Concrete Parking Lot Building in Goleta CA - a lot that drains where it should
Cracked, sunken or puddled parking lot? We plan the drainage first, then pour concrete pavement built for the traffic your lot actually carries.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What goes into building a concrete parking lot in Goleta?
Concrete parking lot building in Goleta, CA means forming, pouring and finishing concrete pavement for your parking area and the driveways into it, built for the traffic each part of the lot will carry.
Most lots I'm called about are either an old lot that's cracked, sunk or holding water, or bare ground next to a new building that needs parking. The price moves mostly with the paved area, how much old paving has to come out and how heavy the traffic is, and the schedule turns less on the pour than on the city's stormwater review, which depends on how much hard surface you're adding or replacing. Your estimate lays out the work and the price for your own lot before anything's decided.
Is a concrete parking lot right for your property?
Old lot breaking up
Cracks, sunken panels and potholes across a lot usually mean the base underneath has given out.
Water pooling in the stalls
When rain sits in the stalls or runs toward the building, the grade needs fixing, not another patch.
New building needs parking
A new building's lot goes best when drainage and layout are planned together before anything's paved.
Gravel lot getting rutted
A gravel lot that ruts, washes out or throws dust is usually ready for concrete pavement.
How we build a concrete parking lot
We start with drainage, and we sit down with you on it early, before the parking layout is locked in, because that's when you still have real choices about where the water goes. The county's stormwater guide makes the same point, that low impact development, which plans a site so more rain soaks in or stays on the property, belongs in the earliest decisions, since a finished parking layout can box it in. Then we size the work to the traffic each part of the lot will see. On the job we dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the ground and base the concrete sits on, set forms, place rebar, the steel that keeps cracks from pulling apart, where the loads call for it, and pour early in the day so the top doesn't dry weak and dusty in the heat. We give it a broom finish, a light texture so tires and shoes grip in the rain, and cut control joints, shallow lines that give the concrete a straight place to crack, before it can crack on its own. When money gets tight, the base is the first thing people want to cut because nobody sees it on day one, and it's the one place I won't, because a lot that settles with the dirt under it cracks no matter how good the surface looks.
A lot usually brings other work with it. We pour concrete footings for anything that has to stand in or along the lot, use concrete cutting to take out old paving cleanly where it meets concrete you're keeping, and if the building beside an old lot has settled, we can talk about foundation raising while the ground is open.
New lot on open ground
This suits a new building or a site being paved for the first time. It's the easiest time to fit drainage and stormwater features, because nothing's in the way yet.
Full tear-out and rebuild
This suits a lot where the base has failed and the cracking or sinking runs across most of it. We take out the old paving, rebuild the base and fix the drainage that never worked.
Replacing failed sections
This suits a lot that's mostly sound with a few broken or sunken panels. We cut out just those areas and repour them, and I'll tell you up front that new concrete won't match the old color exactly.
What happens after you call about a parking lot?
Call or send the form
You call (805) 285-4985 or send the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Have the lot's rough size handy if you know it.
I walk the lot with you
I ask what the concrete has to carry, where the water goes now and which office covers your address, then write up an estimate. You get the scope and the price in writing, so you know what you'd be paying for before you decide.
Clear the permits before digging
Work starts once the permits your lot needs are in hand. In Goleta, a larger lot that uses underground infiltration chambers, buried units that let water soak into the ground, or the city's alternative compliance route gets a longer review, so I set the start date around it.
Form, pour, finish and walk
I run the job on site from forming to finishing, and at the end we clean up and walk the lot with you. Keep cars off it until I tell you it's cured enough to drive on.
Standard or pervious concrete for your parking lot?
Pervious fits light traffic, if you'll keep vacuuming it.
Pervious concrete is porous, so rain runs through it into a base layer that stores the water, which cuts down what runs off your site. It's traditionally used for parking areas and light-traffic pavement, and its concrete and base layers are designed around the storm, the ground below and the traffic.
It works like a filter, so it clogs unless the built-up sediment gets vacuumed out regularly, how often depending on how much dirt reaches it. I'll be clear about that up front, and if nobody will keep up the vacuuming, I'd put in standard concrete with the drainage done right.
Examples of concrete work
Look through these examples of concrete flatwork, the flat pours like parking areas, driveways, walks and patios, to get a feel for finishes and layouts.
Get a free on-site estimate for your parking lot
Tell us the lot's size in square feet, whether it replaces old paving and whether the work reaches the street. We respond within 1 business day to set a time for me to come out, with no pressure to book.
Why Goleta property owners call Goleta Concrete for parking lots
The owner on every job
We're based in Goleta, and I come out to look at every lot we bid and write the estimate myself. Then I run the crew on site through the pour and the finish, so the person who planned your lot is there when it's built.
In business since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and before that I learned to finish on a crew of people who'd done it for decades. That's why I set everything up before the truck shows, because once it's poured there's no do-over.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. Concrete pavement is work the Contractors State License Board describes as a concrete contractor's, so it's worth checking that anyone bidding your lot holds that license.
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job is the promise we make, and it covers a parking lot the same as a patio. Call (805) 285-4985 or send the form to set up the first visit.
Parking lot questions we hear in Goleta
How much does a concrete parking lot cost in Goleta?
The cost comes down to the paved area, what's under any old paving and how heavy the traffic is, so I price it after I've walked your lot. Pervious concrete, stormwater features the city's review calls for, access upgrades and work at the street can all add to it. The estimate puts your lot's price in writing before you decide.
What causes cracks in a concrete parking lot?
Most cracks come from a base that was raked flat instead of dug out and packed, water getting under the concrete, traffic heavier than it was built for, or joints cut late or skipped. Concrete shrinks as it cures, so some cracking is normal, and the control joints are there to make it happen along straight lines instead of across a stall.
How long does a new concrete parking lot take before you can park on it?
The pour is the short part, and the wait that matters is curing, the time the concrete needs to harden and gain strength before it carries cars. I'll give you the date to open the lot based on your mix and the weather, because driving on it early is how edges chip and panels crack.
Will replacing an old parking lot require accessibility upgrades in California?
It can. The state architect's office advises that access rules adopted since your site was last built may require upgrades when you alter, add to or structurally repair it, so leave room in the scope and budget for that when you replace a lot.
Do I need a permit to work on the curb or driveway apron in Goleta?
Yes, Goleta requires an Encroachment Permit before work starts in the public right of way, the strip along the street, and its list includes sidewalk, curb, gutter and driveway apron work. If your lot's driveway ties into the street, we plan that permit into the job from the start.
Does a parking lot with dumpster access need a different design?
It can, because the area where a trash truck pulls in may need special consideration in the design, and some driveways carry fairly heavy loads. Tell us early if your lot will have dumpster access, so it's planned in before the layout is set.
Planning a new or rebuilt lot?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come out, walk the lot with you and write up the work and price.
Other work that goes with a lot
Concrete parking lot building and Goleta's stormwater rules
In Goleta, how much hard surface you create or replace sets the stormwater steps, and the city's Public Works Department issues the permit. Under 2,500 square feet, you don't need a Stormwater Permit, but the work still follows construction best management practices, the standard steps for keeping dirt and runoff contained, and the design adds at least one low impact development feature. At 2,500 square feet or more, you need a Stormwater Permit from Public Works. A lot that isn't for a single-family home and creates or replaces 5,000 square feet or more of net hard surface also needs an operation and maintenance plan, plus a drainage and stormwater facilities agreement recorded with the County Clerk-Recorder's office. If the job clears, grades or fills land, we check whether it needs the state water board's Construction General Permit, and any project that does needs the city's Stormwater Permit too. The city's Planning and Environmental Review staff make the final call on which permits your project needs and what fees apply, including whether pervious concrete counts toward your stormwater features, and when your lot needs a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections.
We work in Goleta and the cities around it along the South Coast and beyond. Plenty of the older lots we see were paved before anyone planned for runoff, so water heads for the building or straight into the street, and we fix the grades and drains before we talk about the surface, the same way we do on lots in Isla Vista and Santa Barbara.