As with any structure, parking garages require maintenance. It’s important that building owners budget for this. At Tendon Systems, we can design and supply materials for parking garages using the best concrete slab and post-tensioning systems. Sometimes, we have clients circle back to us after a year or two with complaints. These are unrelated to the actual structural components. Most issues you experience with a parking garage in the first ten years even will be the result of poor or unperformed maintenance. This can be a costly mistake.
To avoid paying out for fixes that could have been avoided, building owners and managers should understand and plan for the average maintenance cost for a parking garage. Read on to get a breakdown of what we recommend for different types of parking garages and how you can plan for the cost of keeping your structure in good repair.
Any structure has a general lifecycle. Because they are made with durable materials, and as long as they are expertly designed and executed, a parking garage should incur minimal ongoing costs. But that doesn’t mean there are no ongoing costs. The bottom line varies based on a few factors.
There are three common types of parking garages, which are:
These carry different costs (of magnitude) for repair, which may be worth considering before you even build. For example:
Knowing which materials have the best life span and are still suitable for your property is vitally important. Contact us to consult with a construction expert or engineer.
A myriad of additional factors play into these very general numbers, including where you are located and whether you have underground parking. Remember that with each descending level (below grade), you will pay higher initial costs.
There are two main areas that make up the expenses for running a parking facility. These are:
Read on to get more detail on what individual expenses contribute to each budget item.
Numerous variables factor into the operational cost of running a parking garage. The first important point is that parking systems vary. Your parking garage may provide valet parking, transient parking, monthly parking, special event parking, etc. This will impact staffing, which is typically the highest expense in your operational budget.
Here is a breakdown of the common operational budget items:
The operating conditions specific to your structure will be the best context for setting your own budget.
Operational expenses most obviously impact your net income, but they are not all of the expenses you will incur in a year. The second type of expense, maintenance expenses, directly relate to the value and longevity of your building.
Ongoing maintenance maximizes the life of your facility. There are a few categories that can be helpful to consider:
Anticipating maintenance expenses keeps them from being surprising or unwelcome. Nothing has to be flawed for a parking system to require maintenance, repairs and even restoration after a certain length of time. Knowing this in advance can set realistic expectations for your responsibilities, and incentivize building owners to maintain the garage at a high standard.
There are some global statistics on what maintaining a parking structure costs.
On average, experts estimate the following finances for parking garage maintenance:
Preventative maintenance is always the best way to mitigate major costs. Energy-efficient lighting, regular deck sealing, caulking and joint replacement and other maintenance items can also offset this projected expense.
Tendon has been in the parking garage game for a long time. From towering structures to complete remodels or renovations, our team of engineers and designers have created enduring, reliable and innovative buildings.
If you are in need of parking garage maintenance or simply want an expert consultation, we can help. Contact the Tendon team to learn more.