Why This Question Matters

Carpark maintenance decisions are often made under pressure - a tenant complaint, a council notice, a near-miss trip-and-fall. In that context, it's tempting to call a contractor and ask for the cheapest fix.

The cheapest fix is often the most expensive decision. A patch job on a structurally compromised surface costs money now and guarantees you'll be having the same conversation in 18 months.

This guide will help you diagnose your carpark honestly before you call anyone.

What Potholes Actually Tell You

A pothole is a symptom, not the problem. Understanding what caused it tells you what the correct treatment is.

Isolated Potholes in Otherwise Sound Pavement

If your carpark has one or two potholes surrounded by structurally sound, well-bound asphalt with no significant cracking, patching is the right call. The failure is localised. Remove the damaged area to sound material, tack coat the edges, and compact fresh asphalt. Done correctly, a patch should last as long as the surrounding pavement.

Multiple Potholes with Surface Cracking

Multiple potholes appearing across a carpark, particularly accompanied by alligator (fatigue) cracking or rutting in traffic lanes, indicates the surface layer has failed. This is a resurfacing job, not a patching job. Patching each pothole individually at this point is like replacing individual tiles in a shower that needs to be waterproofed from scratch.

Potholes with Sub-Base Failure

If you can see that a pothole has a soft, muddy bottom - or if the asphalt around it feels springy when you walk on it - the sub-base has failed. In this situation, neither patching nor resurfacing addresses the actual problem. The failed area needs to be fully excavated, the base rebuilt and compacted, and then asphalt placed. If this condition exists across large areas of the carpark, a full reconstruction may be more cost-effective than panel repairs.

The Resurfacing Decision: Key Indicators

Resurfacing (mill and overlay) makes economic sense when:

  • The surface layer has failed or is approaching end of life across 40%+ of the carpark area
  • There is widespread surface cracking but the sub-base remains structurally sound
  • The existing surface is too rough or uneven for your line marking to remain visible and accurate
  • Drainage channels have degraded to the point that pooling is occurring

Resurfacing is not the right answer when the sub-base has failed. Putting new asphalt over a failed base produces a smooth-looking carpark that begins failing at the same rate as before within 2 to 3 years.

Getting a Straight Answer from a Contractor

Any contractor assessing your carpark should be able to tell you:

  • Whether the sub-base is sound or has failed (and in which areas)
  • What the appropriate treatment is for each area, not just the carpark as a whole
  • What the expected lifespan of the proposed treatment is
  • Whether drainage needs to be addressed as part of the work

If a contractor quotes patching without walking the full carpark, or quotes full resurfacing without discussing the sub-base condition, those are signs the diagnosis hasn't been done properly.

We inspect every carpark before quoting and give you a written breakdown of what we found and what we recommend. If patching is the right call, we'll tell you that - even if resurfacing is a bigger job for us.