Successful association paving projects don’t happen by accident. Over our nearly 60 years of paving we’ve done thousands of association jobs. From our experience, we can help you nail down the major milestones that happen before, during, and after a paving project in your HOA. Read on so you can plan for success.
Before Your Project
Nate Olson is a paving consultant with A&A and enjoys working with property managers to make sure things go smoothly:
“This market has comprised over half of our business for as long as I can remember, it’s our specialty and we enjoy doing these projects.”
Nate recommends that property managers do some homework ahead of their paving project, including:
- Researching paving contractors in your area by looking at Google reviews
- Looking at your association’s budget and reserves
- Pulling records of previous paving work (for example, knowing the depth of pavement on a driveway lets contractors know how to bid that appropriately)
- Getting at least three bids to bring to the HOA board
Don’t start this homework too late though! From day one of knowing you need paving done, it could take up to two months or more to get pavers in your community. The key to getting spring or summer paving projects done on time is to begin steps 1-4 above as early as possible– even in January of that year.
According to Nate:
“The best contractors are busy and can be completely booked by July… if they’re not busy in July it makes you wonder why?”
Before we bid a project, we do a walkthrough to assess your property’s needs. We ask that one or two board members accompany us to make sure that we’re all on the same page. We’ll then develop a detailed proposal complete with pictures and colored maps to show exactly where the work will happen. We highly recommend bringing your A&A pavement consultant to the board meeting so that we can answer any questions that the board may have.
Once you’ve signed a contract, you’ll want to make your pavement consultant aware of your community’s calendar including:
- Other projects that may impact paving (such as roofing)
- Garbage days
- Landscaping /mowing schedule
- Block parties or subdivision garage sales
We then put together the permit package and application and drop them off at the village or city. We then communicate to local law enforcement and residents about the upcoming paving project.
During Your Project
It usually takes between two to four weeks (depending on the village) for our permits to come through. Once we’re green-lighted by the village we schedule your paving project in our production queue based on when your contract was signed. Another reason to start steps 1-4 early!
The key to success from here is setting expectations and communicating clearly with everyone impacted by the project.
Nate says: “Communication with residents is key. Our communication process at A&A ensures that homeowners, property managers, and the board are all on the same page!”
Sometimes that means putting up additional signage or notices to keep residents in the loop.
“Without proper communication, these projects can implode quickly and cause headaches for your residents.”
After Your Project
After your association paving project is completed, our crews will clean up the job site and remove any barricades they set out. Your Pavement Consultant will then do a walk-through of the completed project with you to make sure that you are satisfied with the job. If you are, it is always appreciated that you do a Google review to help other property managers and boards know who to hire and who to avoid.
Find Pavers Who Care
We know that any project within an association can cause headaches for residents, the board and the property manager. Any paver can lay asphalt, but the best pavers care about going the extra mile to properly educate and communicate with everyone involved.
Nate says that everyone at A&A, from the front office to each of our crews, takes that point very seriously:
“It’s how we have grown our business since 1960.”
