Creating The Perfect Car Park For Your Business: Our Comprehensive Guide

As any driver knows, one of the hardest parts of owning a vehicle is finding parking for it in a public place.  

Americans spend an average of 25 minutes and $3,000 345 per year day on car parking-related expenses, which adds up quickly to become a serious burden.  

For drivers who have to take their cars to work, it can seem convenient to park at a company car park, but not all businesses have them. 

If you’re a company leader who wants to add value to drivers, both those who work for you and anyone visiting your business, then creating a car park for your business could be a valuable strategy.  

It can help you to offer convenience to customers and employees alike, as well as saving time for key company stakeholders.  

If your business premises doesn’t already have a car park, or you’re building a new base from scratch, then you’ll need to consider creating your own car parking facilities.  

This guide will help you to understand all the key factors involved in building a car park for your business and allow you to make informed choices.  

Consider Vehicle Capacity  

A core consideration when you’re building a car park is to think about how many vehicles it will need to hold. Businesses that are looking to grow should make sure that their car park is scaleable by choosing more space than they need currently to allow for more vehicles in the future. As well as staff vehicles, you also need to think about visitor and customer cars, as these will need to be parked temporarily in your car park. For retail businesses, you might need to consider a separate space for staff and customer parking. You’ll also need to consider loading and unloading vehicles. Calculating capacity for your car park can be challenging, especially if you run a growing business, so consider choosing a large piece of land for your car park. You can then expand in the future if required in the future.  

Compare Indoor Vs Outdoor Parking  

Another vital factor you need to take account of factor into your plan for your company car park is whether it is indoors or outside. Outdoor car parks are common, as they are cheaper and easier to build and don’t require as much maintenance as indoor structures. However, indoor car parking can offer additional security and safety for car drivers, as they can exit their vehicles and enter the building directly without having to step outside. Also, covered spaces protect cars from the wind and rain, which can improve their longevity and offer added value to users. So, when you’re considering a car park type, you need to think about the budget and what car park users will want and expect.  

Select The Right Materials For Your Car Park  

When you’re planning your car park, you need to make sure that you use a durable, flexible material that will be able to withstand the weight and movement of many vehicles. A popular solution for car parks is asphalt, which is sometimes known as bitumen. Asphalt is a popular choice for car park surfaces as it is durable, long-lasting and weatherproof, meaning it’s great for indoor and outdoor car parking facilities. Asphalt is made from petroleum, so it is black in colour, making it ideal for marking using white or brightly coloured paint. Leading asphalt supplier Hanson offers a selection of asphalt solutions suitable  for all types of  car park. Explore this range here to find out more about their products and how they could help you to create the ideal car park for your business.  

Set A Budget For The Project 

Building a car park for your company can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for an enclosed outdoor space to tens of thousands for a multi-level indoor car parking facility. So, you need to make sure that you understand all the costs involved before you make any major decisions. Remember that it’s not just building the car park; you also need to consider how much it will cost to manage and maintain over its lifetime. Do your research and get quotes from suppliers, then work out how much everything will cost and whether it will add enough value to your business to be worth the effort and projected expense. In some cases, you might be able to rent out additional car parking spaces to other companies or visitors to the local area, which could help you offset some of the cost of building and managing your car parking facilities.  

Work Out How You’ll Manage The Car Park 

Company car parks can’t be free-for-alls, particularly if you’re allowing staff and customers to use them. It would help if you made sure there are clearly defined rules that inform them about where they can park and for how long. There are many ways to manage a car park and ensure that only authorized vehicles use it, including using fob systems, providing time-stamped tickets and more. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages and comes at a cost, so you’ll need to make sure you understand all the core factors before you make your choice. Consider what the best approach is for your business, and then explore the options that car parking software and management companies can provide to find the best solution for your organization and everyone who will use its car park.  

Choose The Right Layout For Your Company Car Park 

A car park is more than just a large empty space where drivers can put their cars. It needs a layout with clear indications of where drivers can park, who can park where and how to reach key destinations, such as the exit. If customers or the general public will be using your car park, for example, if you manage a shopping mall, then you also need to consider offering spaces for drivers with specific needs. Many public car parks have disabled spaces and spaces specifically for parents with young children in the car, so you need to consider this and how you will make these spaces beneficial for users. For example, car parking spaces for parents are usually closer to the entrance of the building, so that parents don’t have to carry their children far. These considerations are key to the success of your car parking facilities, so make sure that you take the time to create a comprehensive layout and review it with key business shareholders before you get the construction project underway.  

Creating A Car Park For Your Business: Final Thoughts 

Offering your staff and visitors access to a private company car park adds value to your business. It’s particularly vital for employee retention, as providing a car parking space for staff is important and can reduce their stress and costs. Building the right car park can take time and effort, but these are the core considerations you need to take into account. By being systematic and working to create the perfect car park for your organization, you can add value to your business premises and support drivers who work for, and with, your company.