Built around Austin's standards.

In November 2005 the City of Austin became the first municipality in the United States to ban coal-tar-based pavement sealants (Ordinance No. 20051117-070). The ordinance prohibits the application or sale of sealants containing greater than 0.1% polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) within city limits, and was expanded in 2019 to cover additional high-PAH pavement products. Other Central Texas jurisdictions have since adopted similar restrictions.

The reason: coal-tar sealants are the largest contributor of PAHs to urban streams in much of the country. PAHs are a class of compounds that includes known and probable human carcinogens, and they wash off treated parking lots into the storm drain system, settling into creek and lake sediment.

Austin Pavement Co. uses asphalt emulsion and acrylic-based sealcoats exclusively. These materials meet the city's <0.1% PAH requirement, perform comparably to coal-tar in commercial parking-lot applications, and carry no risk of triggering enforcement action against the property owner.

This matters legally as well as environmentally. Property owners — not just contractors — can be cited for non-compliant sealcoat applications on their lots. Choosing a contractor who routinely applies coal-tar sealant in restricted jurisdictions is a liability that follows the property.

Texas commercial parking lots must comply with the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), which incorporate and in some cases exceed federal ADA requirements. The standards govern the number of accessible stalls, their dimensions, signage, and the access aisles serving them.

Standard accessible car stalls must be at least 96 inches wide, with a 60-inch-minimum access aisle adjacent. Van-accessible stalls require a 132-inch stall (or a 96-inch stall paired with a 96-inch access aisle) plus 98 inches of vertical clearance along the vehicle route. Signage must be mounted at least 60 inches above the finished surface to the bottom of the sign — measured to remain visible when a vehicle is parked.

The number of accessible stalls scales with total lot size: 1 per 25 stalls up to 100, then a sliding scale beyond that, with at least one of every six accessible stalls being van-accessible.

Restriping a lot with a different layout — not just refreshing existing lines — can trigger an "alteration" obligation, meaning the lot must be brought into current TAS compliance even if the previous layout was grandfathered. We document the existing layout before any work begins and confirm in writing whether your project triggers this obligation.

Fire lane marking on commercial properties is governed by the adopted fire code. The City of Austin operates under the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) with local amendments, and Texas Occupations Code §2308.251 establishes statewide rules for designation and signage of fire lanes on private property.

Requirements typically include red curbs or red striping continuous along the designated lane, white "FIRE LANE — NO PARKING" or "NO PARKING — FIRE LANE" stencils at intervals not exceeding the local code maximum (commonly 50 feet, though jurisdictions vary), and conforming signage at lane boundaries.

The Austin Fire Department's fire marshal can require restriping or remarking during inspection if existing markings are faded, non-conforming, or interrupted. We coordinate fire-lane work to current Austin specifications and provide documentation suitable for fire marshal review.

Sealcoat overspray, equipment rinsate, and crack-sealing wash water are not allowed to enter the storm drain system. Austin's Watershed Protection Department and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) treat these discharges as illicit, with potential fines for both the contractor and the property owner.

Our crews physically block adjacent storm inlets with absorbent socks or curb dams before any sealcoat or wash operation begins. Wash water is captured on-site and disposed of at an approved facility — not poured into landscape beds, alleys, or drains.

We document inlet protection in our completion record so you have proof of compliant practice in the event of a stormwater inspection or complaint.

Crack routing, saw cutting, and grinding operations on asphalt and concrete generate respirable crystalline silica, regulated under OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.1153. The standard requires engineering controls — typically water spray or local exhaust ventilation with a HEPA-filtered vacuum — paired with a written exposure control plan and periodic worker training.

Our crack-routing and grinding equipment runs with integrated water suppression or HEPA dust collection (whichever is appropriate to the operation), and our crews are trained on the silica standard. We do not run dry-cut equipment uncontrolled on a commercial property.

For property owners this matters because OSHA actions during a contractor's work on your premises can implicate the controlling employer (the property owner or property manager) in some circumstances. Contractor compliance is part of your liability picture, not just theirs.