5 Steps to Designing an Effective Parking Lot

Whether you own a commercial complex, grocery store, or fitness center, your business property will likely need a parking area to accommodate visitors. There are a lot of complicated decisions you’ll need to make to achieve the right parking lot design. Before you start this commercial paving project, here are five factors to keep in mind during planning.  

How to Design a Parking Lot
1. Determine Dimensions
Using measurements from surveys and property blueprints, determine the location and size of the lot. With the basic dimensions ready, you can create a visual layout of your commercial paving plans. These plans should proportionately illustrate parking spaces, entrances, exits, walkways, drainage features, and other visible details.

2. Choose the Angle of Spaces
If you have a high-traffic area that sees a lot of visitors throughout the day, consider angling parking spaces between 45 and 60 degrees. This positioning will make it much easier for visitors to safely pull in and out of their spaces.

If your lot is designed for longer-term parking—such as for overnight visitors or employees—90-degree angles will give you a higher number of parking spaces and efficiently use the available space.

3. Address Accessibility Requirements
Connecticut laws dictate how many reserved handicap spaces you must include in your parking lot based on the number of available spaces. Make sure your lot plans include a compliant amount of handicap spaces and that each is sized appropriately.

4. Pick Pavement Thickness
Consult with your commercial paving contractor to determine the appropriate thickness for the lot’s asphalt. General-use commercial lots should be about 4.5 inches deep. However, if the area will be exposed to excessive weight—such as that of delivery trucks—the asphalt may need to be as deep as 7.5 inches. You might also need a thicker lot if the soil composition and integrity are poor.  

5. Layout Markings & Signs
Visitors should be able to use a parking lot intuitively. That’s why it’s crucial to identify all markings and signs that will direct traffic. For example, it should be clear where visitors can and cannot park, as well as what direction to drive. 


If you need reliable asphalt paving or snow removal, contact Guarco Construction in Granby, CT. We are family-owned and -operated, and have served Hartford County and the surrounding areas since 1974. We specialize in commercial and residential paving and snow removal. We are renowned for their friendly, dependable service, attention to detail, and competitive rates. Learn more about us online or call (860) 278-5558 to schedule your snow removal or asphalt paving.