A parking lot is the workhorse of almost any commercial property. It sees more vehicle traffic, abuse, and overall use than any other part of most brick and mortar locations. There are many types of materials a parking lot might be made out of, but the most common one is asphalt and the second most common is concrete. These two materials have been the popular choice for a while because business owners see them as a good look for their business.
Completely paved solid surfaces (which will last for at least a handful of years) have been the standard for some time, but these types of parking lots come with extensive, built-in costs if you want to keep using them for decades.
In case you weren’t aware of the giant financial burden that maintaining the average parking lot can place on a business owner, let’s go through a comprehensive breakdown of just how much asphalt and concrete parking lots will cost you, as well as some better alternatives which are growing more popular every day.
The Cost to Pave a Parking Lot with Asphalt or Concrete is Enormous
There are many factors that make asphalt and concrete parking lots more expensive to install and maintain. One of these is the actual cost of the materials themselves. Asphalt and concrete are expensive to transport, requiring special vehicles and equipment. Compared to locally-sourced fill materials like gravel, these materials are far more expensive.
Installation costs are another area in which asphalt and concrete will drain your finances. Pouring a quality concrete and/or asphalt pavement is a difficult job, and the base preparation is key. Often contractors cut costs during base preparation which causes these hardscape alternatives to crack or pothole because the base failed or the soil moved or trapped water. Labor costs can be high. Added drainage can be as expensive as the surface itself and municipal code restrictions on impervious surfaces and stormwater detention add hidden costs. To do it right for a headache-free and safe parking area, you better be ready to spend. The professional experience required to install a concrete or asphalt parking lot properly does not come cheaply.
The Cost of Paving Parking Lot Includes Long-Term Maintenance
In addition to the extraordinary costs of installing an asphalt or concrete parking lot, you’ll also need to spend money on maintaining it. These types of lots require a system of drainage piping that can provide rainwater an outlet to the sewer system. The cost of maintaining this drainage system will be yours as well.
Not only that, but you’ll also need to re-paint your parking lot lines somewhat frequently. These lines wear out quickly, and not having easily visible lines in your parking lot could potentially lead to lawsuits should someone crash or get injured in your lot. All of these costs added up will create a massive and ongoing expense that, quite frankly, is unnecessary.
Reduce the Cost to Pave Your Parking Lot with Permeable Pavers
One of the best new options for business owners looking to install a parking lot is permeable pavers. Permeable pavers are interlocking grids made from a highly durable, recycled plastic. These pavers are placed on top of a prepared subsurface as well as a fill material like crushed limestone or gravel. Once locked into place, these pavers create a durable and virtually maintenance-free parking lot that will last for decades to come.
Because the installation process is so simple, the cost of installation is much lower than with asphalt or concrete. There’s no need for a team of expensive professionals working day in and day out to complete a complex parking lot installation. The process is so easy that even unskilled laborers could complete it without issue. Permeable pavers such as the kind offered by TRUEGRID are also much less expensive upfront than asphalt or concrete, and they don’t require nearly as much in the way of maintenance.
TRUEGRID even offers colored spot markers which you can snap into place to create parking lot lines that will never fade and never require re-painting. Because of the permeability of the paver system, you don’t need to have any drainage installed either. Rainwater and other liquids will simply leak right through the parking lot and into the ground without any problems.
The Benefits of Permeable Pavers are Hard to Overstate
If you’re looking for a parking lot that never develops potholes, never fades or breaks down, and costs much less to install and maintain than traditional concrete or asphalt parking lots, look no further than permeable pavers like the kind that TRUEGRID offers.
Gravel, crushed limestone, or grass parking lots are now much more feasible to work with for business owners, thanks to these pavers. With almost none of the negative aspects of asphalt or concrete and a plethora of benefits including increased safety, higher cost-effectiveness, and more options when it comes to style, it’s all too obvious what the smart choice is when it comes to installing a parking lot in 2019, and beyond.
