Parking Lot Drainage in Seaside, Oregon: Stop the Ponding

Stop Parking Lot Ponding in Seaside

A ponding parking lot in Seaside is a problem you'll see all winter. This is the wet north coast — Clatsop County gets some of the heaviest rainfall in Oregon — and most commercial sites sit on flat, low-lying sand just above a high water table. Tourist season fills these lots, and when they can't shed water, the result is puddles, birdbaths, and sheet flow across drive aisles that visitors wade through. Standing water also destroys the asphalt, breaking down the surface and undermining the base. Good parking lot drainage gets water off the surface and into a managed outlet before it does damage.

This guide covers why Seaside lots pond, how proper drainage design fixes it, and what the work typically costs.

Why Seaside Lots Pond

Most ponding traces back to one or more of these.

North-coast rainfall. The amount and intensity of rain is the headline. A lot graded and drained for a drier climate is undersized for Seaside storms, especially during atmospheric rivers when water arrives faster than the inlets can take it.

Flat, low-lying grade. Asphalt needs a consistent slope — commonly around 1 to 2 percent — toward inlets to keep water moving. On flat coastal ground, that slope is hard to establish and easy to lose as the base settles, leaving low spots that pond.

Settling and a soft sandy base. Over time the base compacts unevenly and sections sink. On saturated sandy ground, the base softens and settles faster, creating birdbaths.

A high water table. Near the ocean and the Necanicum, a high water table keeps the sub-base saturated, so surface water has nowhere to soak away and the base stays soft — accelerating settling and more ponding.

How Proper Lot Drainage Works

Fixing ponding is about getting water to a collection point and then to a managed outlet.

Slope to inlets. The surface is graded so every area sheds toward a catch basin. Where settling has created low spots, a mill-and-overlay or targeted patching restores the correct slope. Adding an inlet at a stubborn low spot is sometimes the cleanest fix.

Catch basins and a piped network. Grated catch basins collect surface water and feed an underground pipe network that carries it to the outlet. Proper basin spacing keeps any single storm from overwhelming the system — critical given north-coast rainfall.

Trench drains at problem lines. Where water crosses an entrance or drive aisle, a trench drain — a continuous grated channel — intercepts sheet flow before it spreads.

A managed outlet and DEQ compliance. Commercial lot runoff in Oregon often has to be treated and metered before discharge, which can mean an oil-water separator, a detention feature, or a connection to an approved storm system. Sites near the ocean, river, and wetlands face particular scrutiny.

For the full design framework, see our guide on commercial parking lot drainage design in Oregon.

What Parking Lot Drainage Costs in Seaside

Industry baseline ranges. Actual costs depend on lot size, scope, the number of inlets, outlet requirements, and DEQ obligations. Low-lying, high-water-table sites run higher.

Scope	Industry Baseline Range
New catch basin (each, installed)	$1,500–$4,000
Trench drain (per linear foot)	$100–$300
Targeted regrade / patch of a low spot	$2,000–$8,000
Mill-and-overlay to restore slope (per sq ft)	$2–$6
Full lot drainage design + install	quote-based, varies widely

These are commonly reported starting figures, not quotes. Outlet requirements, oil-water separators, and DEQ stormwater obligations can change the total substantially. A site assessment is essential for commercial work.

Why a Site Assessment Is Essential

Commercial parking lot drainage on flat, sandy, wet ground is engineering, not guesswork. Catch-basin spacing, the slope to each inlet, outlet capacity, and stormwater treatment all have to be right for the system to keep up with Seaside rainfall. A site assessment that maps the existing grade, finds the low spots, checks the water table, and confirms the outlet and DEQ requirements is the foundation of a lot that drains in the worst storms — and stays compliant. We strongly recommend one before any commercial drainage work.

Protect the Asphalt You Already Have

Ponding doesn't just inconvenience visitors — it destroys pavement. Water that sits on the surface and saturates the sandy base shortens the life of the whole lot, turning a drainage problem into a repaving bill. Fixing drainage early protects the much larger investment in the asphalt. Cojo Excavation & Asphalt helps Seaside property owners and managers stop ponding with drainage built for north-coast conditions. Learn more about our excavation services and the full property drainage solutions in Oregon.