Commercial Surfacing Services
Car parks, warehouse yards, access roads, HGV loading areas. Built for the actual loads you’re putting through them, not failing after the first winter.
Our Commercial Surfacing and Civil Engineering Services
Commercial surfacing for businesses, developers, and industrial sites where downtime costs money
Most commercial surfaces fail within five years. Not because of bad luck—because they weren’t designed for the job.
Budget tarmac over weak foundations. Thin overlays that can’t handle HGV turning movements. Drainage that pools water and rots the base from underneath. Then you’re spending £15,000-£40,000 every couple of years on patches that buy you another 18 months if you’re lucky.
Specifications matched to what you're actually doing
HGV traffic. Daily deliveries. Staff parking. Fork-lift movements across loading bays. Surfaces that handle all that without rutting, cracking, or turning into a pond after winter.
We work across the South West, South Wales, and the Thames Valley. NHSS-accredited, ISO 9001 certified, proper engineering. Surfaces lasting 12-20 years because they’re designed right from the foundation up.
Why commercial surfaces fail (and what it costs you)
The real-world impact...
There's a better way to do this...
Surfaces built for what they'll actually go through. The whole-life cost approach
Specs matched to real traffic:
HGVs doing tight turns, delivery vehicles all day, staff parking, fork-lifts crossing loading bays. Designed for what actually happens, not guesswork.
Foundations that don't collapse:
Proper subgrade prep, right base thickness, drainage stopping water destroying everything from underneath. 15-20 years, not 3-5.
Drainage protecting your investment:
Slot drains where they're needed, proper falls, SuDS compliance if required. Water managed before it wrecks the pavement.
Clear pricing upfront:
Fixed-fee quotations based on proper surveys. You know what you're paying and what you're getting.
Working around your operations:
Phased installation so part of your site stays open. Out-of-hours for retail. Traffic management keeping access available.
Documentation sorted:
ISO 9001, NHSS accreditation, as-builts for adoption authorities. Everything needed for sign-off.
Why commercial operations choose Highways Plus
Your surfacing should perform for 15-20 years, not become a recurring expense every 2-3 years.
What sets us apart
We've surfaced everything:
Twenty-five years doing this means we’ve seen 90-tonne reach-stacker yards, retail parks with 2,000 vehicles daily, agricultural operations destroying surfaces in ways you wouldn’t believe. We know what actually works.
Fixed fees available:
Clear pricing after proper surveys. Optional maintenance packages spreading costs over 10-15 years if that suits your budgeting better.
Proper accreditation:
ISO 9001, 14001, 45001. NHSS for highway works. Not just certificates on the wall—it’s how we actually operate.
Fast but not sloppy:
Mobilise within two weeks for most jobs. Phased delivery keeping you operational. Done right first time, not bodged for speed.
Upfront cost versus lifecycle cost:
Proper engineering costs 20-35% more initially but lasts 40-60% longer and cuts maintenance by 60-80%. That’s the trade-off.
One partner for everything:
SuDS, Section 38, Section 104, adoption documentation. Not juggling three contractors who don’t talk to each other.
How we work
Ground assessment, traffic analysis, proper spec design. Quality checks at every stage.
What you get...
Phased delivery if you need to stay operational. Complete shutdown and rapid install if you can afford downtime.
Timelines: car parks 2-4 weeks, warehouse yards 3-6 weeks for heavy-duty specs, access roads 4-8 weeks including drainage, emergency repairs 48 hours to one week.
Survey and spec design:
Ground investigation, traffic assessment, drainage requirements, existing condition if it's a repair. Engineered specs for actual usage, not guesses.
Quotation with options:
Fixed pricing based on surveyed conditions. Want 15-year design life versus 20? We'll price both. Phasing to keep you operational? Costed separately.
Prep and drainage:
Strip existing surface, prep and test subgrade, install drainage and falls, traffic management if you're staying open. Foundation work that won't fail.
Install and quality control:
Material delivery, proper laying sequence, compaction testing, quality checks (density, voids), line marking. Built to adoptable standards.
Commercial surfacing services CASE STUDY
Logistics warehouse, Somerset
The Challenge:
- 40,000m² distribution centre with yard surfaces falling apart after three years.
- Original installation in 2019 wasn't spec'd properly for HGV movements. By 2022: extensive rutting in turning areas, longitudinal cracks from repeated trafficking, water pooling creating slip hazards and fork-lift access problems
- Operations team burning £18,000 annually on patches that failed within 6-12 months. Tenant formally complaining about safety and vehicle damage.
Our Solution:
- Complete yard reconstruction. Heavy-duty asphalt on CBGM foundation, designed for 44-tonne vehicles and reach-stacker operations.
- Eight-week phased install maintaining 60% capacity throughout. Night shifts for critical loading areas so daily ops continued.
- Drainage upgrade: linear slot drains aligned to wheel paths, interceptors for fuel spill protection, proper falls so water doesn't sit.
The Outcome:
- Yard designed for 15-20 years under industrial traffic
- Eight-week install with maintained access
- Zero patch repairs in first 18 months versus £18,000 annual spend before
- Tenant complaints resolved, safety notices withdrawn
Proven across diverse commercial sectors
Different operations, same need: surfaces engineered for what you’re actually doing.
Sectors that rely on us:
Industrial and logistics:
Warehouse yards with 44-tonne HGVs all day, distribution centres where fork-lifts never stop, manufacturing facilities where fuel resistance matters. Heavy-duty specs lasting 15-20 years.
Retail and leisure:
Shopping centres handling 1,000+ vehicles daily, leisure facilities where it needs to look good and perform, restaurants balancing appearance with durability. Kerb appeal that lasts.
Agriculture:
Farm yards where heavy machinery and weather do their worst, livestock facilities dealing with chemicals, equipment storage taking point loads and turning stress. Built for farming reality.
Commercial property:
Office parks, business unit access roads, commercial driveways where tenants judge you on the basics. Protecting property values.
Healthcare and education:
Hospital car parks, university estates with accessibility requirements, care facilities balancing safety with operations. DDA compliant, properly done.
Utilities and infrastructure:
Depot yards, operational bases, service vehicle access, substations needing all-weather access. Industrial-grade for utility operations.
Your Commercial surfacing services questions, answered...
How long will commercial surfacing last?
Entirely depends on spec and traffic. Budget overlays on weak foundations? 2-5 years. Properly engineered to highway standards? 10-15 years. Heavy-duty with stiff foundations (CBGM)? 15-20 years. Premium concrete or specialist systems? 20-30 years. We design to your required lifespan and budget.
Why does commercial cost more than residential?
Commercial handles vastly higher loads and more traffic. Thicker asphalt (100-150mm versus 50-70mm residential), engineered foundations, proper drainage, quality testing. You’re paying for 15-20 years under commercial use, not 5 years of patches.
Can you work around operations?
Yes. Phased install maintains partial access. Out-of-hours for retail or hospitality. Weekends for business parks. We’ll design delivery around your constraints and peak periods.
What drainage do we need?
Depends on use and adoption requirements. Slot drains for HGV yards (wheel path alignment), interceptors for fuel areas, SuDS for developments needing adoption, proper falls throughout. We assess and spec based on actual conditions and requirements.
Do you handle Section 38 or Section 278?
Yes. Design and install to adoptable standards, manage Section 278 for site access mods, handle Section 38 documentation for new roads. Integrated adoption management available as fixed-fee package with defect resolution and authority liaison.
How quickly can you start?
Survey and spec: typically within one week. Quotation: 3-5 days after survey. Mobilisation: 10-14 days for standard jobs, faster for urgent repairs. Emergency patches: 24-48 hours for safety issues.
What if it fails early?
Properly engineered commercial surfacing shouldn’t fail within design life under reasonable maintenance and specified loads. We provide workmanship guarantees and materials warranties. Premature failure from poor spec or installation? Covered. Damage from loads beyond spec or zero maintenance? Not covered.
Repair or full reconstruction?
Depends on existing condition and structural life remaining. Surface-course overlays add 5-8 years if base is sound. Plane-and-replace fixes rutting without full rebuild. Full reconstruction needed if base has failed, drainage inadequate, or capacity insufficient. We’ll survey and advise honestly—no upselling.
What's included in quotations?
Survey and spec design, surface removal, subgrade prep and testing, drainage where specified, asphalt in engineered layers, compaction and quality testing, line marking, traffic management if maintaining access. Excludes only unforeseen ground conditions not identifiable through reasonable investigation.
Need to know what spec you actually need and what it'll cost?
Book a Free, No-Obligation Commercial surfacing services Assessment
We’ll survey your site, assess traffic and usage, evaluate existing condition if it’s a repair, provide engineered specs with fixed-fee quotation.
No obligation. No sales pitch. Just honest advice from specialists who’ve done everything from farm yards to 40,000m² distribution centres.
Call or fill out our form and we'll be in touch within 24 hours.
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