Strategies for Asphalt Maintenance on a Tight Budget

Budgeting for the upkeep of your parking lot or driveway can be tricky if your budget is tight. Here are some strategies to help your bottom line.

Prevention

Water is the enemy of asphalt. It is critical to keep water from penetrating the pavement or getting beneath it (which damages the base material). Address large cracks and pot holes as quickly as possible so they don’t turn into large, in depth repairs. Therefore, crack filling is the most important item to have performed. It’s cheap and effective and should be done often. Focus should also be put on drainage to make sure water is flowing to an appropriate catch basin and that puddling is immediately corrected. Also, be aware of irrigation issues such as overwatering planters and water runoff; these items routinely cause premature damage to parking lots.

Off Season

Calling an asphalt contractor during the summer rush isn’t a great strategy for saving money. By shifting your work forward or back by three months, you may receive better pricing. Asphalt repairs typically need a minimum of 30 days to cure prior to applying sealcoat. Furthermore, seasonal companies are always motivated to perform work in their traditional “offseason.” If the repair work is completed in the spring or fall, you can often save money and eliminate scheduling problems.

Engage

It’s always a good idea for the customer to do a site walk-through with the contractor’s estimator. This gives the customer an opportunity to ask questions and understand the various options. It also helps your paving contractor know exactly what your needs are in terms of scope, logistics, budget, ownership objectives, etc. Ultimately, customers who are engaged usually get a better finished product.

Bids

If you are getting multiple bids, I suggest that you use one vendor or a consultant to set the scope of work. Get 3 bids and ask for references. This might seem obvious, but a lot of headaches can be averted with just a few minutes of due diligence. It’s one thing to seek a bargain, but be careful about “getting what you pay for” if selecting the lowest bid.

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