Parking lot striping and restriping

Restriping the existing layout is simple. Improving it can add stalls or fix traffic flow, and resurfacing or even seal coat is a good time to do it, because the old lines are covered. We work through the layout with you before any paint goes down. Minimum stall and aisle sizes are set by your city, and they vary.

• Stall size, angle and count
• Drive aisle widths and one-way or two-way traffic
• Accessible stalls and the route to the entrance
• Fire lanes, loading zones and crosswalks
• Reserved, visitor, compact and EV charging stalls

On apartment and HOA properties, stall numbering is what residents notice most. Stencils cover everything that isn't a straight line: numbers, arrows, RESERVED and EV legends, FIRE LANE text and speed bump chevrons.

Red curb marks fire lanes and no-parking zones, and it has to be kept up to stay enforceable. The local fire marshal sets fire lane requirements, so we follow the approved site plan. Repainting curb is easiest at the same time as restriping.

Accessible stalls need the stall lines, a hatched access aisle marked NO PARKING and the symbol of accessibility. Paint is only part of it: the stall and aisle also have to be close to level. If the pavement is out of slope, it needs to be leveled before it's striped; see ADA improvements.

Most parking lots in California are striped with waterborne traffic paint. It dries quickly and is easy to change if the layout changes. Thermoplastic is melted and applied hot, sits thicker and lasts much longer, so we use it on public streets, crosswalks and stop bars. At 226 13th Street in Oakland, we put down thermoplastic lane markings on four newly paved city streets.

Restriping is quick compared with paving, and most jobs follow the same steps.

• Confirm the layout, including any changes to stalls or fire lanes
• Notify tenants or residents and post the work areas
• Sweep the surface so paint bonds to pavement, not dust
• Lay out and paint lines, then stencils, symbols and curb
• Keep traffic off until the paint is dry, then reopen

Markings go down after new asphalt or seal coat has cured, not before, and need a dry surface. Most lots we stripe can't close, so we work in sections, or early mornings, evenings and weekends where daytime closure isn't practical.

We price striping from a takeoff of your site rather than a flat rate per stall.

• Total linear footage and number of stalls
• Restriping the existing layout or laying out a new one
• Stencils, symbols, crosswalks and curb painting
• Paint or thermoplastic, and one coat or two
• Removing old lines when the layout changes

Most commercial lots need restriping every few years. Lines wear first where tires scrub them, like retail frontage, entrances and drive-through lanes, and fade faster in full sun. Every seal coat covers the lines and needs a full restripe.