If you own a commercial parking lot, even if you’re not there every day, that lot is your responsibility. Should a car blow out a tire or the wheel cracks because a customer drove over a pothole in your parking lot, the liability falls on you. You must maintain and repair your parking lot when necessary to promote its longevity. What should you do?

The following parking lot maintenance tasks will reduce your rate of repairs:

• Cleaning the lot
• Repainting faded stripes and other markings
• Overlaying the asphalt
• Sealing the lot
• Repairing when damage occurs

In this extensive guide, we’ll provide further information on maintaining your parking lot so it remains in its best condition for a long time to come. We’ll also delve into areas of parking lot repair, including how much money you might expect to pay for various repair jobs.

How to Properly Maintain Your Parking Lot

Most parking lots are made of asphalt or concrete. Asphalt, as we covered in this article, is prone to plenty of damage. Here’s a list for you:

• Bleeding, when the asphalt develops a film that can make it slippery if it gets wet, posing significant risks to motorists who use your parking lot
• Raveling, which is when the asphalt fragments, leaving gravel behind
• Upheaval, or the movement of the asphalt upward due to moisture or freezing
• Rutting, which is asphalt depressions from ignoring the parking lot’s max recommended weight
• Potholes, which start as holes in the asphalt that grow bigger and deeper over time
• Cracks, including slippage cracks, joint reflection cracks, edge cracks, block cracks, and alligator cracks

No parking lot is impervious to damage, but through maintenance, mitigation becomes possible. Per the information in the intro, here are the areas of parking lot maintenance to focus on. 

Keep the Parking Lot Clean

We’ve discussed this on the blog before, but it’s worth repeating now. Cleaning your parking lot may sound like a basic and thus skippable part of parking lot maintenance, but it’s one of the most important jobs. 

Why is that? For several reasons, really. From an aesthetics standpoint, a clean, tidy parking lot will always attract more business than one that’s dirty and looks run-down. Much more importantly, cleaning your parking lot removes small objects that can lead to motorist injuries, which again become a liability for you. 

A clean parking lot is one in which the asphalt remains in better condition, as nothing is grinding against it when motorists drive across the lot. You may even be able to enjoy a few more years out of your parking lot. 

Repaint Faded Stripes and Lines

Painting the parking lines and other indicators throughout your parking lot wasn’t a cheap nor inexpensive process, but it’s something you’ll have to do much sooner than later. You might get only a year out of the paint before it needs touching up depending on the frequency of parking lot use. In other cases, it’s two years, but no more than that.

You absolutely cannot forego repainting these stripes, lines, and markings. If the lines are faded to the point where they’re barely visible, your customers won’t be able to tell where one parking spot ends and the other begins. This creates an environment where unnecessary car accidents can occur.  

Overlay the Asphalt

Although it does nothing for the bottommost layer of asphalt, overlaying the top layer can improve the overall appearance of your parking lot. Further, you might stretch out the longevity of your lot, so overlaying is certainly a job worth doing.

When you overlay asphalt, you pour a fresh layer over the preexisting top layer. That layer still remains intact, as removal would be more labor-intensive and expensive. You end up with asphalt that’s even more multi-layered than before.

Seal the Lot

The last maintenance job to commit to as parking lot owner is sealing the asphalt. Depending on the age of your lot, you may have to reseal it annually or you can possibly go three years before applying some fresh seal. The latter is true of new parking lots and the former of older ones with worn asphalt.  

The Most Common Parking Lot Repairs

If you skipped out on some of the above maintenance jobs due to a tight budget, lack of time, or simply inexperience owning and managing a parking lot, then your lot is probably in disarray. Here are some of the more common parking lot repairs you might encounter. 

Repairing Cracks

We listed a variety of cracks earlier that tend to affect asphalt. Here’s a quick explanation of the ones that are especially prevalent in parking lots:

• Slippage cracks: Developing in distinct half-crescents, slippage cracks tend to appear shortly after your new parking lot is paved. If the asphalt layers have incorrectly adhered, these cracks will result. 
• Joint reflection cracks: We’ll discuss repairing joints shortly, but for now, know that joint cracks occur when the joints are strained through the asphalt subbase. The subbase may move as moisture and temperature changes occur. 
• Edge cracks: Common in driveways, roads, and parking lots, edge cracks affect the edge of a street or lot that has insufficient drainage. The moisture accumulation leads to the cracks, as can improperly installed subbase or heavy vehicular traffic. 
• Block cracks: When the temperatures get very cold or extremely hot and the asphalt’s binder can’t contract and expand to accommodate, block cracks happen. Why are they called block cracks? Well, due to how these cracks are often rectangular.
• Alligator cracks: Fatigue or alligator cracks look like alligator skin, which is the last thing you want for your parking lot. Many issues can cause alligator cracks, among them too much clay in the surrounding soil, ground movement and erosion, thin pavement, poor subgrade quality, and exceeding your parking lot’s weight limits.

Whether it’s an alligator crack, a slippage crack, or anything in between, repairing a crack should be at the top of your priority list as a parking lot owner. Even small cracks can become bigger as your lot gets a lot of use. Large cracks develop into potholes. 

Repairing Potholes

Speaking of potholes, they’re another frequent problem across asphalt roads and parking lots. According to Harper’s Magazine data, as of 2012, the United States has 55,961,000 potholes. Given the age of that data, we’re sure you can add several thousand–if not more–potholes to that tally by now.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada calls itself “the pothole capital” because its problem with potholes is that serious. In 2014, the city spent $4.8 million to repair potholes, says Canadian news source The Walrus. The city alone adds about 450,000 potholes to its preexisting total every year.

We talked in the intro about how risky leaving potholes intact can be, so repair must be imminent. 

Improving Joints 

In a perfect world, you’d have gotten your parking lot constructed with high-quality joints. That can prevent a lot of headaches now and in the years to come. After all, the worse the quality of the joints, the fewer years you can expect out of them. 

Sealing may be able to restore the strength of the joints provided they haven’t been under much strain for long. Pretending the issue doesn’t exist though can quickly degrade the quality of your parking lot. Alligator cracks might develop, allowing for structural issues that can become full-on lot failure if left unaddressed. Potholes will also appear. 

Adding Drainage 

Given that so many asphalt problems that impact your parking lot’s structural integrity are related to moisture and other sources of water, having any drainage at all is better than none. Drainage vents or pipes give the water somewhere to travel so it doesn’t linger on the asphalt.

How Much Does It Cost to Repair Your Parking Lot?

Now that you know the duties that lay ahead of you, it’s time to start budgeting for parking lot repairs. To help you do that, you need to know the costs of each job. 

According to ProMatcher, a resource for connecting with professionals, sealing asphalt costs an average of $0.22 a square foot for commercial parking lots. On the lower end, you might pay $0.14 per square foot and, on the high end, up to $0.29 per square foot depending on the sealant you choose.

Paving asphalt is $2.81 a square foot on average. The job may be less expensive at $2.24, or it could be costlier, up to $3.37 per square foot.

Paving an asphalt parking lot if you’re adding a two-inch overlay is an average of $1.60 a square foot. Costs may be between $1.40 and $1.70 per square foot depending on the breadth of work, notes ProMatcher.

Here are some maintenance costs to get you started. To sweep and clean your parking lot, expect the job to cost:

• $73.75 if you have a 200-space parking lot
• $83.32 if you have a 500-space parking lot
• $149.17 if you have a 1,000-space parking lot

The costs for repainting your parking lot stripes depends on the size of the stripes and the type of markings you’re adding. For a white stripe that’s four inches, per linear foot, you’d pay $0.34. For 18 feet of striping, that’s $4.27. Handicap parking spots cost about $28.08 each and arrows $18.09 apiece.

How Long Should an Asphalt Parking Lot Last?

By putting all this time, effort, and expense into your parking lot, how many years should you expect to get out of it? At least five to seven years, but well-maintained parking lots may last around 10 or 15 years. If you go above and beyond to ensure your parking lot is always in tip-top shape, the lot could be usable for 20, even 30 years. 

Other Ways to Extend the Life of Your Parking Lot Outside of Maintenance

As we’ve established, there’s no better way to enjoy more years out of your parking lot than through maintenance, but that’s not the only way. To wrap up, here are some things you can do in addition to your maintenance routine for a better parking lot.

Don’t Let Small Problems Fester

It’s a lot cheaper–not to mention less laborious–to pave a small hole or crack in the parking lot. You might even be able to patch that area rather than overlay or reseal the whole lot. 

If you don’t already, you should visit your parking lot at least weekly when it’s completely empty. Inspect the whole lot, including the edges and corners. These areas are often overlooked but can be the most troublesome. 

Should you spot any concerning issues, make a plan for how they’ll get repaired and when. If you’re not the one personally doing repairs, then come back a few days later, following through to ensure the work was done, and adequately at that. 

Add More Drainage If You Have Too Much Standing Water

The drainage you have now might not be all that you use for the entire life of your parking lot. If your drainage solution leaves too much standing water, then you may need more drainage or another means of removing the water altogether.

Clean Spills 

Besides loose gravel, sticks, rocks, and other debris that inevitably accumulates in and around your parking lot, you also want to remove spills as soon as you notice them. Depending on the fluid that was spilled, it can degrade the quality of your sealant. Now that area may start cracking, which can soon spread to other sections of your parking lot. 

Conclusion

To avoid lawsuits and hold onto your customers, maintaining your commercial parking lot is not optional. With the tips and advice we presented to you in this article, you know which issues to be on the lookout for so you can work preventatively to keep your parking lot safe for anyone to use. 

Your business has decided to construct a new parking lot from scratch. You want to give your customers or clients space to comfortably park as well as be able to accommodate service vehicles, but may be wondering how much it’s going to cost you.

How Much Does It Cost to Build a New Parking Lot?

A new parking lot costs between $10,000 and $150,000 on average. Factors that can influence the cost of a parking lot include its size, the building material, and the scope of the project.

Our paving experts will elaborate on the cost of building a new parking lot, including a detailed section on the factors that influence the price. We’ll also delve into which are the cheapest versus the most expensive parking lot materials. Keep reading! 

Important Costs To Consider

Before you can begin ordering materials for your new parking lot, you need to create a budget. If your parking lot project is on the lower side of the price spectrum, then you might spend $10,000 on a new lot. By using inexpensive materials or building a smaller parking lot, a budget of $10k is possible.

The average price for a new parking lot, according to recent numbers from HomeAdvisor, is $75,000. We’re assuming this price accommodates an average parking lot size, which is between 7.9 and 9 feet.

For a bigger parking lot or one that uses pricier materials (more on this later), you can expect to spend the most money, at least six figures. You’d need a budget of around $150,000, possibly more.

What if you’re interested in sealcoating your new parking lot? We discussed this in another recent post, but a sealcoat is a product that maintains the quality of the parking lot, sometimes for up to several years. The larger your parking lot, the more sealcoat you need, so you can expect a higher sealcoat price per square foot of lot. 

Besides that, not all sealcoat is created equal, with some brands or types more expensive than others. Per square foot then, you might pay $0.05 to $0.20 for sealcoating.

Factors That Affect the Cost of Building a Parking Lot

Now that you have a good idea of what you might spend to build a new parking lot, let’s examine the factors that can determine why your project is more expensive or less so. 

Lot Size

This is a big one and a factor we’ve already touched on. For the most part, you can anticipate that a larger parking lot will cost more than a mid-sized lot or a small one. Exceptions may exist, such as choosing a premium parking lot material for a mid-sized lot. In such a case, you might be looking at prices on par with the cost of building a large lot with less expensive materials.

Material

Most parking lots are concrete or asphalt, but some companies prefer gravel or tar and chip lots. Later in this guide, we’ll contrast the prices of concrete versus asphalt parking lots by square foot. We’ll also introduce you to those other parking lot materials and their costs. 

You’ll quickly see how some lot materials are more budget-friendly than others, which will likely influence your choice. 

Anticipated Traffic

What kind of vehicles will use your parking lot the most? Will it be everyday cars, trucks, and SUVs? Perhaps you’ll have garbage trucks, freight trucks, and other commercial vehicles coming in and out of the lot daily.

If it’s the latter, then you need a parking lot material that’s strong enough to handle this heavy traffic without cracking, buckling, or leaving potholes in the vehicle’s wake. Since you must reinforce your lot, the scope of your project now increases, as must your budget for the parking lot.  

Drainage

You don’t want to wait until water damage has accrued before you add drainage to your parking lot. Water will pool anywhere the lot isn’t even.

You might find that the people who use your parking lot will steer clear of these water-damaged spots because they don’t want to ruin their vehicles.

The lot material can begin deteriorating from all the water. One such form of damage that can occur is called rutting. This is where the wheels of cars and trucks leave depressions shaped like tires in areas of your lot that get a lot of traffic. All the pressure from the rushing water can crack the top layer of your parking lot too. The lot material can also separate, which is known as bleeding.

Drainage vents give the water a place to go rather than linger in your parking lot.

Adding these vents is more costly than going without. Not every parking lot needs a drainage option, but for those that do, the vents save so much money in the future. 

Labor Requirements

By reinforcing your concrete and adding drainage options, your parking lot builders have to expend a lot more time and energy. The extra labor drives up the overall price of your project. 

Concrete vs. Asphalt Parking Lots: Which Is More Expensive?

As mentioned, you’ll more than likely choose between concrete or asphalt for your parking lot. Asphalt is the traditional gray or black building material you see on streets, freeways, and highways. Repairing asphalt is easy, but it requires frequent maintenance, including resealing. In very hot temperatures, asphalt can become unstable. 

Concrete tends to outlast asphalt, but it costs more. This material also demands fewer repairs, which is good, since concrete is harder to patch up. In very cold conditions, concrete might crack or buckle, and it stains quite easily. 

According to 2020 numbers from HomeAdvisor, pre-poured concrete slabs are $1.40 to $4 a square foot. If you’d prefer pouring the concrete yourself, that costs $3 to $4 for each square foot. Overall, you’re looking at a concrete parking lot price of $4 to $7 a square foot when you add in labor as well. 

Asphalt might be $2.50 to $4.50 a square foot with labor added in. 

Other Parking Lot Surface Options and Their Prices

You don’t necessarily have to choose between asphalt and concrete. Here are a few other materials for your parking lot that you might consider instead. 

Gravel

A gravel parking lot has the look of asphalt but not the price. Maintaining your lot will be easier compared to an asphalt or concrete lot, and installation of a gravel lot typically doesn’t take long either. Do make sure you’re using specific types of gravel for the longevity of your lot, including marble chips, pea gravel, or crushed stone.

Per square foot, you’d pay $1.25 to $2 for a gravel lot. Do keep in mind that if the weather gets very hot or very cold, a gravel parking lot might not be able to handle it. You also get less longevity than with a concrete or asphalt lot. 

Tar and Chip

The paving style known as tar and chip resembles asphalt as well. To construct a tar and chip parking lot, you use gravel and other loose stone as well as bitumen asphalt that’s heated until it becomes a liquid. The resultant parking lot is quite visually appealing. Repairing or maintaining one of these lots isn’t terribly difficult, and again, there’s the low price.

Just how low? Tar and chip parking lots might cost $1 to $3 a square foot, which isn’t bad. Like gravel driveways, tar and chip driveways can degrade from weather extremes and everyday wear and tear. 

How Much Does It Cost to Repave or Resurface a Parking Lot?

No matter the material used for your parking lot, the day will come when you need to repave or resurface the lot. When you resurface your parking lot, you first fix the lot damage and then add new asphalt on top of the preexisting layer.  

This costs $3 to $5 a square foot, says HomeAdvisor. Although resurfacing is expensive, your parking lot can last decades longer than it would have if you skipped this job. 

Resurfacing is different than repaving, which is when you replace the damaged paving with fresh areas of asphalt or concrete. It’s less expensive than resurfacing, as you may pay $0.90 to $2.50 a square foot for the job. 

Conclusion 

Building a new parking lot requires many considerations, such as the size, material, and whether you need drainage. Once you can answer those questions, you’ll have a clearer idea of how much your project will cost.

How effectively water drains from your company’s parking lot may not initially be top-of-mind in your business plans. However, one heavy rain and you’ll quickly see how parking lot drainage problems can cause trouble for you and your customers.

While the problem of parking lot drainage may seem overwhelming, business owners today have a number of options that can efficiently and effectively correct poor parking lot drainage.

Three reliable parking lot drainage solutions are: 

1. Adding internal curbing
2. Correcting the parking lot’s slope
3. Installing drains

Drainage problems can not only be bad for the aesthetics and lifespan of your asphalt, but they can also be expensive to repair if left unattended. Besides, no customer wants to walk through three inches of standing water before they get to your business, so don’t make them do that. 

Fix Your Drainage Problems Now

You may need only one of these solutions, or you may want to exercise all three, depending on the location of your parking lot and the extent of the damage caused by poor drainage over the years. 

Be sure to consult a professional with knowledge of your specific situation, and determine which drainage solution(s) is right for you. 

Drainage Solution #1: Add Internal Curbs

Adding curbing within the boundaries of your parking lot can help redirect the flow of water through the asphalt. This can limit standing water and push the water toward the perimeter of the lot, where it can be reabsorbed into the natural earth. 

As a bonus, curbs can also provide opportunities to accent your parking lot with light landscaping, which will make your business look more professional. 

Drainage Solution #2: Correct The Parking Lot Slope

Water pooling in your parking lot signifies that your parking lot either doesn’t have a slope, or it’s sloping the wrong way. To correct this, you need to adjust the slope of your parking lot so that the parking area very gradually slopes off to the edge of the lot perimeter. 

This will help prevent any water from pooling on the asphalt by directing it to flow off the premises instead. 

To most effectively drain water off your parking lot, the slope of the asphalt should be between 2% and 5%.

Drainage Solution #3: Install Drainage Ditches And Grates

Another common solution to drainage problems is to add runoff drains and trenches throughout your parking lot. This may be a better option if your parking lot is especially large, to the point where redirecting the water may be too challenging to realistically accomplish.

By installing drainage ditches and grates in your parking lot, you’ll ensure the water is directed out of your parking area and into a sewer or other municipal waterway. 

To make sure the standing water runs into drainage gutters, the grade of the drainage grate should be at least 3% but preferably closer to 5%. 

Why Do Parking Lots Tend to Have a Lot of Puddles And Standing Water?

In short, it all comes down to poor water drainage. 

Have you ever pulled up to your grocery store, dentist’s office or local gym on a rainy day, only to find the entire lot flooded with standing water? While this may initially seem like a minor inconvenience, the truth is that all that water is bad for business. 

Unfortunately, many businesses have these parking lot drainage problems, and many consumers have experienced something like this at one location or another. 

Keep reading to learn more about why parking lot drainage is so important and what causes it.

Why Parking Lot Drainage Matters

Adequate drainage in your parking lot is important because it prevents water from pooling on the pavement. Having a water-free parking lot:

• Ensures your parking lot asphalt lasts longer
• Makes a good first impression on your customers
• Keeps parking spaces free from puddles so employees and customers can park easily
• Keeps customers and employees safe from potential slips and falls
• Prevents unsanitary standing water from lingering in your parking lot
• Shows detailed consideration and planning on your part

Having a properly draining parking lot will not only keep your business property in good condition, but will also enhance opinion about your business in your customers’ and employees’ eyes. 

What’s more, not addressing potential drainage problems as soon as you notice them can lead to expensive, time-consuming remedial work later. The sooner you resolve your drainage problems, the better off your business will be. 

Now that you know why proper drainage is important, let’s consider what causes pooling problems in the first place. 

What Causes Parking Lot Drainage Problems?

Uneven ground is generally the culprit behind poor parking lot drainage. When the ground slopes unevenly in your parking lot, rainwater and water runoff follows the path of the slope, which causes pooling.

Sometimes this can be the fault of a previous paver’s oversights, but more often than not it’s simple wear and tear on the asphalt over the years or an issue with the evenness of the underlying earth. 

Regardless of the reason, it’s important to identify and resolve drainage issues as soon as possible. 

How Do You Identify Drainage Problems?

The telltale signs of poor parking lot drainage are:

• Pooling water in your parking lot
• Leftover debris like sand or pebbles in random places on the pavement
• Residual, dusty-looking patches throughout the lot where the pooling water has evaporated

If you notice one or more of these signs occurring on your asphalt, it’s highly likely that you have parking lot drainage problems. To prevent problems with your asphalt in the future, you should start preparing to remedy the situation. 

Unfortunately, it’s possible that the poor drainage is already affecting your lot. The following are signs that the standing water is already causing damage to your asphalt:

• You see cracks in the asphalt surface. This is caused when water puts pressure on the asphalt.
• The top layer of asphalt has started to “ravel.” This happens when water erodes the top layer of your parking lot over time. 
• The asphalt looks like it’s bleeding. This means that the asphalt binding agent has risen to the surface of the pavement, indicating aggregate separation.
• Frequently traveled sections of the lot are starting to rut. This looks like the asphalt is sinking in slightly on itself, and will occur in sections of the lot where people drive most often. Commonly, asphalt rutting looks like tire impressions. 

If you notice these issues and warning signs, be sure to speak with a parking lot drainage expert as soon as possible. Not taking action could result in severe consequences, which we’ll explain in detail next. 

What Are The Consequences of Not Having Proper Drainage?

If your parking lot is retaining water, it’s best to deal with the situation sooner, rather than later. 

If the lot is part of a newly purchased property, you might not know how long drainage has been an issue. Speak with a professional to evaluate the extent of the potential damage and get a quote for what a drainage solution might cost. 

As mentioned above, there are a number of reasons why proper parking lot drainage is important. When these considerations haven’t been included in the original design of your parking lot, you will experience both direct and indirect consequences. 

In general, we can break these consequences down into two categories: damages and expenses. 

1. Damages From Parking Lot Drainage Problems

A good asphalt pavement will hold up for 12-15 years before it needs maintenance. However, if your pavement collects a lot of standing water due to poor drainage, that timeframe could be significantly reduced. 

Standing water can seep into and exacerbate existing cracks and holes in your asphalt. Such damage can occur both during the paving process, as well as long after its completion. 

Warning Signs Before Paving

Before construction and paving begin on your parking lot, you can assess how likely your lot is to encounter drainage problems by looking at the would-be lot’s location. If your parking lot is located at the base of a hill or on low-lying land, it’s likely that you’ll have drainage problems. 

Additionally, aside from problems caused directly by flooding, land that has experienced heavy water retention over the years is likely to have less stable soil, which can indirectly impact your parking lot over time. Unstable soil has a tendency to settle and shift over the years, which could result in uneven dips in your asphalt, even if the initial paving was done correctly.

While moving the location of the parking lot may not be an option, knowing this information early will help you determine how important parking lot drainage solutions will be for you and your customers. 

Damages Possible After Paving

While addressing any potential drainage problems before your lot is constructed is important, you won’t be out of the woods just because the asphalt has been laid. 

If pooling water recurs frequently or is left unattended for extended periods of time, the water can seep down to the pavement base, causing long-term damage. Once the base course of your parking lot is damaged, its ability to withstand regular traffic will decrease, causing further potholes and cracks. 

Not only do such eyesores look unseemly to customers, but they can be expensive to fix. This brings us to our second category of poor drainage consequences: the price to fix them.

2. Cost of Parking Lot Drainage Problems

When drainage problems are allowed to persist in your parking lot, they can end up costing you a pretty penny. 

Even simple asphalt repairs at a person’s home can cost between $979 and $3,521, let alone the cost to repair huge sections of a parking lot for your business. 

Additionally, many commercial pavers charge per foot of space that will need paving. This means that letting drainage problems persist and worsen over time can have severe consequences for your wallet.

For example, a 2019 article estimates the average cost for repaving an asphalt lot to be between $1.49 and $1.69 per square foot. This means that if your entire lot has suffered from drainage problems, you could easily be looking at spending upwards of $10,000 to get it fixed. 

Aside from the direct costs of repairing your parking lot, an unsightly parking area can cost your business indirectly, too. A 2017 report from the traffic data research company INRIX found that 40% of drivers in the U.S. have avoided driving to locations where they know there are parking challenges. 

So, if you want to address your drainage problems before they become too expensive, what can you do? Thankfully, there are several ways you can improve the drainage of your parking lot. 

Why You Should Fix Your Drainage Problems

Your customers may not actively notice a parking lot that has no problems, but you can be sure that they’ll notice if it’s full of cracks, potholes and standing water. 

Presenting a smooth, evenly paved asphalt parking lot to your customers starts off their experience with your business on the right foot. 

By identifying and addressing your drainage problems, you can ensure that your customers have a good experience with your brand from the moment they pull up in front of your building. 

Not only will a consistently professional experience encourage patrons to become returning customers, but having good parking lot drainage will also save you future headaches and maintenance costs. 

Improve Your Parking Lot Drainage Problems Before They Get Worse

Poor drainage in parking lots is a compounding problem. That is, the damage caused by your drainage issues will only continue to get worse until you resolve them. 

Now that you know the ins and outs of how to identify drainage issues, what causes them and what solutions you have at your disposal, get in touch with one of our experts today to stop further water damage before it starts. 

Your customers and staff will thank you. 

A  properly maintained parking lot can make a real difference in the impression of your business. It’s sometimes the first thing a consumer sees and can provide a competitive advantage. Yet owners typically overlook the need for maintenance and proper design. 

Even though it’s the least glamorous asset of commercial property – parking lots are an investment. Experts say that proper parking lot maintenance can extend the life of your parking lot beyond 20 years.

Parking lot damage is not only unsightly but costly.

Leaving the lot neglected can cause it to sustain damages that go beyond repair and require total lot replacement.  Once a parking lot begins to crumble, repaving and reconstructing it is typically the only course. In order to avoid the cost of complete replacement, a maintenance plan is needed to keep it clean and in good condition.

 “The key to a longer life cycle is to have a well-built lot with a reasonably good design that is properly maintained through the years”, says Alan Curtis, president of CHEC Consultants Inc., a Redding, Calif.-based civil engineering company that specializes in pavements.

How to keep your parking lot in good condition

Creating a strong foundation in your parking lot is an important first step.

If its base is not stable, the lot is prone to more issues caused by cracking and sinking. If you want your lot to last it’s important to be sure it’s installed great to begin with.  

Ensure the base is secure by improving any low quality soil. To prevent pavement failure, be sure the soil is compacted to the recommended 95% of the maximum density.

Although a nice looking pavement in your lot makes for a pleasing aesthetic, the sub-base installation of the parking lot is pivotal. The strength of the lot’s surface is directly related to the strength of it’s base. 

Good drainage conditions should be ensured in the sub-base.

Around 85% of parking lot failure is due to drainage problems. It is important the sub-base stay as free from water as possible. Any excessive water in the base can weaken its stability and cause issues on the surface. Careful consideration to drainage design and size should be taken. A minimum of a 2% slope is recommended for parking surfaces. Reevaluate sub-base materials in any soft areas, and replace or add drainage as needed.

Asphalt requires a special mix design.

Using hard asphalt can crack more, but using too much soft can result in ruts. This example from Asphalt Magazine shows  “typical balanced mix design test results will determine a minimum asphalt content to meet a crack resistance threshold and a maximum asphalt content that corresponds to a maximum allowable rut depth. The range of acceptable binder content for this example becomes 5.2 to 5.9 percent. The question then becomes ‘which binder content is selected?”

Clean, clean, and clean some more.  

If you own a business, you certainly wouldn’t leave the interior dirty, so why leave your parking lot – the first impression of your business – dirty? Settled dirt and oil spills not only make your lot look bad, it can also damage the surface. 

Consider having a litter collecting vehicle regularly pick up litter. Consider buying a machine to collect litter and debris, or hire a service to regularly clean up.

Clean up oil spills quickly before they cause permanent damage. Dawn dish detergent, baking soda, and kitty litter are 3 suggestions for fixing an oil spill. Soaking the spill with any of these, scrubbing, and washing away can prevent the oil from staining.

Clean concrete lots with a broom and power washer at least twice a year.

If you choose a gravel lot, rake weekly to remove any debris. Add fresh gravel when needed – especially after heavy rain.

Keep your lot looking fresh and tidy by repainting surface lines. Check the parking lines, arrows, and words for discolour. Faded lines can be dangerous for traffic flow. 

Prevent injuries or damages by repairing potholes.

Potholes can cause damage to the sub-base by collecting water. A small pothole can easily turn into a much bigger, more expensive problem if left in disrepair. Avoid a pile of fallen off tire rims by repairing them as needed.

You can give asphalt a temporary fix by filling it with hot asphalt or using a cold patch. A patch will last if the sub-base is not damaged. For a long term solution, repair the base and seal it.

Any holes in a gravel lot requires new gravel replacement to retain the strength of the base.

If dealing with concrete, remove the broken pieces and any standing water. Then fill the hole with new concrete and either sand or gravel as needed.

Sealcoating over cracks is a must!

The best preventative measure to use to save money is to fill cracks right away.

Use sealant to prevent corrosion from water building up in cracks and freeze damage. Determine the right sealant for the job by considering what kind of crack it is, what climate you live in, and the amount of traffic flowing over the crack.

“Water is the enemy,” New England Sealcoating advises, “Crack sealing your asphalt will help prevent water from penetrating into your sub-base which is a major cause of pavement failure.”

With a concrete parking lot, it may be easier to pour new concrete or resurface the lot if extensive repair is needed.

Those cracks in asphalt that look like alligator backs, also known as fatigue cracks, are caused by excessive bending under a large traffic load. This is the start of deterioration and makes the surface unstable. Seal those up in the early stages. You can also patch them by cutting a rectangular pattern, removing everything within the rectangle, and replacing it with new fresh asphalt. If badly alligatored areas get severe, they will turn into potholes.

Repair curbing to keep landscaping in place.

Curbs are an ideal accessory to your lot because they are low cost to build, they protect the landscaping, and they control drainage. Curbs are the only part of the lot not affected by snow removal.

Rain and bad parking jobs can damage landscaping. Without a curb to guide them, cars can drive off the edge of the lot onto the surrounding landscaping. This can deteriorate the edges and cause it to break up.

Well maintained landscape and undamaged curbs makes a good first impression to consumers.

Make sure basins and manhole covers are clean and working.

Repairs can  be pricey if not done right away and can lead to collapse.

To avoid excessive sitting water in basins, consider hiring a company that specializes in cleaning them out.

 Any holes next to a basin or manhole cover usually means there’s some structural damage. It could simply need a brick or block replacement.

In colder climates you will need to make sure the manhole covers are flush to the pavement after frost is off the ground. If the covers are lifted even slightly, plows can do damage during snow removal.  Patching or resetting the manhole cover or catch basin can prevent massive damage during the winter.

 Mother Nature is a huge problem for parking lot maintenance!

Water can desecrate the surface and cause destruction all the way down. 

Old age is an obvious and unavoidable situation. Over the years, with an asphalt parking lot, the surface becomes rough, a condition known as unravelling. You will need to apply a seal coat typically every four years, with the first happening three to four years after the original construction. To protect your parking lot investment, and slow the inevitable damage of aging, have a parking lot maintenance plan in place.

Sealing cracks as they happen can stop water from getting into the sub-base. Water damage to the sub-base can result in the lot needing to be completely redone.

Have a good method for deicing and snow removal using the right materials. Water damaged sections and any asphalt that is scraped off during snow removal should be repaired or cut out and replaced once a year. Water in the sub-base can freeze and expand causing ultimate damage so be sure to use proper deicing. You also want to be sure to use the best deicing treatments that won’t damage the surface.

 If your lot is asphalt and it goes from jetblack to 50 shades of gray then it’s time to toss another sealcoat on it.

So what’s the cost of properly maintaining your lot? 

Experts say that in the first 10 years of life of an asphalt or concrete lot, it costs roughly 8 cents per square foot to maintain. Preventative measures will be 14-16 cents per square foot, and more complex preventions can set you back 60-65 cents for a simple overlay and even up to $1 for a more extensive project.

A parking lot located in a place that experiences snow is more vulnerable and will need more repair. Sealing will be scraped off during snow removal, causing the pavement to crack faster than usual. If the owner reseals the lot as soon as needed, it would cost around 19 cents per square foot. If the owner fails to reseal it in a timely manner, the parking lot would then need resurfacing, which on average costs $1.60 per square foot. 

Regrading a gravel lot costs less than 10 cents per square foot.

On average, the cost of painting over faded lines is about $4.25 per 18-foot line. 

While proper maintenance will protect your investment, don’t forget to be sure you have the parking lot installed correctly to begin with! Avoid further damage costs by using proper installation techniques.

Choose a contractor who has experience in your specific lot needs. Find a company that will create a parking lot and a maintenance package that suits your needs and strategizes around your budget.

Figure out what materials you will use for the surface of your lot. 

• Asphalt is better in colder climates, as it can soften in extreme heat. 90% of all parking lots in the US are made out of asphalt, which can easily become unsafe and ugly over time.
• Concrete is known to be slippery when wet, which makes it not ideal in areas where rain or snow happen often.  Concrete is more aesthetically pleasing, but requires similar upkeep to asphalt.
• Gravel is a low cost and easy to maintain material to choose for your lot. However, gravel can look muddy and dirty and is not the best choice for a commercial lot with nice aesthetics. It also is prone to ruts and sinkholes. Do not choose gravel in a snowy climate as snow removal disturbs the rocks and creates a whole new level of upkeep.

Avoid big problems by creating a custom lot based on the expected burden from estimated traffic.  

Ask your contractor these basic questions before signing a contract:

1. Are you fully licensed and insured?
2. Do you have experience with similar projects?
3. Is cleanup included in the estimate?

You can also ask if the contractor has a team that performs maintenance tasks, or hire a business based on their recommendations.

When investing in property, one thing you need to consider in the maintenance price is keeping the parking lot safe and functional.

About 20% of car accidents happen in a lot. 

The parking lot structure can either cause or prevent the number of accidents in it per year. Potholes and damaged pavement can cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. Safety precautions such as having adequate lighting, maintaining the parking lot paving, and repairing cracks and potholes can lower the number of accidents. Parking lot owners could be sued if they don’t do damage control swiftly and the damage causes an accident or injury. 

Keeping your lot in good condition keeps your lot safe and gives your business a great good impression.  Our own  post about how parking lot paving is important to make a good impression says “maybe it’s not fair to assume a business is slipshod based solely on a few cracks in their parking lot, but regardless, that is what happens.”  

Hiring paving crews, mechanics, and parking lot stripers to help maintain your lot can save your investment. Give yourself a solid parking lot maintenance plan to save yourself money.