Gravel or broken pavement that puddles and ruts? We build concrete lots on a packed, even base, sized for the vehicles that park there.
Concrete parking lot building in Portsmouth means preparing a firm, even base under the whole area and then pouring concrete pavement thick enough for the cars and trucks that will use it, so the lot stays flat and sheds water.
Most property owners who call us have a gravel lot that ruts and puddles, or old pavement that has broken up under heavier traffic than it was built for. Before I price anything, I ask which vehicles will park there and how much ground the work will disturb, because those two answers set the thickness, the drainage and the paperwork.
The price moves with the lot's size, the thickness it needs, how much base work your ground calls for, removing old paving and getting water off the lot. The schedule turns on permits, weather and the days the concrete must cure before traffic, and my estimate gives you the figure for your own lot. We also pour concrete footings for light poles and signs, and handle foundation raising when a building beside the lot has settled.
Please call (757) 731-7248 or use the form, and tell us roughly how big the lot is and what will park on it. We'll set a time for me to come out and see the site.
I come out myself, look at the ground, where the water runs and how trucks will get in, and ask how you'll use the lot. Then I give you an estimate and explain each part of it, including how concrete compares with asphalt for your budget and how long you plan to own the property.
If the work disturbs enough ground to need a city permit, we pull it, schedule the inspections and put the soil controls in before any digging starts, then keep them up until the job is done. I run the work with our own crew, from the base through the pour and the joint cutting.
When the work is done, I walk the lot with you and explain when cars and when trucks can use it. Please keep traffic off until then, because that waiting time is what lets the concrete gain its strength.
The base decides how a lot holds up, so I give the most care to the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on. The slab doesn't need an extra layer under it, but the soil should be the same type, moisture and firmness throughout, so we dig out patches that differ and replace them with material like the rest. It's hidden on day one and often the first thing people want to cut, and I'd rather trim the finish than the base.
Thickness follows the traffic. The concrete industry's parking lot guide says 4 inches without steel is usually enough for cars and pickups only, and lots that see light trucks may need 5 or 6 inches. We slope the surface so water runs off, cut control joints, shallow grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, before it cracks on its own, and finish with a broom texture for grip in the rain.
What a parking lot job covers:
If the cracks are few and the slab around them still sits level, cutting out and replacing the bad sections is usually the sensible choice. When large areas have sunk, water pools across the lot, or the old pavement was simply too thin for the trucks using it now, patching only moves the problem. In that case I'll tell you plainly that a new lot on a properly prepared base is the better use of your money.
Size comes first, then thickness, since a lot for delivery trucks needs more concrete than one for cars. Base work matters too, because soft or uneven ground has to be dug out and replaced before we pour. Tearing out old asphalt or broken concrete, grading so water drains away, how easily the trucks can reach the site, and whether a city permit and soil controls are needed all add to the figure on your estimate.
I learned concrete on a municipal crew, pouring sidewalks and curbs to city standards, and I've run this business with that same discipline since 2013. We keep the work area marked, the soil on your site and the place cleaned up as we go, because your lot and your neighbors' property deserve that care.
I'd rather explain something twice than have you surprised later, so before we start you'll know what we're building, why, and when the lot can open again. If the ground shows us something new once it's open, I'll tell you what we found and what it means before we go on. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
Call with the lot's rough size, the vehicles that will park there and your timing, and I'll come out to see the site.
Tell us the lot's rough size and what will park there. We reply within one business day, and I come out myself for a free estimate with no obligation.
Building a concrete parking lot usually costs about $5 to $10 per square foot across the US, or about $1,500 to $3,500 per parking stall. Those are national figures, not our price, and your lot's thickness, base work and drainage decide where it lands. I'm glad to price your lot on site.
Concrete usually lasts 30 to 40 years, compared with 15 to 30 years for asphalt, though it costs more to build. If you plan to keep the property a long time, the longer life often makes up for the higher price, and I'll lay out both options honestly at the estimate.
Portsmouth requires a Land Disturbance Permit from the city's Engineering Department when the work disturbs 2,500 square feet of ground or more, and the city must approve a plan for keeping soil on the site before it issues that permit. Work that disturbs an acre or more also needs coverage under the state's construction stormwater permit. We pull the permits and schedule the inspections, and if it isn't clear whether one is needed, we check with the city before work starts.
Cars should stay off new concrete for 3 days and trucks for 7 days, unless tests show the concrete has gained enough strength sooner. That wait is curing, the time the concrete needs to harden, so please plan for the lot to be closed to that traffic for those days.
Installing a parking lot usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, depending on its size, how many features it has and the condition of the site. The curing days before traffic and any time for a city permit come on top of that, and I'll go over the schedule for your lot when I give you the estimate.
In Virginia, the class of contractor license follows the value of the contract. Class C covers a single contract over $1,000 but less than $30,000, Class B covers $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, and Class A covers $150,000 or more. We're licensed and insured, and a contractor also has to meet the local licensing rules of each city where they work.
We're based in Portsmouth and build parking lots in many of the cities around it, including Norfolk and Chesapeake. Please choose your area below, or call if yours isn't listed.
