A parking lot cluttered with debris can take away
from even the most beautiful landscaping. People
may even hesitate to venture in, if they see the
potential for a flat tire in your parking area.
Storm water runoff is fast becoming a factor in
our environment. Sweeping your parking area on
a regular basis can help to minimize pollutants in
your storm water stream.
It is virtually impossible to develop or retain the
desired competitive edge if a business’ exterior,
including the parking area, is unkempt.
When your parking area is clean to begin with,
shoppers are less likely to throw trash out of their cars when they come to shop.
Sand, dirt and other trash are abrasive. They
will shorten the life of pavement, as well as the
service time of any seal coating, striping, etc.
The professionalism of the local business
community at large is a composite of the
individual images projected by each of the
businesses within it.
When dirt is allowed to stay on pavement, it
quickly starts deteriorating the paving material.
Replacement costs for pavement far exceed the
routine expense of sweeping.
Sweeping Services
Sweeping your parking area on a regular basis
could bring more revenue to your business. Well
maintained parking areas and sidewalks are a
key to attracting customers. Studies have shown
that cleanliness ranks as one of the top factors
in determining where people shop. Many people
consider exterior cleanliness to be as important
as interior cleanliness.
In today’s extremely competitive market,
property managers can not afford the tarnished
image caused by cutting back on exterior
grounds maintenance. Regular sweeping is a
very important component contributing to overall
outside appearance.
Finding a Sweeping Contractor
Does the sweeping contractor have a good ability to you. reputation? Ask the contractor for a comparable
reference list. Just because they do a great job at
the local corner store does not mean they have
the equipment or employees to handle a large
shopping center.
Do they carry adequate insurance? In today’s
society proper insurance coverage is critical.
The sweeping company should present you with
a copy of their insurance certificate so you can
review it and be sure it meets your requirements.
You could be held responsible for a company that is under-insured, so don’t take chances!
Determining the Price
The following are several factors that may
be considered when determining a price for
sweeping your lot.
How often does the lot need to be swept?
If there is a high traffic flow your lot will need to be
swept more often than a specialty store with
only a few customers per day. |
What is the layout?
The more obstacles there
are to work around, the more expensive the
service will be. If you have center islands filled
with rocks or bark, the contractor knows this
material will work its way into your parking lot.
Is your lot surrounded by trees?
The leaves and other debris from the trees are considered when the contractor looks at your lot.
What condition is your parking area in?
Deteriorating pavement will increase sweeping
time.
Is there a limited sweeping time?
If your parking area has a noise restriction there will
only be limited times that the contractor can
work in your area. Even if there is not a noise
restriction there may be other factors that limit
sweeping time, e.g. a bar that is open until
2:00am or a coffee shop that opens at 6:00am.
Can the contractor dump on site?
If the contractor has to haul the sweeping debris away
the job will take longer, therefore costing more.
The above are just some of the elements
that are considered when giving you a
quote for sweeping services. If you have
additional questions, please ask your
sweeping contractor. They will be happy to
answer any questions you might have.
What to Expect
Check with your sweeping contractor to see
what is included in their price. If you have
additional needs that are not included in the
price (e.g. emptying trash cans, blower work
behind the building), just let them know so
they can price accordingly.
There are also a few things you should know about sweeping services.
- These machines are designed to pick up
trash (e.g. cigarette butts, paper, sand).
They are not built to pick up large debris
or liquids.
- They do not remove stains (e.g. oil spills)
from pavement.
- If you decide to have your lot swept once
a month, you can not expect it to look
clean for the entire month. It will begin to
accumulate trash and debris immediately
after being swept.
- Sweeping contractors can not be held
responsible for slip-and-fall accidents.
These machines will keep your lot looking
neat and tidy, but they will only be on site
for a limited time. Something can spill,
leak or blow into the area after the
contractor has swept the lot.
If you have further questions on what you
should expect of your sweeping services, ask
your contractor. They will be glad to answer
your questions or demonstrate their sweepers’
Does the sweeping contractor have a good ability to you. |
