Concrete parking lot building in Yucaipa CA - a lot built for the vehicles that use it
Is your lot cracked, sinking or holding water? We build a concrete lot planned around the cars and trucks that will park on it.
- Service
- Concrete parking lot building
- Call
- (909) 768-8077
How do you know your lot needs new concrete?
Cracks spreading across the lot
Long cracks that keep widening and breaking into chunks usually mean the ground under the paving has moved, or the slab was too thin for what parks on it. If you leave them, water gets in, the pieces start rocking under tires, and patches stop holding.
Puddles that sit after rain
Water standing in the same low spots means the surface has sunk or was never built to drain. It keeps soaking the soil underneath, so the low spots get deeper and the paving around them starts to break up.
Edges crumbling where trucks turn
Broken corners at the entrance and along the outside usually mean the edge wasn't built to take wheel loads. Every delivery knocks off a little more, until cars are dropping off a ragged lip to get in.
What goes into building a concrete parking lot in Yucaipa?
Concrete parking lot building in Yucaipa means getting the ground even, then forming, pouring and finishing a slab thick enough for the vehicles that will use it, with edges and joints planned so it holds up. When the design and the work account for how a parking lot gets used, a concrete lot can give good service for many years with little upkeep.
Most calls about a lot start with old paving that's cracked and holding water, or a gravel lot that's worn into ruts, and the first question is always what it'll cost. Price mostly moves with the lot's size, how thick it has to be for the heaviest vehicles on it, the edges and curbs, and whether old paving has to be torn out and hauled off first. The schedule turns on how much ground work the site needs and how long the lot stays closed while the concrete cures, the wait while it gains strength before it takes weight, which is why I ask early how long you can do without it. Pavement work like this falls under the concrete contractor license from California's Contractors State License Board, so ask anyone you're considering for their state license, and we're fully licensed and insured. We're based in Yucaipa and work across the cities around it in the Inland Empire, and the written estimate I send after looking at your property spells out what your lot needs.
Details to note before an estimate
- Rough size of the lot
- Cars, pickups or delivery trucks
- Old paving that needs tearing out
- Spots where water pools now
How we build a concrete parking lot
I start by asking what will park there, because a lot for passenger cars and one that takes delivery trucks get built differently. Then we dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, until it's even from one end to the other, since a soft patch under the concrete turns into a sunken spot later. We set the forms and build the outer edges to take wheel loads, and the industry's parking lot guidance calls for a thicker edge there, usually a curb poured in one piece with the slab, so expect one along the outside. After the pour we finish the surface, cut control joints, which are planned lines that give the concrete a place to crack where we chose, and give it a broom finish, a light texture so tires and shoes grip. We also work out with you when the lot can reopen, so you can line up other parking before we start. If the budget gets tight, I'd trim finish work before I'd cut corners on the base, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides how the lot looks years from now.
A lot usually has other concrete around it. Light poles, sign posts and walls sit on concrete footings, and it's easier to set those before the paving goes in around them. When a building beside the lot has sunk, I'd rather look at foundation raising before we pour, because once the new lot is set to the old height, lifting the building later leaves a lip at the door.
Other concrete work that comes up with a lot
Concrete footings
Light poles, sign posts and a block wall along the lot each need solid footings, the concrete base that spreads their weight into the ground.
Foundation raising
Cracks running up a wall or doors that stick in the building beside your lot can mean it has settled and needs lifting back into place.
What happens when you call about a parking lot in Yucaipa?
Call or send a request
Call (909) 768-8077 or use the form, and we get back to you to set a time to look at the property. It helps to tell us roughly how big the lot is and what parks there.
I walk the lot with you
I measure, check the ground and where the water runs, and ask what vehicles use the lot and when you can close it. Then I send a written estimate that says what's in it, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
Our crew preps and pours
Once you say go, our own finishers prep the base, pour and finish the lot, and I'm usually on the job with them. The concrete then cures on the schedule we planned with you.
We walk it and reopen
When the work is done, we walk the finished lot with you. I'll tell you plainly when cars can go back on it and when trucks can, so nobody drives on it too soon.
Questions before you build a concrete parking lot
How thick should a concrete parking lot be?
For a lot that only takes passenger cars and pickups, industry guidance says 4 inches of concrete without steel bars inside is usually enough. If light delivery trucks will use it, plan on 5 or 6 inches. I'll ask what really parks there, including the trucks that only come once a week, so the thickness fits the heaviest regular visitor.
How much does a concrete parking lot cost in the Inland Empire?
A 4-inch concrete slab, installed, usually runs about $10 to $14 per square foot in the Inland Empire, and that's the going rate around here, not a quote from us. A lot's full price also turns on its size, any thicker sections for trucks, the edges, and whether old paving has to come out first, so your number comes from the written estimate. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
How long does a new concrete parking lot need before cars can park on it?
Industry guidance says to keep cars off a new concrete lot for 3 days and trucks off it for 7 days, unless tests show the concrete has gained enough strength sooner. Plan other parking for that stretch, or ask about strength tests if opening early matters to your business.
Does a large parking lot in Yucaipa need a storm water plan?
Yes, if the lot is 5,000 square feet or more, exposed to storm water and inside San Bernardino County's storm water permit area for the Santa Ana Watershed. There, San Bernardino County Land Use Services requires a preliminary water quality management plan, and it requires one for new development that creates 10,000 square feet or more of hard surface water can't soak into. I'll ask about the lot's size at the estimate, and the county can tell you whether your property falls inside that area.
What causes cracks in a concrete parking lot?
Most cracks in a lot come from uneven ground under the slab, a section too thin for the vehicles on it, or joints that were cut late or skipped. The planned joint lines you see on a finished lot are normal, and they're there so cracks follow the lines instead of wandering across the open slab. Nobody can promise a slab won't crack, but even soil, the right thickness and joints cut on time keep cracks where we chose.
Will oil and fuel leaks damage a concrete parking lot?
Not much, because an older American Concrete Institute guide on parking lots lists concrete as only minimally affected by leaking oil and other petroleum products. Drips can still leave stains, so a lot that gets cleaned now and then stays looking tidy.
Get a written estimate for your parking lot
We respond within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property, and comes with no pressure and no obligation. After I've measured and checked the ground and the drainage, I send you a written estimate that says what's in it.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete footings
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Tell us about your parking lot
Call (909) 768-8077, use the form or email hi@concreteyucaipa.com with the lot's size, what parks there and whether it replaces old paving, and I'll come out ready to talk about your job.