Parking Lot Primer for Property Managers

Does your parking lot look like this - or only in your nightmares?

Every freestanding building has a parking lot governed by a simple equation: asphalt = maintenance. This is true for industrial, suburban office, or retail, from regional mall to neighborhood mini-mart.

In response to a recent inquiry, I pulled together a few insights from twenty years of parking lots - worrying about everything from routine curb repair to knee-deep-in-wet-clay-five-tons-of-crushed-rock remove-and-replace projects.

• Assess what you have. Generally, certain areas are worse than others, with drive lanes and storefront stalls getting the heaviest use and wear. Google Maps provides a basic layout for mapping areas of need.

• Hire an architect. Stall number and sizes, disabled parking and accessibility issues - even landscaping in parking lot islands - are governed by code. Meanwhile, striping and landscaping have a pesky habit of changing over time. An architect will start you off on the right foot.

• Hire the right asphalt contractor. Asphalt is complex; just look at the Asphalt Institute's array of publications and seminars. The best contractor will have the integrity to guide you, as well as the knowledge and experience to meet all your needs. You don't want to be juggling multiple vendors: one for striping, another for curb repair, and a third for major work. 

• Plan and budget. With a map of current conditions, an architect's site plan, and a trusted asphalt contractor, you can prepare a five- or ten-year plan for parking lot work. Minor repairs, sealcoating and striping are operating expenses, while remove-and-replace usually falls under capital.

• Routine maintenance is important. Trash and litter spoil the appearance of your property. A broken curb or a frozen-over puddle can cause a slip-and-fall,  leading to an insurance claim or even a lawsuit. As always in property management, DO sweat the details!