Installing a new asphalt parking area for your business can be a big job. Working with a parking lot paving contractor to design and construct the parking area will ensure that you get a parking lot that is level, smooth, and allows water to run off properly. 

Parking Lot Layout

There are several ways to design your parking lot, including getting an architect to create it for you or working with a parking lot paving contractor to design the parking lot. It is essential to survey the land the parking area will sit on so that the contractor can determine what needs to be leveled, raised, or lowered to ensure water will drain away from the parking area properly. 

Not all paving companies will do the design work for your parking area, so it is vital that you find one that can. The site plan needs to include the lot, the drainage system, any underground conduit for lighting in the lot, and the capacity of the lot. 

Once the design and layout are complete, the contractor and their crew can begin to put all the parts together and create your parking area. 

Grading And Preparation

The parking lot contractor will first level and grade the site, creating the proper pitch for drainage. Once the site is level, gravel can be laid over the soil and compressed to make a solid bed that will remain strong and allow water to drain through it. 

The gravel base can be several inches thick and consist of different size materials and stone dust to create a solid base that will support the asphalt surface on top of it. Once the base is appropriately compressed, the asphalt can be applied to the parking area. 

Paving The Lot

When everything is ready, the asphalt parking lot paving contractor will apply several layers of asphalt, rolling and compressing the layers as they are applied. The layers are often put down in thicknesses of a couple of inches at a time to compact them properly. 

Most commercial parking lots are comprised of between five and eight inches of compacted asphalt to create a parking lot that is durable enough for moderate to high traffic. The thickness of the material and the base it is on will determine how well it stands up, so a commercial lot that will have trucks moving over it will be thicker than one that will only see light car traffic. 

Your parking lot paving contractor can help you determine what you need in your parking area and then create a lot that will be right for your business or property.