Parking lot striping paint and stencils

How much paint per stall

Work it out in linear feet. A 9-by-18-foot stall in a row shares its side lines, so each stall adds about 18 to 20 feet of line. One gallon is 231 cubic inches; spread 15 mils (0.015 inch) thick it covers about 107 square feet, which is about 320 feet of 4-inch line. That's roughly 16 stalls per gallon, before waste.

Add paint for arrows, stop bars, crosswalks, curbs and access aisle hatching, and add 10 to 15 percent for the sprayer and waste. The calculator on this page does the math in gallons.

Line widths, stencils and layout

4-inch lines are the common width for stalls. Accessible stalls need a marked access aisle: 2010 ADA Standards 502.3.3 requires access aisles to be marked so as to discourage parking in them, and 502.3.1 sets the aisle at least 60 inches wide. Van stalls are 132 inches wide with a 60-inch aisle, or 96 inches with a 96-inch aisle (502.2).

The 2010 ADA Standards don't require the wheelchair symbol painted on the pavement, but many states do, so a stencil of the International Symbol of Accessibility is a common order. Confirm local code for the size and color.

Application and equipment

Sweep and blow the surface clean. Paint when the air and pavement are above the manufacturer's minimum, usually about 50°F and rising, with no rain coming. Many manufacturers ask that new asphalt cure for several weeks before striping; if you can't wait, a light first coat now and a full coat later is common practice.

Airless striping machines lay the most consistent line. Hold stencils flat and spray at right angles so edges stay sharp, and keep the lot closed with cones until the paint is dry to traffic.

Asphalt versus concrete

Waterborne paint works on both. Concrete is smooth and can be slick when painted, so some owners add glass beads or anti-slip additive to large painted areas. On fresh sealcoat, wait until it is fully dry before striping. Very old, oxidized asphalt soaks up more paint per foot.

Pallet counts and freight basics for paint

Paint is dense, so pallets of pails are heavy and ship in a low freight class. Paint can freeze in transit in winter; tell us at checkout if the site is cold and we'll plan the shipment. The product page shows unit size, pallet quantity and shipping class.

LTL (less-than-truckload) carriers price a pallet by its weight, its size and its freight class. Freight class runs from 50 to 500 and is set mostly by density, in pounds per cubic foot: dense, heavy pallets ship at a lower class than light, bulky ones. Your delivery address matters too. A liftgate, a residential or limited-access address, or a call-ahead appointment each add a carrier charge. Our store quotes it live at checkout from the carriers, with those options priced in.

Common striping mistakes

The problems we see:

• Painting on a dusty or damp surface, so the line peels in weeks.
• Painting below the temperature on the label.
• Leaving off the access aisle markings, or making the aisle too narrow.
• Ordering paint by stall count without adding arrows, curbs and waste.
• Opening the lot before the paint is dry to traffic.

When striping is required

Accessible stalls and access aisles must be marked under 2010 ADA Standards 502.3.3, and fire lanes are marked as your fire code official requires. Local zoning often sets stall size and striping for new lots. Restriping an existing lot can trigger accessibility updates in some jurisdictions. Confirm local code.