Parking Lot Paving in Ames, IA

Parking lot paving in Ames has to stand up to more than cars. Delivery trucks, garbage trucks and snowplows put heavy loads on the same spots every day, salt and meltwater sit in low corners all winter, and a college town lot can turn over hundreds of cars a day. HomeAdvisor lists asphalt lots at about $2 to $4.50 per square foot and $400 to $1,130 per parking space, with a 10-space lot around $10,000 and a 100-space lot around $75,000.

Signs a lot needs more than patching

• Alligator cracking in drive lanes and at the dumpster pad
• Ponding at catch basins or along curbs
• Potholes that return each spring
• Heaved sections where frost has lifted the pavement
• Faded or outdated striping that no longer matches the lot layout

Design and thickness

Cost guides call for 4 inches or more of asphalt on commercial and heavy-use pavement, with a thicker stone base where trucks travel. We look at where heavy vehicles actually drive and recommend heavier sections there instead of paving the whole lot to the same spec. Drainage is set so water reaches the inlets rather than freezing in parking stalls.

Overlay or reconstruction

Many lots can be milled and overlaid, with failed areas cut out and rebuilt first. Others have a base that has broken down across whole sections and need full-depth reconstruction. We map the lot, mark which areas fall in each category and price them separately, so you can phase work over two seasons if the budget calls for it.

Keeping you open

Most lots can be done in sections so at least one entrance and part of the parking stay usable. We schedule around business hours, church services or move-in days, and lay out cones and signs so customers can find their way through.

Striping and access

New or overlaid lots need new striping. When a lot is restriped, the 2010 ADA Standards for accessible parking apply, including the number of accessible spaces, van-accessible spaces and access aisles. We lay out the striping plan before paint goes down.

Approaches and city review

Commercial access points in Ames are reviewed by the Planning and Transportation divisions, and approaches in the right-of-way are concrete under city standards. If a project changes an entrance, we flag it early so the review does not hold up the schedule.