling issues and why a two or three day leadtime will not work. She stated she would try for a schedule before Nov 4th. Now a week later I call again about scheduling: I am now told the Nov 4 date will not happen due to permits coming in before mine. Funny, they could have have told me that two weeks ago, then one week ago, but now they are telling me after my call on October 29th. I do not believe her.
If I was not so far upside down I would cancel. But after a 10% deposit, cost of their plans, and the county permit, I must suffer their poor customer service. Which appears to be normal based on my reading of various sites