Carports, RV Covers and Metal Garages in Battle Ground, Washington

Permit steps in Battle Ground

1. Find out whose permit it is. A Battle Ground mailing address can sit outside city limits. The City says to check the Clark County GIS Property Information Center.
2. Inside city limits, start with the City of Battle Ground Community Development Department. Outside, start with Clark County Community Development.
3. Ask for the setback, height and lot coverage rules for your lot. In the city, setbacks and lot coverage are in 17.106.030, Dimensional requirements, and 17.129.050 covers general requirements for accessory buildings and structures. Setbacks must be met before a permit is issued.
4. Have your building size, leg height and its spot on the lot ready. A certified building comes with engineer-stamped drawings for the building department.

What is exempt: in the city, one-story accessory structures such as tool and storage sheds and playhouses need no permit when the floor area is 200 square feet or less and the structure is less than 12 feet tall. The City lists adding a garage or carport as work that needs a permit, and so does Clark County. In unincorporated Clark County, a garden shed over 200 square feet needs a permit. Exempt work there still has to meet building code, setbacks, height limits and easements. A shed in a wetland, habitat or shoreline area may need other permits.

How permits work in general: our permit guide (written for Central Oregon; the questions to ask are the same anywhere).

Snow load & certified options

Inside city limits, the City of Battle Ground's design criteria list a snow load of 25 pounds and call it a live load. The City's page does not say whether that is ground or roof snow load. Outside city limits, Clark County's residential design handout lists ground snow at 30 psf, with drift calculations as required, and a minimum roof load of 25 psf that cannot be reduced.

The lowest of our certified ratings at or above those numbers is a building rated for 40 psf snow load. That is the starting point. Neither source gives elevation bands, so the building department confirms the number for your exact address, and we confirm the rating at order. Vertical panels shed snow better, so we usually suggest the A-frame vertical roof where snow matters.

New to certified buildings? Certified buildings made simple explains it in three steps.

Frost, wind & other local rules

Frost: the City's design criteria set a 12 inch minimum frost depth. If you pour a slab or footings inside city limits, give that number to whoever does the concrete. See site prep.

Wind: the City designs to 135 mph ultimate, Exposure B. Clark County's residential design handout uses the same 135 mph and Exposure B. The City also lists Seismic Zone D-1 and requires engineering when a project does not follow the code's prescriptive structural rules. Give us your jurisdiction and these numbers when you order a certified building.

What we've delivered near Battle Ground

We have two signed orders on record in Battle Ground. One is 20 feet wide by 25 feet long with 8 foot legs. The other is 10 feet wide by 30 feet long with 11 foot legs. Both are non-certified.