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Refresh aging pavement with commercial asphalt resurfacing in Shreveport, LA. We perform overlays and mill and overlay projects that correct surface wear, minor rutting, and oxidation so your parking lots and drives look and perform like new for years.
Legacy Asphalt Shreveport provides professional commercial asphalt resurfacing throughout Shreveport, LA, Louisiana and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (318) 616-9109 or request your free quote.
Commercial Asphalt Resurfacing in Shreveport That Fits Your Property
If you manage a shopping center off Youree Drive, an industrial yard near the port, or a busy office complex along I-20, your parking lots and drive lanes take a beating. Commercial asphalt resurfacing is often the most cost-effective way to restore those surfaces without paying for a full tear-out. At Legacy Asphalt Shreveport, we focus on overlays that match how your property is actually used, not just how it looks on day one.
Resurfacing means we keep the solid parts of your existing asphalt, repair the failures, then install a new asphalt layer on top. For Shreveport properties, that usually means a 1.5 to 2 inch overlay for light-duty lots and 2 to 3 inches for high-traffic drive lanes, truck courts, and dumpster areas. We adjust thickness and mix designs based on what really happens on your site. For example, a strip mall with steady car traffic needs a different approach than a warehouse with daily 18 wheeler traffic.
Many commercial lots in Shreveport and Bossier were originally built in the 80s and 90s with thinner asphalt and lighter base rock. Over time, patching and sealcoating can only go so far. Resurfacing gives you a structurally sound, smooth surface again, while reusing the existing base and any stable asphalt below. This typically costs significantly less than a full-depth reconstruction and can often be phased by sections so your business stays open while we work.
Our Step by Step Commercial Asphalt Resurfacing Process
We follow a consistent process so you know what will happen on your property before we show up. It starts with a walk-through. A Legacy Asphalt Shreveport estimator meets you on site, checks drainage patterns after rains, watches traffic flow, and identifies problem areas like rutting at entrances, standing water near catch basins, or broken edges by delivery docks.
1. Evaluation and core sampling: On older Shreveport parking lots, we often take asphalt cores or cut small test pits to confirm existing asphalt and base depth. This lets us know if an overlay is truly appropriate or if certain areas need deeper repair first.
2. Milling and edge preparation: Before overlaying, we usually mill down transitions at entrances, ADA ramps, and around drain grates. This keeps finished heights correct so you do not end up with tripping hazards, flooded inlets, or doors that drag on new pavement. For some properties, we full-width mill the surface to remove ruts and shoving, then place new asphalt at the original grade.
3. Base and subgrade repair: Any areas with alligator cracking, deep potholes, or pumping (mud coming up when trucks roll over) are cut out. We remove failed material, rebuild with graded aggregate base, then install and compact new asphalt in lifts. Skipping this step is the biggest reason cheap overlays fail early.
4. Tack coat and overlay: After cleaning the surface, we apply a tack coat to bond the new asphalt to the prepared base. Then we place hot mix asphalt with a paving machine, not by hand for large areas. We use rollers sized for commercial work to achieve the correct compaction, which is critical in our hot Louisiana climate.
5. Joint sealing and detail work: We pay close attention to joints at concrete aprons, utility covers, and around islands. These details are usually where early failures show up if they are rushed. Once the asphalt cools and hardens, we return for striping, ADA markings, and any wheel stops or signage you need.
Material Options, Mix Designs, and What Affects Cost
Commercial asphalt resurfacing is not a one size fits all product. Legacy Asphalt Shreveport works with local plants around northwest Louisiana to choose mixes that hold up to our heat, humidity, and heavy summer thunderstorms.
For light-duty commercial lots, we usually recommend a dense graded surface mix with smaller aggregate that compacts tightly and provides a smoother ride. For heavier traffic, we often specify a mix with a higher percentage of coarse aggregate, which resists rutting where garbage trucks and delivery trucks stop and turn. In some industrial applications we may add a leveling course underneath the surface lift to remove deep ruts or birdbaths before the final layer goes on.
Cost is driven by several factors. Total square footage is one, but the depth of the overlay, amount of milling, and amount of base repair usually matter more. Lots with widespread alligator cracking or poor drainage often need more prep work, which increases cost but also greatly extends the life of the overlay. We also consider access. If we can pave a Shreveport retail plaza in two large phases instead of six small ones, we can be more efficient with trucks and rollers and that can reduce your price.
Timing also matters in Louisiana. In peak summer heat, we have shorter haul distances and tighter work windows because mix cools differently once it leaves the plant. Night or weekend work for hospitals, hotels, or 24 hour operations can carry premium labor costs, but it may save you money by reducing customer disruption. We walk you through these tradeoffs so your resurfacing plan fits your budget and operations schedule.
Common Issues on Shreveport Commercial Lots and How We Fix Them
Our climate in Shreveport creates its own set of pavement problems. Heavy rains followed by strong sun, plus occasional freezes, are tough on asphalt. On commercial properties, we repeatedly see three main issues that resurfacing and overlays can solve when they are designed correctly.
First is chronic standing water. If you see the same puddles near your storefronts or at the back of your lot after every storm, your existing slopes may be too flat or have settled over time. Before overlaying, we use laser levels to check grades, then build in subtle corrections with milling and leveling courses. Raising low spots just a half inch, or cutting high spots around inlets, can completely change how water leaves your lot.
Second is rutting in drive lanes and at entrances. This shows up where vehicles stop at drive-thru lanes, loading zones, or traffic lights on access roads. Resurfacing alone will not fix ruts if the problem is a soft base. We identify these areas during our pre-job inspection and correct them with full-depth patches and stronger base material before we pave. In some cases we also thicken the overlay in wheel paths or upgrade the mix design to handle the stress.
Third is edge failure around dumpsters, delivery docks, and the path trucks take behind shopping centers. These areas often were not built for the loads they now carry. We frequently widen and reinforce these lanes with thicker asphalt and possibly a stronger aggregate base. We can also tie into existing concrete pads to spread truck loads better. Addressing these high stress zones during resurfacing prevents new cracks from starting at the edges and working inward.
Planning, Phasing, and What to Ask Before You Hire
On a commercial site in Shreveport, shutting down the whole lot is rarely realistic. Legacy Asphalt Shreveport spends as much effort on traffic control and phasing plans as we do on the actual paving. Before we start, we meet with your property manager or facility team to decide which entrances stay open when, how delivery trucks will detour, and where customers or tenants will park. Clear signage and tight schedules mean your businesses stay accessible while we work section by section.
We also discuss ADA compliance early. An overlay changes elevations, which can affect ramp slopes, accessible parking spot locations, and route-of-travel requirements. When we resurface a property, we can adjust striping layouts, curb ramp transitions, and parking signage so you remain compliant with current guidelines.
Before you hire any contractor for commercial asphalt resurfacing, there are a few specific questions you should ask. Ask how they determine whether an overlay is appropriate versus full-depth replacement, and insist on a written scope that spells out milling depths, overlay thickness, and how many square yards are included. Ask what mix designs they plan to use and whether those mixes are rated for the kind of traffic you have, especially for truck routes. Find out how compaction will be checked and what warranty they provide on both materials and workmanship.
With Legacy Asphalt Shreveport, you get a local team that works on Shreveport and northwest Louisiana properties every week, from small professional offices to large retail centers and apartment communities. We understand how local soil conditions, drainage patterns, and traffic volumes affect pavement life, and we design each resurfacing project so your new asphalt overlay holds up for years, not just through the next season.
