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Parking Lot Drainage in Central Florida

Ever watched your parking lot turn into a swimming pool after one of those typical Florida afternoon storms? It’s more than just annoying. That standing water is quietly destroying your pavement, creating slip hazards, and honestly, making customers wonder if they should just go somewhere else.

We’ve spent years fixing these exact problems for businesses around Orlando, Tampa, and Lakeland. The weather here is intense, and your drainage system needs to handle it. We use modern excavation equipment and time-tested methods to build drainage that actually works when those summer thunderstorms roll through.

Here's Why This Matters in Florida

If you’ve lived here for more than a summer, you already know, our weather doesn’t mess around. One minute it’s sunny, thirty minutes later, you’ve got inches of rain flooding your parking lot. Without the right drainage setup, that water just sits there, seeping into every crack and slowly wrecking everything underneath.

Think about what this actually costs you. Do you see those puddles after every storm? They’re turning into potholes. Your pavement is breaking down faster than it should.

Customers are avoiding your business because they don’t want to deal with it. And then there’s the liability side, nobody wants to deal with slip-and-fall lawsuits or insurance claims from water damage to someone’s car.

The Problems We See Most Often

Water That Just Won't Go Away

Over time, parking lots develop these low spots where water collects. Maybe the base settled unevenly, maybe there’s just worn-down areas from years of traffic. Either way, you get the same puddles in the same spots every single time it rains. We bring in laser grading equipment to map exactly where the problems are, then figure out how to redirect that water, usually without ripping up your whole lot.

The Wrong Slope (or No Slope)

Your lot needs just enough tilt, somewhere around 1-2%, to move water along without making it weird to drive on. Too flat? Water sits.

A lot of older lots weren’t built to current standards, or they’ve just settled wrong over the years. We’ll recalculate what the slope should be for your specific setup and fix the sections that need it.

Drains That Don't Drain Anymore

Between Florida’s aggressive plant growth, random storm debris, and just regular use, drain inlets get clogged constantly. Then you’ve got underground pipes that crack from tree roots pushing through, or they shift as the soil moves, or they’re just old and falling apart. We run cameras through the pipes to see exactly what’s happening before we start tearing anything up.

Catch Basins That Have Given Up

These are supposed to be where water enters your whole drainage system, but Florida’s sandy soil and high-water table make them tricky to install right. They settle, they crack, they disconnect from the pipes they’re supposed to feed into. When we rebuild them, we make absolutely sure the foundation is solid, and everything’s connected properly.

Problems at the Edges

Waters got to exit your property somewhere, right? Issues popped up when someone expanded the lot years ago but didn’t upgrade the drainage capacity. Or the edges have eroded.

Or maybe the property next door changed something that affects how water flows. We look at your entire site to figure out where water should go and make sure your edges can handle the volume while keeping you compliant with local rules.

How ACPLM Actually Fixes This Stuff

Step One: Figure Out What's Wrong

Before we dig anything up, we need to understand what’s actually causing the problem. We’ve got detection equipment that maps where your underground utilities are and locates existing drainage infrastructure. Sometimes we use ground-penetrating radar if we need to find hidden pipes. This whole diagnostic phase helps us pinpoint the real issue while keeping your costs reasonable and not tearing up more than necessary.

When we do need to excavate, we’re strategic about it. We only remove what’s needed. If your business is open, we’ll often work in phases so you can keep operating during the project.

Step Two: Design Something That Actually Works

There’s no cookie-cutter solution here. What works for your parking lot depends on how big it is, traffic patterns, what the surrounding landscape looks like, and how you’re connecting to the city’s stormwater system. Plus, Florida’s soil is all over the place, sandy near the beaches, more clay as you head inland, so we match the design to what you’re dealing with.

Maybe you need new catch basins. Maybe trench drains across the busiest areas. Could need regrading to fix the slope, or bioswales if you want a more natural storm water management approach. We’ll sit down with you and go through the options—what makes sense for your situation and what fits your budget.

Step Three: Get It Done Without Wrecking Your Day

Our crews know how to work around your schedule. We coordinate timing with your busy hours, bring in equipment that makes sense for your site, and keep you in the loop the whole time. Living in Central Florida, we’re used to planning around those afternoon rain delays. It’s just part of doing business here.

While we’re installing, we’re also checking everything, compacting materials to the right specs, using laser levels to verify slopes, testing water flow before we do the final paving. That way, your new system works right from the start and keeps working for years.

What We Can Install

Catch Basins (New or Fixed)

These collect surface water and send it underground into your stormwater system. We’ll put in new ones wherever you need more collection points or rebuild the ones that have settled or cracked. Heavy-duty grates that can handle vehicle traffic, properly installed so they’re flush with your pavement.

Trench Drains

Think of these as long channels that collect water along their entire length. They’re perfect for areas like drive aisles and loading zones where you get a lot of water movement. Great for Florida’s intense rainfall because they handle high volume fast. We install them with grated tops strong enough for vehicles to drive over.

French Drains and Underground Systems

Sometimes you need to deal with water below the surface, too. French drains are basically perforated pipes surrounded by gravel that collect groundwater and move it away from your pavement. We design these specifically for Florida’s high-water table so they work even when we get those extended rainy stretches.

Fixing the Grade and Slope

Honestly, sometimes the best solution is just correcting the basic grade of your lot. We’ll remove the failed pavement, rebuild the base to the right elevations, then repave with the proper slope so water flows where it should. This approach gets rid of low spots and often costs less than trying to add a bunch of complicated drain systems to a lot that’s graded wrong.

Full Depth Reclamation

When you’ve got both drainage issues and your pavement is just done, Full Depth Reclamation lets us rebuild everything while recycling what’s already there. We pulverize the old asphalt and base together, mix in stabilizers, compact it into a solid new base, then regrade it for proper drainage before putting down new asphalt. Two problems, one project.

Keeping You Compliant with Storm Water Rules

Cities around here have pretty strict requirements about how stormwater gets managed. We design improvements that meet the codes, handle all the permit paperwork, and coordinate with inspectors. We’ve done these enough times in Orlando, Tampa, Polk County, and everywhere else around here that we know how to keep things moving without getting hung up on compliance issues.

We Handle the Paving Too

A lot of times, drainage work needs pavement work to go with it. We do both:

  • New Asphalt or Overlay – Fresh asphalt with the right drainage grades built in.
  • Concrete – Curbing, sidewalks, whatever concrete work goes with your drainage project.
  • Real Pothole Fixes – Not just slapping a patch on top, but fixing what’s causing them.
  • Sealcoating – A Protective layer after we’re done to make everything last longer.
  • Striping – Complete re-striping so your lot looks finished.

What This Does for You

  • Your Pavement Lasts Way Longer – Get rid of standing water and your pavement will last for years longer than it would otherwise.
  • You’ll Spend Less on Maintenance – Stop the endless cycle of patching potholes and doing emergency repairs.
  • It’s Safer – Dry surfaces mean way less risk of someone slipping and falling or hydroplaning.
  • Looks Better – A lot without puddles and water stains just looks more professional. Customers notice.
  • Less Legal Exposure – Fix the problem now instead of dealing with injury claims later.
  • Protects Your Investment – Properties with functional drainage hold their value better.
  • No Regulatory Headaches – Stay compliant with local storm water rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's this going to cost me?

It depends completely on what needs fixing. Something simple like fixing a catch basin might be $2,000 to $5,000. A full drainage system for a medium lot, we’re usually talking $15,000 to $50,000. We’ll come out, look at your situation, and give you a real estimate that breaks down the costs, so you understand what you’re paying for.

How long will my lot be torn up?

Most projects wrap up in one to three weeks, assuming the weather cooperates. Simple stuff like replacing a catch basin, a few days. Bigger systems that need extensive work could take a few weeks. We’ll give you a realistic timeline upfront and keep you posted as we go.

Do I have to close my business?

Not if we can help it. We’ll work around your busy times, when possible, keep entrances accessible, and leave parts of your lot open during the work. A lot of our clients just schedule the heavy work during their slow season or when they are planning to be closed anyway.

How do I even know if I need this?

Look for the obvious stuff: water that sticks around for hours after it rains, low spots that always flood, cracks that keep getting worse near drains, and plants growing through your pavement. If customers are complaining about it, that’s a clear sign. We do free evaluations if you’re not sure.

Do we need Permits?

Yeah, most likely. Especially if we’re connecting to the city’s storm water system or changing how water flows on your property. We handle all that: applications, plans, and inspections. We’ve done it enough times around here that we know how to keep things moving.

What's better, catch basins or trench drains?

Catch basins are single collection points you put in low spots. Trench drains are long channels that collect along their whole length.

Catch basins work great for general drainage. Trench drains are better for high-traffic areas where you get a lot of water movement fast. We’ll tell you what makes sense for your property.

Can you do this without repaving everything?

A lot of times, yes. We can install new drainage with targeted excavation and patch what we disturb. But if your pavement’s already in rough shape, it usually makes more sense financially to do both at once rather than coming back later.

How long does it last?

A good system should last 20 to 30 years, maybe more if you keep up with basic maintenance. Quality materials plus solid installation mean they’ll keep working for decades.

Why People Work with ACPLM

ACPLM has served Central Florida drainage challenges long enough to know what works here. Our crew understands how the weather patterns work, what the soil does, and how the water table behaves. We know the permitting people in the local municipalities, we stay on top of what the regulations are, and we use materials that hold up to Florida’s heat and humidity.

When you’re trying to pick a contractor, it can feel overwhelming with all the options out there. We try to keep it straightforward. We’ll explain what’s wrong in plain English, show you what the options are with honest pricing, and then do work that solves the problem for good.

We’re around when you need us, before, during, and after the project. That’s why we get a lot of repeat business from property managers and business owners around here.

Where We Work

We cover the Central Florida area, Orlando, Tampa, Lakeland, Kissimmee, Clermont, Plant City, and the communities around them. Orange County, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, and Lake County, we work throughout the region.

Retail centers, office parks, industrial facilities, apartment complexes, institutional campuses, we do it all.

Let's Take a Look at Your Lot

If drainage problems are damaging your parking lot or creating headaches for your business, let’s figure out what’s going on. We’ll come out, assess what you’re dealing with, identify what’s causing it, and talk through solutions that fit your budget.

Contact ACPLM to set up your free evaluation. We’ll show you how the right drainage setup can protect your property and get rid of those water problems for good.