Pavement Maintenance Checklist - PART 1: BUDGETING

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who make lists, and those who don’t.

I’m not sure which type you are, but I certainly fall in the latter group! I find an odd amount of satisfaction in taking all of the thoughts flying around in my head and putting it into a list. It just makes life a little brighter. 

This list is my answer to the question, “What process would I follow if I was in charge of managing a parking lot?” 

Usually, I’m on the other side of the equation. But after over a decade in the pavement industry, I’ve been part of a couple of parking lot projects. I’ve seen projects go well and projects go poorly. Sometimes the issues are unavoidable, and sometimes they could have been avoided with a little extra planning. 

So this checklist is my advice to you. Many of these steps are part of how we do business because we’ve learned the hard way to integrate them into a project. If I’m being honest though, flipping the script gave me some ideas of how we up our game at Diamond too!

Okay, that’s enough of my musings for now. Let’s get down to business.

A Year in the Life of a Parking Lot - Part 1 of 3

SUMMER / FALL

9-12 Months Before the Project

If you are like many property managers, your budget submissions are probably due around September 1st, which means that you will need to start the process of getting a budget bid at least a month or two before then. 

Summer is typically the busiest time of the year for pavement contractors, so you’ll want to give plenty of time for them to get an estimate back to you before your budget number is due. 

Even if your budget requirements are not fixed, getting a budget number ahead of time and then “refreshing” the pricing in the spring is an ideal setup. But don’t stress if you’re working on a tighter timeframe. You can skip straight to asking for bids in the spring - just keep in mind that the shorter your timeframe, the more proactive you will need to be in order to get the project going in a timely manner. 

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1. Talk with accounting about the budget request deadline for next year.

Deadlines are helpful for everyone, but especially for contractors. Find out what date your budget numbers need to be submitted by and then add some time for you to review the proposal, and a little wiggle room for good measure. Give that earlier date as a deadline to the contractor you are working with for a budget number. 

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2. Find a contractor you would consider working with and ask for a parking lot assessment and budget proposal for next year’s project. Ask for a 5-Year Maintenance Plan too, if you can get one. 

“Find a contractor.” Three simple but challenging words. How to do this is a major topic in and of itself. For now, here are a couple of pieces of advice to get your started.

First, getting a great scope now will be a huge help to the rest of your project. Bidding on the right scope will help you get faster bids from other contractors. Set a good baseline for comparing estimates, and ensure that you aren’t surprised by a totally different number when you are ready to sign a contract down the road. 

Also, established contractors may have longer wait times when it comes to getting a bid, but if you’re starting the process early, you might be able to afford to wait. If you aren’t in a rush, find the best contractor you can who comes highly recommended or one with great reviews and ask them to help you with a budget proposal. This should give you the best chance of getting a high-quality scope which will help get your project off to a great start next spring.

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3. Ask for options for full depth replacement, mill and overlay, and a maintenance option.

Options can be difficult to compare when you are dealing with multiple bids and are trying to compare prices, but when you’re getting budget numbers, it can be a good idea to have your contractor give you a few different scenarios. You might be surprised by the value you can get at a larger scale! 

Don’t go too crazy with this though; the more options you ask for, the longer your bid is likely to take to get back.

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4. Submit the bid options for budget approval.

Whew! You made it through the budget collection portion of your project! All that’s left now is to submit your budget numbers for any properties that are under your management.

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FALL / WINTER

6-9 Months Before the Project

If you have your budget numbers gathered and submitted, typically the cooler months of the year will be your calm before the storm. At this point in your project’s life, it’s a great time to strategize about how to best use budget dollars and how to maximize long term ROI. 

If your budget timeline is a little more flexible, chatting with a contractor when the weather is cool (but before there is snow on the ground, if you are in an area where it snows) can be an ideal time to get a bid. Contractors may be a little less busy than they were in the middle of summer, and might have a bit more time to discuss your project in depth. You should have plenty of time to start at the beginning of the project timeline.

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5. Write down your goals for your property.

Before you finalize which option to select within your budget, it’s a good idea to take some time to think about what the goals are for this property. Now don’t get scared off here! We aren’t talking about dream boards or picking a word for the year! (Unless your parking lot is your baby, in which case, you do you!) We are talking about the very practical (but easily overlooked) priorities for the property.

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Questions to consider:

What “grade” is this property?

• Standards are going to be higher on an “A” property than a “C” location. What might be status quo for a “C” lot, may stick out like a sore thumb in the high-end “A” environment.

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Is this property a short or a long term hold?

• A short-term hold might choose a different repair type than a long-term one

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What business goals are you trying to achieve with your property?

• ‍Increase occupancy? Increase lease amounts? Get the property ready to sell? Aesthetics might be a priority here.
• ‍Decrease costs? Maintenance options will probably be your best bet.
• ‍Reduce liability risks? If you have potholes or water issues, you’ll want to make sure you are correctly restoring the integrity of your pavement.

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How is this project being financed?

• If it will be financed with a loan, has the bank provided you with any specific requirements that must be met in the scope of work?

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Are there other construction projects in the works that will affect the parking lot?

• If you are about to start a major renovation project of the building or the grounds, you might want to consider delaying sealcoating, crack sealing, and striping until the other projects are completed. Heavy equipment is likely to quickly wear on a newly maintained parking lot, and you won’t get the best ROI on the money spent if the projects are stacked together. 

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Are you planning to replace your parking lot soon?

• If this is not the year you are ready to replace your parking lot, but you are planning to replace it soon, you may not want to spend significant dollars on services designed to extend your parking lot's lifespan.

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6. Finalize your parking lot budget for the year.

This step may be done for you, or you may be heavily involved in the overall budget for your property. If you are, reviewing the goals and priorities that you just documented above should help you determine how much of your overall budget to allocate to your parking lot for the year. 

If the contractor who gave you budget numbers for the year also provided a Five Year Maintenance Plan, now is also a good time to look at parking lot expenses that are anticipated over the next couple of years and to consider setting aside funds (or beginning the process of acquiring funding) for any large upcoming projects.

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7. Based on the amount approved for your parking lot budget, prioritize which services you think will be most important to complete.

With goals set and a budget determined, now it’s time to get down into the details of exactly which options make the most sense for your property. 

We discussed some of the ways you might prioritize spending differently in the goals section above, but here are some general guidelines for an “average” property:

• Your first priority will generally be to fix any liability issues like potholes, sinkholes, trip spots, ADA non-compliance etc.
• Next you’ll want to make sure that you take care of anything that would stop your parking lot from functioning properly such as line striping, or a parking lot expansion
• Then, you will want to do any maintenance or repair work that will fix areas where there is potential for water erosion. Think crack sealing and patching.
• Next, consider using your budget dollars on maintenance services that will help to extend the life of your pavement. Sealcoating is a good example.
• Finally, if your budget allows (and it makes sense for your property), you may want to invest your dollars into amping up the aesthetics of your parking lot.  Frequent line striping, sealcoating, or parking lot overlays keep properties looking fresh.

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If this list feels like a lot to you, you’re right!

Getting a parking lot project off the ground can be a big task, but there are a few things that you can do to help this process be as short and seamless as possible.

1. Work with a good contractor. It’s hard to stress enough how much a good contractor can change the dynamics of a parking lot project. Your contractor can be the difference between a project that feels like pulling teeth, and a project that feels effortless. The best contractors will help guide you through this process, and do as much of the work for you as they can.
2. Start early. If you eat an elephant one bite at a time, the easiest way to stop from getting full is to go slow. Generally speaking, less time = more stress. So get going early if you can.
3. Stay organized. If you don’t have to replan the steps of the project every time it enters your head, you’ll be able to move faster and avoid being paralyzed by indecision. Need some help? Download our Pavement Maintenance Checklist.

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Ok, the budgeting portion of your project is now complete! As the weather warms up, now it’s time to gear up for the next leg of your parking lot project - Part 2: Choosing Your Contractor!