Parking Lot Paving in Palmdale, CA

Parking lot paving is a different job from a driveway. A commercial lot in Palmdale carries delivery trucks, trash trucks, buses and hundreds of cars a day, and it has to move storm runoff to the street or an inlet even though it may sit dry for months between rains. The questions for a property owner are usually whether to maintain what is there, overlay it, rebuild the failed sections, or start over.

Where lots fail first

• Trash enclosures and the path the trash truck takes
• Drive-through lanes and loading docks
• Entrances where every vehicle turns
• Low spots where storm water or blown sand collects
• Edges next to landscaping and irrigation

Those areas get a heavier section. HomeGuide notes that commercial or heavy-wear areas typically call for 4 inches of asphalt or more, compared with 2 to 3 inches for a home driveway.

Overlay, rebuild or both

An overlay is a new layer of asphalt placed over the existing surface after cracks are sealed and weak spots repaired. It works when the pavement is cracked and worn but the base is sound. Where the base has failed, with potholes, rutting or alligator cracking, those sections need to be cut out and rebuilt first. Most older lots need some of each, and we mark which areas are which on a site plan before you decide.

Wind, dust and site rules

Larger lots in the Antelope Valley fall under the Antelope Valley Air Quality Management District's Rule 403. It bars visible dust beyond the property line, requires dirt tracked onto public roads to be cleaned up by the end of the day, and requires track-out controls at the exits of sites with 5 or more acres disturbed or 100 cubic yards a day of material moving in or out. We plan watering, staging and street sweeping into the job.

Keeping the business open

Most lots cannot close all at once. We split the work into phases so customers, tenants or a congregation can still park, keep at least one entrance open where the layout allows, and schedule around your busiest days. The phasing goes into the written quote so you know which areas close and when.

Striping and accessible parking

A new or overlaid lot needs new striping. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, restriping a lot means providing the required number of accessible spaces, including at least one van-accessible space. We lay out stalls, accessible spaces and aisles before paint goes down.

Plant 42 and industrial yards

Palmdale's largest employers are aerospace companies at Air Force Plant 42, and the city has an Enterprise Zone and Foreign Trade Zone that draw manufacturers. Industrial yards that see forklifts and trailers need a heavier section than a retail lot, and we design for the loads they actually carry.