Space to pile plowed snow
The city wants parking lots, and the landscaping they require, laid out so snow can be plowed efficiently into storage areas on the lot. We mark that space in the plan before we set forms.
Concrete Parking Lot Building in Marshalltown IA - a lot that drains and holds up
Gravel rutting and water standing after every rain? We build a concrete lot that drains, plows easily and fits the city's layout rules.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete parking lot
Concrete parking lot building in Marshalltown, IA, means we lay out, grade and pour a paved lot that carries traffic, drains and leaves room for plowed snow. A lot designed and built for parking, rather than poured like an oversized driveway, can be economical and last many years with little maintenance.
Most of the lots we're called about are gravel that ruts every spring or old pavement that's breaking up and holding water. The price moves with the size of the lot, how much digging and base work the ground needs, how the water has to leave the site, and whether a curb gets cut for a new entrance. The schedule turns mostly on permits and the order of the work, since nothing gets poured until the city's side is settled. Your own figure comes from the estimate, written after I've seen the site.
The person who quotes it runs it
I come out to look at your site and write the estimate, and a small crew I lead does the work, so the person who planned your lot is there when it's poured.
A plan you can follow
You get the order of work from the first visit to the last pour, and if the weather's wrong on pour day, I'll tell you and move it rather than rush it.
Licensed, insured and easy to check
We're fully licensed and insured. Iowa requires contractors who earn at least $2,000 a year from construction to register with the state, and you can ask any contractor for that registration before you hire.
How we build your lot, step by step
I start by walking the site with you and settling the layout, because a lot has to work for plowing, drainage and the road it connects to, and that's hard to change once concrete is down. Then we dig out to firm ground and pack the base, so the subgrade, the ground the slab rests on, won't settle under traffic. We set forms to grade, pour, and give the top a broom finish, a light texture that helps tires and boots grip in rain and ice. Next we cut control joints, shallow saw cuts that give the slab a planned place to crack, and we keep the concrete covered and damp while it cures and gains strength before anyone drives on it. If the budget gets tight, I'd cut finish work before base work, because nobody sees the base on day one but it decides how the lot holds up for years. Once it's in, I'll go over what keeping the joints sealed does for it each winter.
Lots usually come with other work. Light poles, a sign, a wall or a small building on the site need concrete footings under them, and we pour those in the same plan so nothing waits on anything else. If the building the lot serves has settled, foundation raising before we pave lets the new grades meet the doors at the right height. We're based in Marshalltown and do this work in Newton, Grinnell, Nevada and other cities around it.
What a Marshalltown lot has to make room for
Five feet back from the edges
In Marshalltown no part of a parking area can sit closer than five feet to the street's public right-of-way, an alley or a property line, so the paving stops short of each one.
Screening next to homes
If a business lot sits beside homes or a residential district, the city requires it to be screened, so we leave room for that screening when we draw the layout.
Entrances off county roads
A drive or entrance coming off the county's right-of-way needs a permit on file with the county engineer's office. We handle that paperwork early, because the entrance sets how the whole lot meets the road.
Get a free estimate for your parking lot
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, walk the site and write up the estimate, and it's free with no obligation.
The size of the site
A rough size of the area you want paved, even paced off, lets me plan how much base work and concrete we're talking about before I come out.
Where the entrance goes
Tell us where cars will come in and which road they come off, because the entrance decides which permits we line up and when we can schedule the pour.
Any homes next door
Let us know if the lot borders homes, since screening and the five-foot setback both change where the paving can go and how much of the site we pave.
Concrete paving and site work examples
These photos show broom finishes, joint layouts, curbs and drive entrances, the kinds of choices we can talk through for your lot.
Parking lot questions from Marshalltown owners
The questions property owners ask us most about paving a lot in Marshalltown, from permits and drainage to winter salt and cost.
How much does it cost to build a concrete parking lot in Marshalltown?
I give a written figure after I've walked your site, because no two lots need the same amount of work. Size and base work set most of it, and the shape, the number of entrances and curb cuts, and how far water has to be carried move it from there. A simple layout that drains on its own costs less than one needing heavy grading.
Do I need a permit to cut the curb for a new parking lot entrance in Marshalltown?
Yes, cutting or removing any curbing takes a written permit from the City Engineer, and the city's Planning and Zoning forms also list a Parking Lot Permit. We check what your job needs before we set a date, and when a permit or inspection is part of it, we handle the paperwork and build the schedule around it.
What does Marshalltown require for parking lot drainage?
The city requires parking areas, driveways and access drives to be paved with an all-weather surface and graded and drained to handle the surface water that collects on them. So the slope and the spot where water leaves your lot get drawn up with the paving, not worked out on pour day, and concrete covers the all-weather part.
How do I keep a concrete parking lot from flaking in winter?
Get the pour right, then keep the joints sealed. The flaking is called scaling, where the top paste layer comes off with freeze-thaw cycles, and road salt makes it worse. Air-entrained concrete, mixed with tiny air pockets, usually resists it when it's placed, finished and cured well. A working joint seal greatly cuts how much salty water gets in, so keep seals in repair.
When does a parking lot project need a state stormwater permit in Iowa?
When construction disturbs one acre or more, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources requires stormwater permit coverage. A smaller site still counts if it's part of a larger common plan that will disturb more than one acre, so a lot built as one phase of a bigger project can need it. Tell me about the whole plan at the estimate.
Plan your lot with Marshalltown Concrete
Call (641) 354-2469 or send the form, since permits and layout come first and an early start means an earlier pour date.