What to look for in good Southern California Asphalt Contractors

Quality People, Tools, Products (yes. . . they make inferior seal coat and asphalt products)

Whether you hire an asphalt contractor from Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, or San Bernardino, it’s imperative that you choose a quality company.  But distinguishing a quality company from the big, flashy, or cheap companies can be tricky.  A quality asphalt contractor is someone who not only meets your year to year asphalt repair needs, but also helps with your year to year budget needs, your project phasing, or simply helping you with posting fliers for your tenants or employees on the day before the job.  A quality asphalt contractor understands that these are some of the little things that will come up from time to time.  Though not every customer will need help with each one of these extra added services, it’s comforting to know that your asphalt contractor does them.   So much of what we do as an industry is very much the same.  We get our materials from the same plants and we put the asphalt down with the same rakes and shovels.  However, when Empire-PLS sells you a 4” overlay, that’s what you get, not a 2” overlay.  Sometimes customers think they are getting a better deal by going with the low bid, but many times they pay less for a job and still don’t get what they pay for.  I think what truly makes a quality contractor are the little things that make such a huge difference in the long run.  Empire-PLS strives to achieve these goals with each job and each customer.  We really do give as much care on small patch and repair contracts as we do on our larger asphalt projects.  Every job and customer receives the same quality treatment.

Competitive Pricing (hint ....this doesn't always mean cheapest)

Throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County there are a lot of asphalt contractors.   Some are huge and some are relatively small. Some have fancy equipment and some just so-so, but one thing’s for sure, their prices can be all over the place.  The reason for this can simply be based on factors such as how busy they are, what time of the year it is, or just how they intend on doing the project.  Without being an asphalt contractor yourself, it can be very confusing trying to make sure you’re choosing the best contractor.  One thing to do to is to get everyone on the same page regarding their proposals.  It’s important to make sure all of the bids are for the same services and products.  It’s imperative to look at the bids and make sure they all cover the same measurements and values.  Once the numbers are the same, it will be much easier to compare apples to apples. Another thing to consider is taking the middle proposal.  The reason for this is by eliminating the lowest bidder you greatly reduce your risk of getting taken to the cleaners by a slick asphalt salesman.  One way Empire Parking Lot Services reduces the cost of their projects is to not have salesmen.  Instead of hiring commission hungry salesmen, Empire PLS takes the time to hire, educate, and train salaried estimators.  This way you are getting the service and knowledge without the commission-based driven quote.  That being said, we still are not the lowest price.  The reason for this is simple.  We don't short the job to load our pockets.  Instead we give you exactly what you paid for as well as quality and service.

Dependability (uh oh ...you've been bumped)

Every summer we hear the same thing.  An angry customer calls us after getting bumped by one of the bigger paving contractors.  See, here is what happens.  Big paving company A schedules 6 jobs on a day when they should have scheduled 4.  When the first 5 jobs don't get done in time guess what happens?  If you happen to be job number 6, you get bumped.   Another scenario is big paving company A's salesman gets awarded a job for August 1^st.  The problem is he doesn't have an opening on the 1^st.  So, guess what happens?  He takes the job and schedules it, knowing he is going to bump you.  Empire Parking Lot Services prides itself on taking customers and jobs very seriously.  We know how many hassles can come from having to reschedule a project after tenants and employees have moved their schedules around.  Practically, the only reason you’re going to get rescheduled with Empire is if God himself intervenes, which occasionally he does with weather.  But we promise that your project will never be bumped because we want to make more money that day.

 

Communication

Whether it’s on the job, with the estimator, or with the office staff, there is one place we stand above the rest of the paving contractors in Orange & Los Angeles County and that's communication.  It’s another place where we really strive to be above the rest.  We feel that by carefully listening to our customers, we will be able to clearly understand what it is they are asking for.  When you call Empire, we are first going to listen to what your expectations are for your asphalt project. After hearing you out, we next are going to ask you questions. A lot of questions!!!!  By doing this it helps us figure out what it is you’re looking for. Here is an example, a customer calls looking to do some repairs in their church parking lot.  The lot is in terrible shape and needs a bunch of repairs.  After talking with them we realize they probably don't have the funds in their budget to get it fixed correctly.  Most asphalt contractors in this case will throw a seal coat on it and call it done.  At Empire Parking Lot Services, we try to find a way to reduce the scope of the repairs while still maintaining your budget and giving you more than a band aid job.



Call Empire Parking Lot Services for all of your asphalt contracting needs at 714 -633-0300.  Empire-PLS has estimators that can help you today with any projects that you have.  Empire Parking Lot Services is A Southern California parking lot maintenance specialist.