Commercial Asphalt Patching & Pothole Repair
A pothole in your lot isn't cosmetic: it signals water already under your asphalt. We patch commercial lots across Michigan with the same crew, every time.
What Our Commercial Asphalt Patching Service Includes
Not every pothole gets fixed the same way, and a property manager deserves to know why. A pothole is more than a cosmetic problem, it's a liability risk and a sign of drainage failure, since water has already found a path under the asphalt. Our Pink crews assess the depth of the damage, the condition of the base underneath, and the traffic load the area carries before deciding between a surface patch, a full-depth cut-out, or an infrared repair that blends seamlessly with the surrounding asphalt.
Every patching job we run on a commercial property includes:
- Saw-cutting damaged asphalt to a clean, square edge instead of feathering over soft spots
- Removing and replacing failed base material where the sub-grade has washed out
- Compacting new hot mix asphalt in lifts for a patch that holds under delivery trucks and plow blades
- Matching patch height to the surrounding grade so water sheds correctly instead of pooling
- Documentation and photos for property managers who need records for ownership or insurance
This is the same asphalt contractor crew that handles your sealcoating and striping, so a patching visit is also a chance for us to flag anything else developing on the lot.
Why Michigan Freeze/Thaw Cycles Make Pothole Repair Essential
A pothole rarely starts as a pothole. It starts as a hairline crack that lets water into the base, then freezes, expands, and breaks the asphalt apart from underneath. Michigan's freeze/thaw cycles do this dozens of times every winter, and plow blades finish the job by catching the edges of already-weakened pavement.
Commercial lots take this damage harder than driveways because of what sits on top of them: delivery trucks, forklifts, daily customer traffic, and standing water near drains that were never quite graded right. Left alone, one pothole becomes several, and several becomes a resurfacing project instead of a repair.
Common causes we see across our Battle Creek, Lansing, and Kalamazoo service areas include:
- Water intrusion through unsealed cracks that freezes and expands
- Poor parking lot drainage that lets water sit against pavement edges
- Base failure from age, poor original compaction, or heavy truck traffic
- Salt and chloride exposure that accelerates surface breakdown
- Plow damage to pavement that was already cracked or patched improperly
How We Patch Your Parking Lot, Step by Step
Patching looks simple from the outside, but a patch that lasts through a Michigan winter takes more prep work than most property owners expect. Here is how our crew approaches it on every commercial site.
- Step 1
Site inspection and damage mapping
We walk the full lot, not just the spot you called about, and mark every pothole, alligatored section, and soft spot so nothing gets missed or billed as a surprise later.
- Step 2
Cutting and base repair
Damaged asphalt gets saw-cut to a clean edge, removed, and the base underneath is inspected. If the base has washed out, we rebuild it before any new asphalt goes down.
- Step 3
Hot mix asphalt patching
We place and compact new asphalt in layers, matching the surrounding grade so the patch sheds water instead of collecting it. This is the step most crews rush, and it is the one that determines how long a patch actually lasts.
- Step 4
Final walkthrough and drainage check
Before we leave, we check that water flows away from the patch and toward your drains, not back into it. You get a straightforward report on what was fixed and what we are keeping an eye on for next season.
Signs Your Lot Needs Patching Now
Some pavement damage can wait for your next scheduled maintenance visit. Some cannot. These are the signs we tell property managers not to ignore.
Potholes deep enough to catch a tire or cart wheel
Anything deeper than an inch or two is a liability risk for customers, employees, and delivery drivers, and it tends to grow fast once plow season starts.
Alligator cracking spreading across a section of lot
That web-like cracking pattern means the base underneath is already failing. Patching now is far cheaper than letting it spread into a full section replacement.
Standing water that never fully drains
Pooling water next to a patch or low spot is often the first sign of a parking lot drainage issue, and it accelerates every other form of pavement damage around it.
Patches from a previous repair that are already failing
If an old patch is sinking, cracking at the edges, or separating from the surrounding asphalt, it usually points to a base problem that was never addressed the first time.
Asphalt Repair vs. Replacement: Our Honest Take
Patching works when the base underneath is still sound and the damage is isolated. It does not work as a permanent fix when a lot has widespread alligator cracking, a failing sub-grade, or more patched area than original surface. In those cases, we tell clients directly that patching is a short-term band-aid and that asphalt resurfacing or a full replacement is the better long-term investment.
Waiting rarely saves money. A pothole that gets patched this season costs far less than the pavement failure, liability claim, or full-depth repair it turns into after another winter of freeze/thaw cycles and plow traffic. As part of our commercial asphalt maintenance approach, we would rather tell you a patch is the wrong call now than sell you one that fails again by spring.
- We recommend patching when damage is isolated and the base is still structurally sound
- We recommend resurfacing when more than roughly 25 to 30 percent of the lot shows failure
- We recommend full replacement when the base itself has failed across large sections
- We will always explain which category your lot falls into before we quote anything
More Ways We Support Commercial Asphalt Maintenance
Patching is usually one piece of a bigger pavement care plan. These are the other services our Pink crews provide to keep Michigan properties protected year-round.
Driveway Sealcoating
Our 100% coal tar free sealcoating protects asphalt surfaces from sun, salt, and water damage while keeping the look of your property sharp.
Crack Filling
Sealing cracks before winter keeps water out of the base and stops small damage from turning into the potholes we patch every spring.
Asphalt Repairs
From isolated patches to larger sections of damaged pavement, our repair work is built to hold through Michigan's toughest seasons.
Concrete
Our crews also handle concrete flatwork, curbs, and approaches for properties that pair asphalt lots with concrete features.
Schedule Commercial Asphalt Patching Today
A pothole left through one more Michigan winter costs more than the fix itself. Our Pink crews can get out to your property, map the damage, and give you a straightforward recommendation on patching, resurfacing, or replacement, whichever actually fits your lot.
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM