A parking lot that floods after every rainstorm is more than an inconvenience. It is a slip and fall liability waiting to happen, a pavement deterioration problem that accelerates with every wet-dry cycle, a customer and tenant experience issue, and in many cases a stormwater compliance concern. The same applies to access roads. Standing water on a commercial access road creates vehicle handling hazards, contributes to base course saturation that leads to premature road surface failure, and signals to anyone using the property that water management on your site has not been properly addressed.

A catch basin is a grated inlet installed at a low point in a paved surface that intercepts surface water and routes it into an underground pipe network for discharge. On commercial parking lots, catch basins are positioned at the grade-determined low points where water naturally concentrates, and connected in series through a shared underground pipe network that carries all collected water to a single discharge outlet. We size every catch basin and every pipe section in the network for the peak runoff volume the drainage area generates, so the system handles your worst storms, not just average ones.

A parking lot trench drain, also called a linear drain or channel drain, is a continuous linear collection system installed flush with the pavement surface that intercepts sheet flow across the lot before it reaches a building entrance, a low point, or a grade transition that would cause it to pool. Unlike a catch basin that collects water at a single point, a trench drain collects water across its full length, which makes it the right tool when water is sheeting across a wide area of pavement rather than concentrating at one spot. We install parking lot trench drain systems using properly rated channel bodies and grates sized for vehicle traffic loads, connected to underground discharge pipe that carries collected water off the site.

Sometimes the most effective parking lot drainage solution is correcting the surface grade of the pavement itself. A parking lot with inadequate cross slope does not sheet water toward the collection points the way it should. A lot where the grade has shifted due to base settlement directs water toward the building rather than away from it. Where pavement grade corrections are the right fix, we work with the pavement contractor to ensure the regraded surface drains toward the catch basins or trench drains that are collecting the water. Pavement grade and drainage infrastructure have to be designed together to produce a parking lot that actually drains.

Large parking lots surrounded by landscaped or unpaved areas can receive runoff from those adjacent areas in addition to the rain falling directly on the pavement. A French drain or curtain drain installed at the perimeter of the parking lot intercepts that offsite or edge-of-pavement water before it enters the paved surface and adds to the volume the surface drainage system needs to handle. Perimeter drainage is a common addition to parking lot drainage systems on commercial properties where the lot sits at the base of a slope or adjacent to a landscaped area that drains toward the pavement.

A driveway channel drain, also called a driveway trench drain, is a linear surface drain installed across the width of an access road or driveway at the point where surface water needs to be intercepted. It is the right solution when water sheets down the length of a paved access road and needs to be collected before it reaches a building entrance, a loading apron, or a grade transition that would cause it to pool. We install driveway trench drain systems using channel bodies and grates rated for the vehicle loads specific to your access road, connected to underground pipe that routes collected water to a compliant discharge point.

Catch basins positioned at low points and grade breaks along commercial access roads intercept surface water before it pools and routes it underground to the site drainage network. On longer access roads with multiple grade changes, a series of catch basins connected through a shared pipe run collects water at each low point and delivers it to a single discharge outlet. We size access road catch basins for the drainage area they serve and the runoff volumes they need to handle during design storm events.

Where space alongside a commercial access road permits, a grassed swale parallel to the road edge conveys surface water that sheets off the pavement along the road edge toward a catch basin or discharge point at the end of the road. Swales slow surface water velocity, reduce the erosion that concentrated flow causes along road edges, and provide a degree of water quality improvement before discharge. We construct roadside swales as part of complete access road drainage systems on commercial properties where the site layout allows for this approach.

A commercial access road that lacks adequate crown or cross slope does not shed water to the edges the way it should. Water that sits on the pavement surface accelerates pavement deterioration, reduces vehicle traction, and creates the standing water conditions that are a safety concern for drivers and pedestrians. We assess access road grades and correct them where inadequate cross slope is contributing to surface drainage problems, working in coordination with the pavement contractor where resurfacing is part of the scope.

We install trench drain and channel drain systems across a range of commercial applications on the Connecticut Shoreline. Parking lot trench drains intercept sheet flow before it reaches building entrances or low points. Driveway channel drains collect water sheeting down access road grades. Loading dock trench drains keep dock areas clear of water from roof leaders and wash-down operations. Garage entry drains prevent water from entering below-grade parking structures from the surface. In every application, the trench drain body and grate are selected for the traffic load and surface material of the specific installation, and the drain is connected to underground discharge pipe sized for the volume it will collect.

The grate material and pattern for a trench drain matters more than most commercial property owners realize. A grate that is too open catches heels and creates a trip hazard in pedestrian areas. A grate that is too heavy creates installation complications in lightly trafficked zones. A grate that is not rated for heavy vehicle loads fails under truck traffic. We specify the right grate for the location and load condition of every trench drain we install, and we connect every system to discharge infrastructure that can handle the water it collects.

Parking lot and access road drainage system cost depends on the type of system being installed, the size of the drainage area it needs to serve, the number of collection points required, the length of underground pipe connecting those points to a discharge outlet, pavement cutting and restoration requirements, and site access conditions for equipment. A single catch basin installation with a short pipe run to daylight is a different scope from a full parking lot trench drain system connected to a multi-basin catch basin network discharging to a detention basin.

Drainage Pro of CT installs parking lot drainage systems, trench drains, channel drains, and access road drainage for commercial properties across 13 towns on the Connecticut Shoreline. We are based in Clinton and serve commercial properties from East Haven and Branford in the west to East Lyme and Old Lyme in the east, and inland through Killingworth, North Branford, and Durham. If you have been searching for parking lot drainage solutions, trench drain installation near you, or access road drainage contractors on the Connecticut Shoreline, we are the dedicated exterior drainage company serving your area.

If your parking lot floods after rain events, your access road has standing water that is not clearing, or surface water is sheeting toward your building from your paved areas, we are ready to come out and solve it. We serve commercial property owners, property managers, and facilities directors across the Connecticut Shoreline and we will assess your site, identify the cause, and give you a clear and honest plan with itemized pricing before any work begins. No pressure. No guessing. Just a parking lot drainage solution built for your site.

Parking Lot and Access Road Drainage on the Connecticut Shoreline

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Trench Drain and Channel Drain Installation for Commercial Sites

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Parking Lot and Access Road Drainage Contractors Serving the Connecticut Shoreline

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