The exterior of your commercial property can play a significant role in your business. You want to ensure that you maintain an aesthetically appealing, safe, and functional space for your employees and patrons. Your establishment can benefit from installing pavement to designate outdoor seating, a footpath, or a parking lot.

Whether you want to build a new paved area, maintain existing pavement, or repair damaged pavement, you will want to consult with a paving contractor. Before you meet with a contractor, you will want to make preparations to maximize the efficiency of this meeting. Read on to learn three crucial steps you will need to take in order to ensure proper planning before your next commercial paving project.

Define Your Paving Needs

The first step in the planning process for a paving project is to evaluate existing conditions regarding your pavement. Do you require new pavement? What is the land where you want to install the pavement like? And if you already have pavement, does it need expansion, seal coating, or repairs?

Know the desired results you would like and then the scope of the project. When you have a firm understanding of the project ahead of your meeting with a contractor, you can better communicate your goals.

You may also want to look into paving materials and options to ascertain which you might prefer for your project. For instance, would you like asphalt paving on your property or stone and gravel? You can learn details about paving processes online, but feel free to also ask your contractor any questions.

Research Your Local Paving Contractors

You might feel overwhelmed by the number of paving contractors in your area. The first place you can check out in order to narrow down your search for the best contractor for your job is the paving company’s website. There, you can learn details about their credentials and their services.

You can also look through images of prior paving projects in their gallery of work. If you have trouble finding this information on their website, this may be a red flag.

Look through online reviews of the company as well to see client testimonials about their past projects. They will feature honest feedback about their experiences that you can then consider before giving a contractor a call. This information can give you a solid idea of what to expect if you hire this contractor for your project.

Schedule a Consultation with Paving Experts

When you know what you would like from your project and find a promising contractor, you can give the paving company a call to schedule a consultation. The contractor can evaluate your pavement and discuss plans for your project. Then they can provide you with an estimated cost of their services at no cost to you.

Consider your budget prior to this meeting so that you can enter this conversation about the cost of your project with realistic boundaries in mind. This consultation makes for an ideal opportunity to ask your contractor any questions about their services or your specific goals. So it can be a good idea to brainstorm questions like this ahead of your meeting as well.