Restriping a Strata Parking Lot in Kelowna: Cost Drivers, Scheduling and Keeping Residents Onside
Line marking is one of the cheapest items a Kelowna strata council will ever approve and one of the most visible. Faded stalls make a building look neglected from the street, and they generate a steady trickle of disputes about who parked where.
It is also a job with a particular complication that commercial lots do not have: every stall belongs to somebody who is home, and the lot cannot simply be closed for a day.
Here is how to scope, schedule and price it.
The cost drivers, in order of impact
Total lineal metres of marking, not stall count. Estimators price by the length of line being applied. A stall is roughly two lines plus a share of the aisle markings, so stall count is a proxy, but the real measure includes everything: directional arrows, crosswalks, hatching, fire lane markings, accessible stall symbols and access aisles, curb painting, numbering and any wording on the surface.
Whether it is a repaint or a new layout. Repainting over existing lines that are still visible is the efficient case, because there is no layout work. Striking a new layout on a resurfaced lot, or changing the layout to add stalls, requires measuring, chalking and confirming dimensions before any paint is applied, and that layout time is a significant share of the labour.
Stall numbering. Numbering every stall is far more labour per stall than the stall lines themselves, because it is stencil work, one stall at a time. Strata lots frequently want it, and it should be a stated line item rather than assumed.
Surface condition. Paint bonds to sound, clean asphalt. It does not bond well to a surface that is oxidized and dusty, oily, or covered in a season's grit. Cleaning is part of the job, and a lot that needs pressure washing or heavy blowing before marking costs more. Marking over cracked and failing asphalt is money spent on a surface that will not hold it.
Material choice. Conventional water based traffic paint is the standard and the most economical, and it is the right choice for most strata lots. Higher durability systems cost considerably more per metre and are generally justified in high traffic commercial and industrial settings rather than residential visitor parking. Ask any contractor recommending a premium material to explain the case for it on your specific lot.
Underground versus surface parkade. A parkade adds ventilation considerations, lighting, low ceilings limiting equipment, and the need to move every vehicle in an enclosed space. It is a different job from an open surface lot and it is priced differently.
Mobilization and site size. A small lot carries the same setup and travel cost as a larger one, so the price per stall on a fifteen stall lot is higher than on a hundred stall lot. Stratas with several small satellite lots should get them all done in one visit rather than one at a time.
What belongs in the scope beyond stall lines
Strata councils commonly scope only the stall lines and then discover the rest afterwards. A complete scope usually includes:
- Stall lines, including double lines where stalls back onto each other.
- Accessible stall markings, the symbol and the access aisle hatching.
- Fire lane markings and any associated wording, which are a life safety item and are typically specified by the local requirements rather than by preference.
- Directional arrows and any one way markings.
- Crosswalks and pedestrian routes.
- Stop bars at exits.
- Curb painting, typically yellow at fire lanes and no parking zones.
- Stall numbering.
- Visitor stall designation.
- EV charging stall designation, which is now a common addition in Kelowna buildings.
- Bollard and post painting, if wanted.
- Wheel stop painting or replacement.
Ask for these as separate line items. That way the council can approve the full scope or trim it deliberately, rather than discovering the gaps after the crew has left.
Scheduling around residents
This is where strata jobs succeed or fail, and it is a governance job rather than a contractor job.
Phase the lot. Almost every residential lot can be split into two or more sections done on consecutive days or in a morning and afternoon. The contractor marks section A while everyone parks in section B, then they swap. It costs slightly more in mobilization than doing the whole lot at once and it is worth it.
Give real notice. Two weeks in writing, then a reminder at three days, then signage and cones on the day. Under promise on the return time.
Pick the right day and hour. Weekday mid morning is usually the emptiest a residential lot gets. Avoid long weekends and avoid the start of a month when people are moving.
Have a plan for the vehicle that does not move. There is always one. Decide in advance, in consultation with your strata manager, what happens: marking around it and returning, or the towing provisions in your bylaws. Deciding on the day, with a crew standing idle, is the expensive option.
Communicate the cure time. Water based traffic paint is typically ready to drive on the same day, often within an hour or two in warm dry conditions, but "dry" and "cured" are different and driving on it too early smears it. Get the specific window from the contractor and put it in the notice.
Weather, and the Okanagan season
Traffic paint needs the surface dry and the temperature above the product's minimum, both when applied and while it cures. In the Central Okanagan that gives a working season roughly from late spring to early autumn, with the shoulder months dependent on the forecast.
Two practical consequences. First, book early: the good crews fill their calendars for the season, and a strata that decides in August is competing for the same weeks as everyone else. Second, accept that a rain day moves your job. Build that into the resident notice by saying the date may shift.
There is also a strong argument for late season marking on a lot that gets heavily plowed. A plow blade takes paint off, so lines applied in spring look worse by March than lines applied in autumn. If your lot is plowed aggressively, ask the contractor what they recommend for timing.
Getting comparable quotes
Ask each bidder for:
- Total lineal metres, and the stall count they measured.
- A layout drawing or a marked up site plan showing what is being marked.
- Material and product type.
- Number of coats.
- Surface preparation included.
- Every accessory item priced separately: numbering, symbols, curbs, arrows, crosswalks, wheel stops.
- Phasing plan and number of site visits.
- Traffic control, cones and signage, and who supplies them.
- Dry to drive time and full cure time.
- What happens on a weather day.
- Insurance and WorkSafeBC coverage confirmation, which your strata manager will want on file.
A quote that gives one number for "parking lot line painting" is not comparable to a quote that itemizes. Ask the first one to itemize.
Frequently asked questions
How often does a Kelowna strata lot need restriping?
It depends on traffic, plowing and sun exposure far more than on a calendar. A lot that is plowed hard every winter fades much faster than one that is not. Inspect in spring and decide from the condition.
Do accessible stalls have specific requirements?
Yes, covering dimensions, the access aisle, the symbol and the signage. Requirements come from a combination of the building code and local bylaws, so confirm the current requirements for your property with the relevant authority before the work is scheduled rather than assuming the existing layout is compliant.
Should we seal coat first?
If the asphalt is due for seal coating, do it first and mark after. Marking a lot and then seal coating over it destroys the work.
Can we add stalls while we are at it?
Sometimes, and it is the ideal moment to ask, but stall dimensions, aisle widths and accessible stall counts are regulated. Any layout change should be confirmed against the requirements before it is painted.
Who approves this expenditure?
That depends on the amount and on your bylaws and the Strata Property Act. Most councils have operating budget authority for routine maintenance of this size, but confirm with your strata manager before you commit.
An Okanagan option worth quoting
*Disclosure: Aardvark Pavement Marking Services is a business listed on the Okanagan Trade Directory. The description below comes from their own published information. Their public Google rating is 4.2 across 18 reviews at the time of writing.*
Aardvark Pavement Marking Services states more than 20 years of experience painting lines across British Columbia, from Victoria to the Alberta border. Listed services include highway markings, parking lot striping, airport markings, durable and specialty markings, and pavement eradication and road drying. Enquiries go through their office line.
See their Okanagan Trade Directory listing or visit aardvark.pro.
Send a site plan with the request for quote. A contractor who can measure your lot on paper will give you a number you can take to council, and one you can compare fairly against the next bid.