IP Insight: How to Budget for Asphalt Repair & Maintenance
Posted by [email protected] on Jun. 14, 2023 / Subscribe 0
Just as asphalt roadways can develop severe potholes, cracks, and other forms of deterioration without regular upkeep, so can your property’s asphalt parking lot. That’s why budgeting for routine asphalt maintenance and repairs is so important.
Over the long term, being proactive about parking lot maintenance will help you keep your pavement-related expenses as low as possible. Tending to routine asphalt repairs and upkeep will also help maximize your parking lot's performance, appearance, and utility.
Not sure how to budget for your business’s long-term parking lot maintenance? Check out our helpful tips below.
Assess the Condition of Your Parking Lot
Performing a pavement assessment will alert you to any potential asphalt issues you may need to address presently or in the future. Whether your parking lot is relatively new or well-aged, a condition assessment is essential for estimating projected costs associated with several issues that may arise – or already have.
So how do you administer an assessment? You’ve got a few options:
- Use our pavement distress guide to detect and document various distresses that require repairs.
- Use our online Pavement Condition Assessment to calculate your parking lot’s overall health score. You can conveniently access this assessment on any mobile device and walk through your parking lot at the same time you are completing the assessment.
- Use the PASER asphalt rating system to assess the pavement's condition visually.
While you can certainly perform a preliminary DIY pavement assessment to get an idea of what your asphalt will require, ultimately, you’ll need to schedule a professional evaluation. Having expert insight into the current condition of your parking lot will help you better budget for its immediate maintenance needs, as well as potential issues that may need attention down the road.
- Schedule a free consultation with our team.
Performing an Online Pavement Condition Assessment
When you walk through the online pavement condition assessment, it will ask a series of questions in which your answer is attached to a score:
- What color is the asphalt?
- What is the condition of the pavement markings (parking lines, crosswalks, arrows, etc.)?
- Are there any potholes?
- Is there cracking that is ¼” or wider?
- Is there crumbling asphalt?
- Is there alligator or checkerboard cracking?
- Is there rutting?
- Is there standing water after rainfall?
Once you’ve established a final score for your pavement condition, click on the link to check the guide where you can find out if it is in excellent, good, fair, poor or very poor condition. You will also see what maintenance techniques are recommended based on your score.
When you’ve completed the online assessment, there is an opportunity to complete an online request for consultation that will be sent directly to Bituminous Roadways.
It’s Best to Invest Long Term in Asphalt Maintenance
When budgeting for asphalt projects, there can be an initial shock on just how much it costs. The price of producing and hauling asphalt can get expensive. Because of this, it can be tempting to just put a “band-aid” on the project until more money can be secured.
However, a quick fix isn’t always the best option. Completing a maintenance project the right way the first time may be expensive on the front end but will save you substantial money in later years.
Just filling potholes may not be the best maintenance option because there may be an underlying reason why potholes keep forming. By filling them, you’re not solving the problem.
However, if your pavement assessment reveals any asphalt problems needing immediate attention, handle them promptly. Even minor issues can easily grow more severe in a single season, and waiting to address them will inevitably lead to more costly future repairs.
Budget for Future Asphalt Maintenance & Repairs
How much money should you allocate for asphalt maintenance? There’s really no definitive answer since your parking lot is unique, as are its potential issues.
Your budget for parking lot repairs and maintenance depends on several factors, including:
- The age of your parking lot
- The present condition of your asphalt
- Whether your parking lot has drainage issues
- What kind of soil was your property built on
- Whether you plan to enhance or expand your parking lot in the future
Asphalt Maintenance Projects to Prioritize
As a general rule, you’ll want to set aside funds to perform the following types of asphalt maintenance:
- Cracksealing at two- to three-year intervals
- Patching fatigue cracks at four- to six-year intervals
- Patching potholes whenever they develop
- Pavement milling and overlaying at eight- to 12-year intervals
- Sealcoating or emulsion at four-year intervals
Keep in mind that the above figures aren’t specific to your property’s parking lot. You may need to adjust your asphalt maintenance and repair intervals depending on the speed at which your pavement deteriorates over time.
Contact Bituminous Roadways for an Asphalt Inspection
Bituminous Roadways has been performing asphalt pavement maintenance since 1946. Our expert estimating crew will help you assess your asphalt pavement, recommend an appropriate action plan, and execute the necessary maintenance and repairs.
Call us today at 651-686-7001 to schedule a site visit in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area or request a consultation here.
The “Insight from an IREM Industry Partner” blog series is a series of short articles from IREM Minnesota Industry Partners sharing their expert insight on issues of interest to property managers. All IREM Minnesota Industry Partners are invited to participate. The opinions expressed are those of the author.
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