Concrete parking lot building in Mobile AL - a lot built for the traffic it carries
Lot cracking, sinking or holding water after rain? We build concrete lots on a packed base, graded to drain, for the vehicles you actually park.
What goes into building a concrete parking lot in Mobile?
Concrete parking lot building in Mobile means grading and packing the ground, planning where the rain will go, and pouring a slab thick enough for the cars and trucks that will use it, so the lot stays flat and drains.
Usually it's one of two things. Either an old lot has cracked, sunk in spots and started holding water, or a business needs bare ground paved before it opens. Either way, I start with what will park and drive there and how the lot will drain, and we work with the site engineer from the start so the layout is right on paper before we dig. If the job takes light pole bases or a small building, we pour the concrete footings too.
The price moves with the lot's size, how thick it has to be, how much work the subgrade needs, and how much grading and pipe the drainage takes. The subgrade is the soil the slab sits on. The schedule depends mostly on the engineer's plan and the permit, and then on weather and the wait before traffic can come back on. Your written estimate spells out what's in it and what isn't.
What makes a concrete parking lot last
Most of what decides how a lot holds up is out of sight once the concrete's down, so these are the parts I'd want you to ask any contractor about.
The ground underneath
A lot doesn't need a special base, but the soil under it should be the same type, moisture and firmness all the way across. We dig out spots that differ and refill them with matching material.
Where the water goes
We check where rain will run before anything's formed, so the lot doesn't pond or send water toward a building. If a building has already settled from that, ask about foundation raising.
Accessible spaces
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, businesses and nonprofits that provide parking lots must provide accessible parking spaces. We put them in the layout from the first plan, so nobody has to squeeze them in later.
Joints cut on time
Control joints are grooves cut into the slab so it cracks along lines we picked as it shrinks. If they're cut late or skipped, the cracks pick their own places.
Pouring before the heat
Ready-mix industry guidance for hot weather favors early morning pours that are finished promptly. Midday heat dries the top too fast and can leave it weak and dusty later.
Parking lot questions we hear
How thick should a concrete parking lot be in Mobile?
For passenger cars and pickups only, 4-in. thick plain concrete with no steel in it is usually satisfactory. Lots that take light trucks may need 5- or 6-in. pavement for heavier commercial use. That's why the first thing I ask is what will park and drive there, because the vehicles set the thickness.
How long does new concrete take before cars can park on it?
Keep cars off a new lot for 3 days and trucks off for 7 days, unless tests show the concrete has gained enough strength sooner. That wait is curing, when the concrete hardens and gains strength, so plan the lot's reopening around those days or around strength testing.
Do I need a permit to build a parking lot in Mobile?
Most likely. The city generally requires a land disturbance permit any time land is disturbed and bare soil is exposed, and it says it's wise to check before any work starts. Questions go to the city's Engineering Permitting Department at 251-208-7810 or land.disturbance@cityofmobile.org. We check with the office that covers your address and handle the paperwork when the job needs a permit.
Who designs the site plan for a parking lot in Mobile?
Most land development in Mobile needs a professional engineer to design the civil site plan and monitor the project through acceptance. For a full-depth rebuild of an existing lot, an architect, landscape architect or other qualified professional may submit it instead. The plan has to show how the lot drains, because the city generally wants runoff after the work to be no more than before, and on sites of any size it requires rain to be caught on site and piped underground into its storm drains instead of running into the street. If you're rebuilding an older lot, ask your engineer whether you can get credit for paving that was already there in 1984.
How much does a concrete parking lot cost in Mobile?
There's no single price, because the lot's size, its thickness, the ground work underneath and the drainage all set it. The base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it on day one, and it's the last place I'd save money. A concrete lot that's designed and built for how parking lots get used can serve for many years with little maintenance.
How do I know if my parking lot contractor needs a license in Alabama?
In Alabama, anyone who takes on paving, grading or site work costing $100,000 or more, counting labor and materials, is a general contractor under state law. A contractor on a lot that size needs a license from the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Ask every bidder about it before you sign.
Why Mobile owners call Quickset Mobile Concrete Company for parking lots
You'll deal with me from the first look at the site to the finished lot, and you'll understand your job well enough to judge any bid, ours included. Our promise is satisfaction guaranteed.
I write your estimate
I come out to look at the site and write the estimate myself, so the person pricing it knows the work.
I'm on site running it
Our crew of finishers and form setters does the work, with me on site running the job.
Building in Mobile since 2013
I started this business in Mobile 13 years ago and kept my old boss's standards for what goes underneath.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and glad to show it when you're comparing bids.
An estimate you can compare
Your written estimate lists what's included and what isn't, so you can hold it up against any other bid.
Get your parking lot looked at
Call (251) 219-6382 with the site address and the vehicles the lot will serve, so I can come out ready to talk thickness and drainage.
What happens after you call about a parking lot in Mobile?
We're based in Mobile and build across Mobile County, over the bay in Baldwin County and into Mississippi, and every lot runs the same way, with me as your contact.
You get in touch
Call (251) 219-6382 or use the form, and tell me the site address and what will park there. I return calls myself.
I walk the site
I come out, look at the ground and where the water runs, and walk you through what the lot needs and why.
Estimate and permits
You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't. We sort out the permit side with the right office before any work starts.
We build and hand over
I run the job on site with our crew. When we're done, I show you how to take care of the new concrete.