Your city’s businesses and residents rely on a safe, well-maintained network of boulevards, neighborhood streets, and major arteries to secure goods, go to work, attend educational institutions, and encourage out-of-town visitors. Sidewalks, parking lots, nature trails, and sports courts can enhance residents’ and visitors’ quality of life. As a steward of your municipality’s funds, you want to ensure that your spending on paving projects will represent wise investments. When you solicit bids from municipal paving contractors, there are a few questions you should ask to help you determine which bidder will deliver the best value.
Questions to Ask for Municipal Paving Contractors | Atlanta, GA
How Many Similar Municipal Paving Projects Have You Completed?
An asphalt paving company could install dozens of residential driveways without acquiring the expertise or equipment to resurface a large municipal parking lot. Similarly, a contractor who has only handled traffic control within gated communities may be unable to safely control traffic on a major, high-speed artery without causing unnecessary bottlenecks and disruptions.
What Type of Asphalt Do You Plan to Use?
Asphalt companies manufacture a surprising variety of types, and some types are more suitable for specific applications than others. Any experienced contractor who offers asphalt paving services should explain why one type is better for your project than another. A qualified municipal asphalt paving contractor should also tell you everything about how this type of asphalt is manufactured, including the percentage of recycled materials that it contains.
How Will You Ensure the Asphalt Pavement Will Drain Properly?
Water standing on municipal asphalt paving can be a safety hazard, but it also increases the chances of pavement damage. Your potential contractor should be able to explain grade, crown, slope, catch basin, and other terms in plain language. Contractors should also be able to advise you on potential issues with subterranean drainage.
How Will You Prepare the Soil at the Site of the Municipality Paving Project?
Because an asphalt pavement requires a stable, strong base, the underlying soil’s preparation is critical. At the very least, the soil must be compacted thoroughly to produce a highly dense, even area on which the asphalt courses can be installed. If the soil is of a type that cannot be properly compacted, your contractor may have to amend it. Well-experienced local asphalt paving companies should be familiar with the different soil types in your area, the proper compaction techniques for each type, and the amendments that may be needed.
Do You Offer Paving Services to Maintain the Pavement?
Preventive maintenance is a critical part of a pavement’s long life. Prompt crack sealing, periodic sealcoating, and swift remediation of drainage issues can prevent or reduce the need for costly repairs or the premature reconstruction of the pavement. Ask candidates whether they offer pavement inspections to identify and correct minor issues before they become serious problems. At the very least, your contractor should be willing to inspect your pavement thoroughly after it is installed, and if any issues are found with the installation process, your contractor should be willing to address them.
The Surface Masters Can Help
The Surface Masters is a leading paving company serving municipalities, counties, and commercial clients throughout Atlanta, Marietta, and North Georgia. We have the skills, tools, and experience to handle projects of all sizes. Our paving services include sealcoating, asphalt resurfacing, parking lot striping, asphalt crack filler, pavement marking, and concrete repair and the installation of concrete dumpster pads, walkways, and ramps, curbs, and loading docks. Our goal is your complete satisfaction with our work. If you would like a free quote from a respected, honest paving company, fill out the online request form. If you would rather call us, we can be reached at 770-250-6392.
