I come out and see the lot myself
I walk the spot, look at where the water goes now and ask how you'll use the lot day to day. Then I write up the estimate, so you know the scope before anything gets dug.
Concrete parking lot building in La Porte IN - built for the trucks that use it
Gravel lot rutting out or old paving breaking up? We build a concrete lot on a packed base, made for the trucks that use it.
Is a concrete parking lot worth the extra cost over asphalt?
Concrete parking lot building in La Porte, IN means designing and pouring concrete paving made for a parking lot, sized for the cars and trucks that use it and graded so the water runs off. Built that way, a concrete lot can give good service for many years with little upkeep.
Concrete usually costs more to put in than asphalt, and I won't pretend otherwise. A lot of owners still go with it because they look at what the lot costs to own over the years, not just the first price per square foot. If you plan to keep the property, that's the comparison I'd make.
Your price turns on the size of the lot, how much soft ground has to come out, how thick the slab needs to be for your heaviest trucks and how the water gets off it. The schedule turns on permits, the weather on pour day and the curing, the wait while the concrete hardens before anyone parks on it. The estimate I write up after seeing the spot gives you the number for your lot.
What happens after you call about a parking lot?
From the first call to the cleanup, you deal with me. Here's how it goes.
Paperwork first, then a pour date
Once you say go, we sort out the paperwork the job needs and set the pour date. Weather can push that date, so we pick it with the forecast in mind.
Licensed, insured and run by the owner
We're licensed and fully insured. I started this business in La Porte in 2023, and I'm on site with the crew from the base work through the pour and the cleanup.
What our concrete parking lot building covers
We start with one question before anything gets drawn up, which trucks will use the lot, because garbage and delivery trucks change how it has to be built. From there we lay out the slab, the grade and the drainage around that traffic, prep the ground, set the steel, pour, finish and cut the joints. When we're done, you get a simple plan for keeping the lot in shape.
A lot often comes with other work tied to it. If there's a light pole, a sign or a new wall going in, we pour the concrete footings for those as part of the same job. If the building next to the lot has settled, ask about foundation raising before the new slab gets poured up against it.
- We ask which trucks will use the lot before the design is drawn up.
- We dig out soft ground and pack the base the slab sits on.
- We check where the water runs so the lot drains away from buildings.
- We cut control joints on time so cracks land where we choose.
- You get a simple plan for keeping the lot in shape.
How we build it, start to finish
Most of what decides whether a lot holds up happens before and right after the pour. Here's the order we work in.
Dig out and pack the base
We dig out the soft ground and pack the subgrade, the dirt and stone the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles and takes the concrete with it. It's the part nobody sees once it's poured and the first thing people want to cut from the budget, and I won't cut it.
Set the grade, forms and steel
We set the forms so the lot falls away from buildings and the water has somewhere to go. Rebar, the steel laid inside the slab, goes in where the loads call for it to help hold the concrete together.
Pour early and give it a broom finish
We schedule the pour for the cooler part of the day, because midday heat can leave a weak, dusty top. Then we give it a broom finish, a light texture dragged across the surface so tires and feet grip when it's wet.
Cut the joints and let it cure
We cut control joints, straight grooves that give the slab a planned place to crack, as soon as the concrete can take it, because joints cut late leave cracks wherever they please. Then the lot stays roped off through the cure, and we clean up before we leave.
Get a parking lot estimate built around your trucks
Call (219) 258-7141 or send the form with the lot's size, its address and the trucks it will serve. We reply within one business day, then I come out, look at the spot and write up a free on-site estimate with no obligation. Satisfaction guaranteed.
(219) 258-7141Questions about concrete parking lots in La Porte
How much does a concrete parking lot cost compared to asphalt?
Commercial concrete flatwork, parking lots included, usually costs about $6 to $14 per square foot across the US. That's the going range for the work, not our price, and it starts higher than asphalt, as covered above. Your own number comes from the estimate after I've seen the lot.
Do garbage trucks and delivery trucks change how a parking lot is built?
Yes, they can. Concrete paving guidance says a lot that serves garbage trucks, dumpsters or delivery trucks may need special attention in its design. That's why the truck question comes first on our jobs.
Does a new parking lot in Indiana need a state stormwater permit?
It does when the work disturbs one acre or more of land, under Indiana's construction stormwater permit. A smaller site can still fall under it if it's part of a larger plan of development or sale, so that's worth asking about your lot. Work can start 48 hours after the notice of intent is filed, so plan that wait into the schedule.
What road salt is safest to use on a concrete parking lot?
One study found that sodium chloride, the common rock salt, seemed to react less harmfully with concrete than calcium chloride or magnesium chloride. Research on jointed concrete paving also found that water getting into the joints can lead to freeze-thaw damage, so keeping water out of them is part of winter care. For a lot that mostly carries cars, guidance says that kind of wear is often the main upkeep concern.
Building a parking lot in La Porte
The City of La Porte takes building permit applications online. LaPorte County's rule is that its Building Commissioner issues a building permit only when the general contractor and subcontractors are registered with the county. Before work starts we check with the office that covers your address, and when the job needs a permit or contractor registration we take care of it. We're based in La Porte and work across the cities around it, from Michigan City to South Bend, and if your city isn't listed, give us a call and ask.
If the lot raises a zoning question, the city's Community Development and Planning department guides property owners on zoning and development. Local storm sewer systems can add their own requirements before any digging starts. A new lot also adds impervious area, the hard surface rain can't soak into, and La Porte charges Class III parcels $5.49 a month for each 3,000 square feet of it, under a schedule effective 1/1/2022. More paving on those parcels means a higher monthly bill, so it's worth knowing before you settle on the size.
Talk through your lot before the pour
Once concrete sets there's no do-over, so call (219) 258-7141 or use the form and we'll take a hard look at it first.
If you've got a lot in mind and a few questions first, call and I'll talk you through it.
Tell us about your project