If you’re a business owner or in charge of developing the budget for a piece of property with a parking lot, you know that parking lot maintenance is often a sizable chunk of the expense.
Most parking lots are made from materials like asphalt and concrete, so they are constantly in a state of erosion and will inevitably need to be serviced a variety of ways, multiple times throughout their lifetime. The installation of these lots is no small cost, but the parking lot repair cost can add up to quite a hefty amount as well, depending on the size.
In case you aren’t aware of what it takes to maintain the average parking lot, let’s break down the costs of repairing concrete and asphalt parking lots, as well as a superior parking solution.
Common Damage Found in Asphalt and Concrete Lots
Concrete and asphalt are the most common parking lot materials because they were the first viable parking solutions that were able to withstand heavy traffic over prolonged periods of time. However, they aren’t without their own issues. Concrete and asphalt are both extremely susceptible to water damage.
Once the surface of a parking lot has been damaged or worn down even slightly, water is able to infiltrate and wreak havoc. Especially in areas with free-thaw cycles, water freezes and expands in the cracks, gradually widening them. Eventually, this can lead to giant crevices and potholes, which lead to huge parking lot maintenance costs, and possibly incurred damages.
The Cost of Maintaining Asphalt and Concrete
Parking lots need to be maintained in order to stay safe and aesthetically pleasing to customers. The most basic maintenance is sweeping. The cost to sweep a parking lot is low, but sweeping needs to be done frequently. For a lot with 1,000 parking spaces, the cost to sweep and clean is about $163, on average.
The average cost to sweep and clean a lot with 500 parking spaces is about $83. For a 200-space lot, it’s about $79, and a 25-space parking lot costs an average of $77. The parking lot sweeping cost per square foot is low, so you’ll often only find price quotes on a per-space basis, but depending on how often your lot needs to be swept and cleaned, this can add up to a big annual cost.
Sweeping and cleaning are only the start of it though, once your asphalt has become unraveled and/or developed cracks and potholes, it will need to be resurfaced. If you’re wondering how it costs to resurface a parking lot made from asphalt, you can expect to pay anywhere from $1.50 to $7 per square foot.
The cost to reseal an asphalt parking lot is anywhere from $0.14 to $0.25 per square foot. New sealcoats will need to be applied about every 2-4 years, and the asphalt lot will have to be resurfaced about every 20 to 25 years.
For concrete, the costs are similar. A concrete parking lot needs to be resealed every 3 years and resurfaced every 15 to 25 years. The concrete parking lot sealing cost is expensive, ranging from 10 to 30 cents per square foot. The cost to repave a parking lot made from concrete is anywhere from $3 to $10 per square foot.
Once you factor in the cost to reseal a parking lot made from either asphalt or concrete, as well as the cost of repaving a parking lot made from either of these materials, it adds up to the brunt of the maintenance expenses.
In addition, lot lines also need to be repainted, and the cost can vary depending on the number of lines. For smaller lots with 50 spaces or less, expect to pay about $500.
If you don’t already have lines, the total cost to paint parking lot lines could increase by 20% to 50%. For a parking lot with over 50 spaces, $700 minimum is the expected rate from most companies.
A TRUEGRID Parking Lot is Nearly Maintenance-Free
If you want to nearly eliminate the asphalt parking lot resurfacing cost as well as all the other costs associated with maintaining asphalt and concrete, look no further than TRUEGRID permeable pavers. TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are designed for high-traffic, commercial areas and allow water to drain right through. They will last up to 60 years without breaking down.
They are durable enough to handle all types of traffic at any level of frequency and never need to be repainted, resealed, or resurfaced. They’re also very stylistically diverse and professional-looking, which makes them great for any parking lot, anywhere.
If you want a superior parking lot solution that won’t cost you tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance, get in touch with a pavement professional at TRUEGRID today.
