Commercial Construction & Contracting Resources

If you have lived in Marion, Ohio, or one of the surrounding communities for any period of time, you know there is an old joke which says there are only two seasons of the year around here – winter and road construction!

Pavement and parking lot striping or painting is important for several reasons.

Boosting your business curb appeal can have long lasting benefits; you’ll boost brand perception, enhance safety and even create a welcoming exterior for customers to visit.

If you read our blog about whether or not you need a concrete dumpster pad in your parking lot, you may have been left with this question. The simple answer is “because asphalt is weak for dumpster activity.”

What happens beneath an asphalt parking lot will certainly affect what happens at the surface. That’s because asphalt requires a strong base.

Your asphalt carries the weight of the world on its shoulders (well, maybe not the world, but definitely a lot of heavy vehicles). Think of a good subgrade like a great friend asphalt can always rely on for support and to help carry that weight. A bad parking lot base is like a friend who can’t be counted on and who may even stab your asphalt in the back.

If you’re ready to update your existing commercial parking lot or install a new one, you may be comparing the pros and cons of concrete and asphalt parking lots.

The best choice depends on: 

• Heavy-duty traffic vs. average traffic
• Regional weather patterns
• Ongoing maintenance

Here’s an easy breakdown of the benefits of both.

How to Find ODOT Pre-Qualified Ohio Contractors

It's surprisingly easy!

ODOT has a search function specifically for its pre-qualified contractors built into its website. It feels a little spartan, but it does the trick. This tool allows you to search for pre-qualified Ohio contractors for 57 different services, called "Work Types," which you can find listed below.

Details are critical. Missing the mark by an inch or even a few degrees of temperature can compromise the structural integrity of your asphalt. Weakness will lead to cracks and crumbling -- leaving you to return for a potentially costly repair, overlay, or new paving years earlier than typically necessary.

Editor's Note: This blog post was originally published on April 19th, 2018 and was updated on July 16th, 2018.

You might not think much about it, but your commercial parking lot is absolutely part of your customer's first impression. In fact, your customer’s experience with your business doesn’t start in the store. It starts as soon as they drive into your parking lot!

Putting off routine maintenance WILL cost more in the long run. Instead of small maintenance tasks, you’ll need to completely replace your asphalt parking lot. This is expensive for a few reasons:

• Paving an entire parking lot is expensive. Period.
• Having sections of your parking lot (or the whole lot) unavailable can deter customers.
• You may have to temporarily shut down your business for the paving process.
• You’ll probably have to pay for patches and emergency maintenance before you can actually get it repaved.
• It’s rare (but possible) that you can run into liability issues if someone injuries themselves or damages their car due to your poorly maintained parking lot.

Click here for a printable parking lot maintenance checklist!