When a car park is resurfaced, the markings go with the old surface. Planing removes them and the new tarmac covers whatever is left, so the whole layout has to be set out and marked again from nothing. Handled well, that is the cheapest moment you will ever have to put the layout right.
The part that catches sites out is what happens between the two. Resurfacing is usually planned in detail, with programmes, phasing and traffic management, and the markings are treated as something that will follow on afterwards. Then the new surface is laid, the site reopens, and for days or weeks drivers are parking on a clean black surface with nothing on it to tell them where.
Who puts the lines back after resurfacing?
It is worth settling at the start, because it is not always obvious. Some surfacing contractors include "reinstatement of markings" in their price and subcontract it, some exclude it entirely, and some assume the client has it in hand. The phrase itself hides a lot. Reinstating markings can mean putting back exactly what was there, or it can mean a properly designed layout, set out to measured dimensions, in materials chosen for the surface and the traffic.
If the marking is not clearly in someone's scope, with a stated specification, the result is usually the cheapest version of it, done at the last minute to get the site open.
What should be recorded before the old surface comes up?
Once the planer has been through, the existing layout has gone, and with it any information about why it was the way it was. A short record before work starts avoids having to reconstruct it from memory and old photographs.
- A measured survey or drawing of the existing layout, including bay numbers, accessible and family bays, EV bays and any reserved or numbered spaces.
- Directional arrows, one-way systems, give way and stop lines, and pedestrian crossings.
- Fire routes, keep-clear areas, loading bays and hatched zones.
- Any markings that exist for a specific reason, such as a keep-clear box in front of a gate or a hatched area around plant.
- Anything about the old layout that did not work, so it is not faithfully reproduced.
That last point is the one most often lost. The people who know which bays nobody can get out of, or where cars always end up across the pedestrian route, are the site team, and their knowledge is worth capturing before the surface goes.
Is resurfacing the right time to change the layout?
It is the best time you will get. On an existing surface, changing a layout means removing the old markings, which costs money, takes time and can leave ghost lines that confuse drivers for years. On a new surface there is nothing to remove, so moving a row of bays or a crossing costs no more than marking it where it was.
It is worth asking whether the old layout still fits how the site is used. Bay sizes set out years ago may be too tight for today's cars. Accessible bays may be in the wrong place or too few. EV charging may have been added since, or be planned. The pedestrian route to the entrance may never have been marked at all. Each of those is easier to fix on a blank surface than on any other day in the life of the car park.
How soon can new tarmac be marked?
New tarmac can generally be marked once it has cooled fully and is dry, and the marking material's manufacturer will set out any further conditions for applying it to a new surface. The practical constraint is usually the programme rather than the chemistry: surfacing crews move on, the site wants to reopen, and the marking needs to follow closely enough that the car park does not operate for long without a layout.
New concrete is different. It needs time to dry out before it will take a marking or coating properly, commonly around four weeks in summer and six in winter, and a primer designed for new concrete can shorten that. Marking fresh concrete too early is a reliable way to watch the lines lift within months.
What happens if the site has to reopen before the lines go down?
Sometimes it has to. Where there is a gap between surfacing and permanent marking, the essential markings can be put down as a temporary measure so that the site is safe to use: the one-way system, crossings, give way lines and the accessible bays at the very least. It is far better to plan that in than to open an unmarked surface and hope drivers work it out.
Where the whole site can be marked before it reopens, the layout should be set out on the ground and checked before any material goes down. Working from fixed reference points keeps the rows true and the bays consistent from one end to the other, and it is much easier to correct a set-out line than a finished one.
Which marking material should go on the new surface?
A new surface deserves materials that will last as long as it does. Thermoplastic is the usual choice on tarmac for durability, and it bonds well to a clean, sound new surface. MMA suits concrete and areas with heavy turning or braking where adhesion matters most. Paint has its place where a layout is being trialled or on internal floors, but on a new external surface it is generally a false economy, because the lines will need redoing long before the tarmac does.
Where the car park is on or adjoining the public highway, markings there need to be applied by a contractor registered to work on it. C&R holds NHSS 7 registration, the national quality scheme for road markings on the public highway.
How does the marking fit into the resurfacing programme?
On a site that stays open, resurfacing is usually done in phases, and the marking should follow the same phases rather than waiting until the end. Each section is resurfaced, marked and handed back before the next closes, so the site never has a large area of unmarked surface in use at once.
That only works if the two contractors are talking to each other before the job starts. The marking needs to know the surfacing programme, and the surfacing needs to leave the surface clean and in a state that will take the marking. Agreeing the layout drawing in advance means the marking crew arrives knowing exactly what goes where.
C&R plans and marks car parks nationwide, and we would much rather be involved while the resurfacing is being planned than called the week after it finishes.
Frequently asked questions.
Does resurfacing remove existing line markings?
Yes. Planing removes the top layer of the old surface along with the markings on it, and the new surface covers anything left, so the full layout has to be marked again.
Will the surfacing contractor put the lines back?
Sometimes. Some include marking in their price, some exclude it. Check whether it is in scope and what specification it is to.
Can we change the layout when the car park is resurfaced?
Yes, and it is the cheapest time to do it, because there are no old markings to remove.
How long after laying tarmac can it be marked?
Generally once the new surface has cooled and is dry, subject to the marking material manufacturer's guidance. New concrete needs considerably longer to dry out.
What if the site needs to reopen before permanent markings go down?
Essential markings such as the traffic route, crossings and accessible bays can be put down temporarily so the site is safe to use until the full layout is marked.
