Parking Lot Striping – How To Keep Your Lot Visible, Safe, and Compliant

If you have ever experienced a parking lot that was devoid of pavement markings and striped spaces, you probably found it to be a confusing, chaotic, unsafe environment. You may have been reluctant to leave your vehicle at the mercy of other drivers, fearing that they could dent your doors, box you in, or sideswipe your car. Now that you are responsible for a commercial parking lot, you have become more aware of the perils of neglecting your parking lot striping. However, you may not know all the ways that your markings and stripes can potentially impact your company’s revenue.

Parking Lot Striping – How To Keep Your Lot Visible, Safe, and Compliant

How Can Parking Lot Striping Affect a Company’s Revenue?

Potentially, your pavement striping and road markings could impact your revenue in three different ways.

1. If potential tenants or customers perceive your parking lot as less than safe, they may be reluctant to lease or buy from your company. If they are currently your tenants or customers, they may abandon you at the first opportunity. Conversely, if your lot striping and markings make them feel that they and their vehicles will be safe in your parking lot, they will be more likely to sign a lease or make a purchase.
2. By law, if you provide goods or services to the public, everyone who enters your parking lot is considered an invited guest. Legally, you have a duty to provide a safe environment for invited guests. If the poor condition or lack of road markings and lot striping is found to contribute to or cause an injury or vehicle damage, your company could be held liable. Even if your insurance company covers their claims, you could face a rate increase, and it is possible that you could also suffer additional financial penalties if your parking lot was not fully compliant at the time of the accident or injury.
3. Speaking of compliance, a lack of compliance can carry its own financial repercussions. Many people think that they only need to ensure that their parking lot fully complies with the ADA. However, there are also fire codes, building codes, and other regulations with which you must comply. Depending on the specific violation and the location, code violations can result in some hefty fines.

How Often Do I Need Parking Lot Striping?

There are several factors that influence your striping schedule, including the volume of traffic your lot receives, the health of your pavement, and the type of vehicles that use your parking lot. Typically, painted markings have an average life of around two years. However, you will need to have your pavement striping and markings redone after an asphalt sealcoating procedure. If you include your striping and marking in a comprehensive plan for routine parking lot maintenance, your contractor can keep you informed of the condition of your pavement paint. Instead of relying on a calendar, however, it is often more useful to look for the following signs that you need to call your striping contractor.

1. If the visibility of the paint has fallen to less than 75% of its original visibility, you should repaint your lot striping and markings.
2. If you notice an increase in cars traveling in the wrong direction, parked too close to or too far from neighboring vehicles, or parked at the wrong angle, you probably need new paint.
3. If the paint is blistering, cracking, peeling, or flaking, you should call your striping contractor.
4. If markings have oil stains or puddles of automotive fluids, parking lot striping contractors are sometimes able to remove them, but you may need to have them repainted. Have a trustworthy contractor advise you on which approach you need to take.

Peterson Grading & Paving is an asphalt contractor serving Orange County, CA.  Whether you need lot striping, assistance to achieve ADA compliance, a comprehensive asphalt maintenance program, line removal, asphalt sealcoating, asphalt crack repairs, or other services for your parking lot, Peterson Grading & Paving would be happy to assist you. We also install and repair concrete, and we install bollards, perform asphalt milling, install asphalt overlays, and offer asphalt paving, shot blasting, epoxy coatings, and warehouse striping. Our clients include HOAs, universities, hotels, retailers, religious institutions, condos, and facility managers throughout Orange County and the rest of California. We have built an impeccable reputation for exemplary work and exceptional service through our professionalism, integrity, and consistency. To request a free quote, call 949-402-6979, submit the online form, or email Ryan@GradePave.com.