Concrete parking lot building in Brookings SD - built to handle trucks and winter

There's no honest number until I've walked the lot, because the ground under it and the trucks on it set most of the cost. Skimping on base work saves money on day one and costs you a new lot later, so a simpler layout or fewer new entrances is usually a better place to save. South Dakota puts a 2% excise tax on the gross receipts of construction projects, so ask any contractor how their bid accounts for it.

National paving guidance says the right building procedures can give you an economical concrete lot that serves well for many years with little maintenance. That makes the planning stage the time to ask how the plan fits your lot, and I'd rather you ask me those questions on site than after the pour.

Keep the joint seals in good repair, because national guidance says a working seal greatly cuts how much salty melt water gets in, and a failed one lets that water soak the concrete beside the joint. For a lot that freezes, ask whether the mix is air entrained, which means it has tiny air bubbles spread through it that give freezing water room to push. We talk with you about both, and about keeping those joints sealed, before the pour.

Most cracks come from a base that settles, water sitting under the slab, a pour in midday heat that leaves a weak top, or joints cut late or skipped. Concrete moves with the seasons, so a few small cracks are normal even on a good lot, and the joints keep them in lines we chose. We pour early in the day to stay out of the worst heat.

Plan on one inside city limits, because the City of Brookings issues building permits for all residential and commercial projects there and on nonfarm land in the joint jurisdictional area around the city. Most lots have a driveway in, and any new entrance, curb cut or change to an approach or public sidewalk needs a permit from the City Engineer's Office first. The lot also has to meet city zoning, including parking requirements and setbacks, and any exception goes to the Board of Adjustment. Out in the county, Brookings County Planning & Zoning takes building permit applications, and we check with the city or county office whenever it isn't clear what applies.

Then the site needs coverage under South Dakota's general stormwater permit for construction. That includes sites that are part of a bigger development plan or built in phases, so a lot that's small on its own can still fall under it. We'll look at the size of your project with you when I come out.