AirSprayTech Academy Certificate Program
Professional Line Striping for Contractors
Article 03 of 24
Conducting the Site Survey and Prejob Evaluation
The Site Survey Is Where the Job Really Begins
A site survey is not a quick drive through the parking lot. It is a
structured evaluation used to determine what work is required, what
conditions may affect the installation, what hazards must be controlled,
and what the project will actually cost.
A careful survey helps prevent missed quantities, unsuitable material
selection, production delays, adhesion failures, traffic conflicts,
accessibility mistakes, unplanned mobilizations, and arguments over
pre-existing damage. It gives the contractor facts instead of assumptions.
Prepare Before Visiting the Site
Review the available plans, specifications, photographs, proposal
request, prior maintenance records, and customer instructions before
arriving. Prepare a list of unanswered questions and bring the tools
needed to collect reliable information.
Recommended Survey Equipment
- Measuring wheel
- Tape measure and straightedge
- Digital or laser measuring device
- Level or digital slope meter
- Camera or mobile device
- Site plan or printed aerial image
- Clipboard, field forms, and marking pens
- Chalk or temporary marking materials
- Flashlight for covered or poorly lit areas
- High-visibility garment
- Other PPE required by the site
Establish the Project Boundaries
Begin by identifying the exact limits of the project. A property may
contain multiple parking areas, drives, loading docks, fire lanes,
parking structures, private roads, employee areas, customer areas,
warehouse aisles, and adjoining properties.
Mark the project boundaries on a plan or aerial image. Identify surfaces
and areas that are excluded. If the customer says, “Stripe everything,”
ask the customer to walk the property with you and confirm what
“everything” includes.
Record the name and authority of the person who confirms the project
limits. Verbal directions given during a survey should later be included
in the written proposal or scope.
Identify the Pavement Type
Pavement-marking performance depends heavily on the surface beneath the
marking. Divide the property into areas based on pavement type and
condition.
Asphalt
Determine whether the asphalt is new, aged, oxidized, recently sealcoated,
patched, oil-contaminated, polished, or deteriorated. New asphalt may
contain oils that can affect some marking materials. Weak or loose
sealcoat can separate from the pavement and take the new marking with it.
Concrete
Look for curing compounds, sealers, densifiers, smooth finishing,
laitance, moisture, contamination, tire rubber, spalling, and previous
coatings. A surface can appear clean while still containing a treatment
that interferes with adhesion.
Existing Coatings and Markings
Identify the apparent material type and condition. Look for peeling,
checking, cracking, chalking, poor adhesion, excessive buildup, bleeding,
discoloration, and incompatible repairs. New material applied over a
poorly bonded marking may fail with the old layer.
Evaluate Surface Condition
Walk the entire work area. Do not evaluate the pavement from a vehicle.
Record conditions that could affect preparation, adhesion, appearance,
layout, equipment movement, safety, or production.
- Dirt, dust, sand, gravel, and vegetation
- Oil, grease, fuel, hydraulic fluid, and chemical spills
- Standing water, damp areas, and drainage problems
- Loose or failing sealcoat
- Cracks, potholes, spalls, patches, and utility cuts
- Smooth, polished, or contaminated concrete
- Curing compounds, sealers, or unknown treatments
- Failing or excessively thick existing markings
- Tire rubber, chewing gum, and deposited debris
- Areas repaired with materials different from the surrounding pavement
Photograph each significant condition and show its location on the site
plan. Include a measuring device in close-up photographs when the size
of a defect matters.
Examine the Existing Layout
Determine whether the project is a direct restripe, a partial redesign,
or a completely new layout. Do not assume the existing layout complies
with current requirements or the customer’s intended use.
Measure representative stalls, drive aisles, accessible spaces, access
aisles, fire lanes, loading areas, crosswalks, and setbacks. Confirm the
number of spaces and identify locations where faded or removed markings
make the layout uncertain.
Look beyond the paint. Columns, islands, curbs, drains, light poles,
wheel stops, signposts, loading docks, cart corrals, dumpster enclosures,
gates, and building entrances can affect the layout and the safe movement
of vehicles and pedestrians.
Accessible Parking Requires More Than a Symbol
Accessible parking evaluation includes the number and type of spaces,
parking-space width, access-aisle width, markings, identification signs,
vertical clearance where applicable, slopes, and the connection to an
accessible route.
Under the 2010 ADA Standards, parking spaces and access aisles are
addressed principally in Sections 208 and 502. Section 502.4 limits
slopes in parking spaces and access aisles to 1:48 in all directions,
subject to the complete standard and applicable requirements.
State and local accessibility requirements may be more restrictive or
contain additional markings and signage requirements. The striping
contractor should not promise accessibility compliance based only on
paint. Conditions involving slopes, routes, ramps, signs, or design
should be referred to the responsible designer, owner, or authority.
Evaluate Traffic and Work-Area Hazards
Observe how the property is actually used. Traffic conditions during a
quiet morning survey may be very different during deliveries, shift
changes, school arrival, customer peaks, emergency operations, or
special events.
Look for Hazards Such As:
- Moving customer and employee vehicles
- Delivery trucks and loading operations
- Forklifts and industrial vehicles
- Pedestrian crossings and building entrances
- Blind corners and poor sight distance
- Slopes that allow equipment to roll
- Low overhead clearance
- Poor lighting and nighttime visibility
- Heat, sun exposure, and limited drinking-water access
- Nearby ignition sources or restricted areas
- Public access to wet paint and operating equipment
Use the survey to determine whether the project needs closures,
barricades, flaggers, spotters, phased work, off-hour scheduling,
additional lighting, or coordination with facility security and
management.
Determine Access and Logistics
Production can be lost when a crew arrives and cannot access the work.
Determine where vehicles, trailers, paint, fuel, stencils, barricades,
and waste will be staged. Confirm gate dimensions, entry procedures,
security requirements, parking restrictions, and work-hour limitations.
Identify restrooms, water, lighting, electrical service when required,
equipment-fueling areas, emergency exits, and spill-response resources.
Ask whether the crew must attend an orientation, provide identification,
obtain permits, or comply with facility-specific safety rules.
Determine who will remove vehicles, shopping carts, pallets, dumpsters,
and other obstructions. State that responsibility in the proposal.
Waiting for an area to be cleared is real project time and should not
be treated as free labor.
Study Drainage and Environmental Conditions
Locate low areas, drains, gutters, irrigation zones, roof discharge,
shaded areas, and places where water remains after rain. Persistent
moisture can delay the work, interfere with adhesion, extend drying
time, or cause early failure.
Consider the time of day. A dry surface during the afternoon may be wet
from irrigation or condensation the following morning. A shaded surface
may remain colder and wetter than surrounding pavement.
Identify sensitive areas where dust, cleaning residue, paint, solvent,
removed marking debris, or wash water could enter a drain or leave the
property. Plan containment, cleanup, and waste handling before work begins.
Count and Measure the Work
Separate the survey into measurable categories. Record lineal feet,
line width, color, number of coats when specified, symbols, arrows,
letters, numbers, curbs, removal areas, and special markings.
Do not count every marking as though it requires the same labor.
Stencils, crosshatching, curbs, wheel-stop areas, irregular layouts,
confined spaces, color changes, and handwork can be much slower than
uninterrupted straight lines.
Record quantities in a form that another estimator or project manager
can understand and verify. The survey notes should remain useful after
the original estimator is no longer present.
Prejob Survey Checklist
- Confirm the customer and project location.
- Identify the project boundaries.
- Verify the current plans and intended layout.
- Identify pavement types and surface treatments.
- Document contamination and pavement deterioration.
- Evaluate existing marking condition and compatibility.
- Measure representative layout dimensions.
- Evaluate accessible parking conditions.
- Identify vehicle, pedestrian, and equipment hazards.
- Determine traffic-control and closure requirements.
- Confirm access, staging, storage, and work hours.
- Identify drainage and environmental concerns.
- Measure and categorize the work.
- Photograph existing conditions and project limits.
- List questions requiring written clarification.
- Obtain customer confirmation of the agreed scope.
Turn the Survey into a Workable Plan
After leaving the site, organize the measurements, photographs,
drawings, and notes while the visit is still fresh. Identify conditions
that affect price, schedule, safety, equipment, material selection, or
warranty.
A good site survey should support the estimate, proposal, job hazard
planning, crew instructions, material order, equipment list, traffic
control, production schedule, inspection plan, and final project record.
When the survey performs all of those functions, it becomes one of the
contractor’s most valuable business tools.
Professional responsibility:
A contractor’s site survey does not replace professional design,
engineering, accessibility review, traffic engineering, or decisions
by the authority having jurisdiction. Document uncertain conditions
and obtain written direction before pricing or performing affected work.
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