Commercial Line Striping

During the parking lot striping process, accessibility needs play a part in the layout and features. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) determines the rules all parking lots must meet to both provide access to your property for those with mobility issues and to protect you as the property owner from financial penalties for noncompliance.

The most recent standards were passed in 2010 and all new parking lots or parking lot renovations must now meet these requirements:

• Number of Total Accessible Spaces – Based on the total number of parking spaces, there must be a minimum number of accessible spaces. For the first 100 total parking spaces, there should be at least one accessible space for every 25 parking spaces. Between 100 and 200 spaces, there should be an additional accessible space for every 50. That means at 200 spaces, there should be 6 total accessible spaces. After 200 spaces, every 100 spaces should have an additional accessible space. 
• Number of Van Accessible Spaces – In addition to generally accessible spaces, there also needs to be van-accessible spaces to allow for wheelchair access. Between 1 and 200 total parking spaces, there should be at least one van accessible space (the van accessible space can be included as one of the total accessible spaces). Between 201 and 500, there should be 2, and after 501 total spaces, van accessible spaces should represent 1/6th of the total accessible spaces.
• Dimensions – For a standard handicap parking space striping, 8 feet is the minimum width. Vab accessible spaces need to be larger, at 11 feet is the minimum width. The length of both is that of a standard parking space, at 18 feet long. 
• Slope – All ADA parking spaces must have as little slope as possible. There is a maximum 1:50 ratio, where for every 50 inches in any direction, there is a maximum of 1 inch of slope. If there is too much sloping in any direction, we may need to consider re-paving this area to make it level. 
• Access Aisles – All spaces must have an adjacent access aisle to give passengers room for a wheelchair ramp or loading and unloading a mobility device. These must be 5 feet wide and can be shared by two spaces if that works with the layout.
• Location – The handicap spaces must be placed to provide the shortest distance from the parking lot to the door of the property. Multiple spaces can be dispersed throughout a parking lot if there are multiple entrances to a facility or the parking lot serves multiple businesses.
• Signage – A standard blue sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility must be mounted at all accessible spaces so drivers can identify which spots are reserved for those with mobility issues. The sign must be mounted at least 5 feet off the ground and include the “van accessible” descriptor for any applicable spaces. We are able to provide sign mounting services in addition to our line striping, to help make sure that the accessible spaces are properly set up. 
• Pavement Markings – The only required pavement marking per the federal law is hashing in the access aisles to keep people from parking there. However, while not required by law, adding the International Symbol of Accessibility to the pavement is standard in most parking lots to provide additional clarity. 

Parking lots at some types of businesses and facilities have different requirements. These include hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and physical therapy groups where the number of visitors with mobility concerns is likely to be higher. Hospitals require 10% of patient spaces to be accessible and outpatient rehabilitation needs 20% of spaces accessible.

Small parking lots containing 4 spaces or fewer have exceptions for signage, but must meet all other requirements.

These federal ADA requirements are the most general that the majority of commercial parking lots must meet. Many states and counties have passed their own handicap standards that must be taken into consideration when striping your parking lot. With our experience in ADA parking lot striping, we can perform a basic assessment of ADA compliancy for many of the properties we work with.

Who We Work With – Commercial Line Striping Clients

Delaware Valley Paving is an experienced commercial pavement provider, specializing in everything from new asphalt and concrete placement to ongoing services like maintenance and repair. Line striping is often a necessary service to support these installations, which means that over the course of our history, we have worked with many different commercial clients providing line striping and maintenance services to keep their parking lots, roads, and walkways looking their best.

We have the team and equipment necessary to support projects both large and small, and have worked with all of the following industries:

• Hospitals and Healthcare – Line striping is extremely important with properties that specialize in medical care, as there are those that need to park 24 hours a day in any visibility, those that need clearly marked handicap parking spots, and more. We are often called to provide not only re-striping, but also to create a grid that maximizes the space. 
• Retail and Big Box Stores – With such heavy usage, it’s not uncommon to find that the striping wears away faster, and that can both reflect poorly on the space and cause problems for vehicles trying to park on your lot. We’ll be there to provide longer lasting striping that is visible in the dark and will withstand heavy traffic. 
• Restaurants and Fast Food – In the restaurant world, many are dealing with very limited space, which means proper striping and traffic lines are critical for ensuring that everyone is able to park and drive through effectively. We always have pinpoint accuracy with our measurements for effective parking lot striping every time. 
• Malls and Shopping Centers – With so many parking spaces needed, not only is accuracy important, but also making sure that your shopping center meets all ADA requirements. If re-striping a shopping area for the first time in a long time, we can always discuss how to grid the lot to be more ADA compliant. 
• Business Parks and Office Buildings – Most commercial property managers are trying to find ways to save on costs while also meeting all necessary requirements. We offer competitive bids nationwide for all of our services, and can choose markings that make the most sense for your budget. 
• Airports – Airports can have standard placement for their parking lots, or more complex markings to direct traffic. We’re able support large scale line striping and can also add our concrete and asphalt repair services if needed.  
• Universities and Schools – You can find our work at educational institutions across the continental United States, including colleges/universities. We’re able to get in and out fast to prevent long disruptions to traffic. 
• Municipal Parking and Roadwork – We’re available to support the town, city, county, and state infrastructure investments with high quality linework made to last. Because late night driving and work is so common, our high visibility options provide safety and support for drivers and pedestrians throughout the region.
• Religious Institutions, and More – We work with churches, synagogues, new construction, warehouses and industrial facilities, and many other organizations throughout the East Coast and the rest of the United States. 

Our line striping services are customizable, available for projects both large and small. We have a highly trained team that understands the unique needs of different commercial property types and can adjust the lines to match those requirements.