Line Striping in St. Joseph, MO

Line striping wears off faster than most owners expect. Plows, sand and tires grind paint off over the winter, and after a sealcoat the old lines are gone entirely. Faded lots waste space and confuse drivers. Restriping in spring, or right after sealing or paving, puts the layout back.

Accessible spaces

The Justice Department's guidance says a restriped lot must provide accessible parking under the 2010 ADA Standards. The minimum counts by lot size are one accessible space for 1 to 25 total spaces, two for 26 to 50, three for 51 to 75, four for 76 to 100, five for 101 to 150 and six for 151 to 200. At least one in every six accessible spaces must be van accessible. Car spaces are at least 96 inches wide with a 60-inch aisle; van spaces are 132 inches with a 60-inch aisle or 96 inches with a 96-inch aisle.

Slope matters here

Accessible spaces and aisles cannot slope more than 1:48 in any direction. On St. Joseph's hilly lots, that often decides where accessible spaces can go. We check slope before laying them out.

Restripe or redesign

Restriping follows existing lines. A redesign changes the layout to add stalls or improve traffic flow; HomeGuide notes it costs 20 to 50 percent more than restriping.

What we paint

• Stalls and double lines
• Accessible spaces, symbols and aisles
• Arrows and stop bars
• Crosswalks, fire lanes and loading zones
• Curb paint and stencils

Scheduling

Striping goes fast. Most lots can be done early, late or on a weekend, in sections so the lot stays open.

Signs

Each accessible space needs a sign with the international symbol of accessibility, mounted with the bottom at least 60 inches above the ground. Van spaces need a van-accessible designation except where a site has four or fewer spaces. We note missing signs during layout.

Paint and winter

Paint wears fastest in drive aisles and at entrances where plows turn. Stall lines last longer. Many St. Joseph owners restripe every spring after the sand is swept so the layout is readable all year.