Commercial Parking Lot Construction
New retail plaza lot from subgrade through asphalt, curbing, drainage, and line painting — built as one schedule so the plaza could open on time.
Site Overview
Scope:
A full parking lot build for a retail plaza: subgrade prep, drainage grading, concrete curbs, asphalt paving, and finished stall striping. The lot had to take regular passenger traffic and periodic delivery trucks at the rear lane.
Why it mattered:
A plaza lot is the first thing customers drive on. If the grade is wrong, water ponds at the entrance. If the base is light, the drive aisles rut in the first winter.
4.9 Google Rating
The Challenge
Site conditions:
The civil grades had to hit existing door thresholds and a low storm inlet at the west corner. The rear lane also needed a thicker section for truck turning.
The Approach
How we handled it:
Subgrade was proof-rolled and soft spots were cut out before aggregate went down. We set curbs first so the asphalt could lock to a hard edge, paved the truck lane as a heavier section, and striped after the surface cured enough to hold paint.
Service Areas
Proudly Serving
Calgary & Area
Based in Calgary, our crews take on commercial excavation, utility, paving, and land development projects throughout Southern and Central Alberta.
Calgary
- Downtown
- Beltline
- Inglewood
- Kensington
- Bridgeland
- Sunalta
- NW Calgary
- NE Calgary
- SE Calgary
Calgary Metro
- Airdrie
- Cochrane
- Chestermere
- Okotoks
- High River
- Strathmore
- Crossfield
- Irricana
- Langdon
Southern Alberta
- Red Deer
- Lethbridge
- Medicine Hat
- Canmore
- Olds
- Innisfail
- Brooks
- Taber
- Claresholm
Frequently Asked Questions About This Parking Lot
Everything you need to know before starting your next project with Altera Construction.
How long does a new commercial lot take?
This plaza lot was built in just under three weeks from subgrade to striping. Cure time for asphalt and paint depends on weather.
Do you include curbs and line painting?
Yes. This scope covered concrete curbs, asphalt, and finished stall and aisle painting so the lot opened as one package.
How do you handle drainage on a new lot?
The lot is graded to the storm inlets on the civil drawings. We check elevations at drains, curbs, and door thresholds before paving.
Can part of the lot stay open during construction?
Sometimes. We can phase paving so one aisle or entrance stays usable, but a new lot is faster and cleaner when we can take the whole plate.
What traffic can this lot handle?
The section was designed for regular cars plus delivery trucks in the rear lane. Heavier industrial traffic needs a thicker base and mix.