It’s easy to take parking garages and structures for granted. They’re practical, familiar, and designed to quietly do their job—storing our vehicles for a few hours or a few years. But when the spaces we rely on for daily efficiency and protection are compromised, the ripple effects can be significant. What begins as a seemingly minor issue can quickly impact a property’s operations, costs, reputation, legal exposure, and value.

Whether parking serves high-rise residential buildings, mixed-use developments, large shopping centers, or standalone structures, visible damage is often just the tip of the iceberg. Left unaddressed, deterioration compounds—and accelerates. Parking garages are dynamic, constantly expanding and contracting due to their thermal environments, and when they degrade, they demand prompt attention to remain safely operational for the people who depend on them.

So, for real estate owners and managers, parking structures represent both a critical asset and a potential liability.

The short answer: because deferred attention almost always turns into mounting, critical, and expensive problems.

Despite their low cosmetic appeal, parking structures like most essential building systems require consistent maintenance. Standalone garages are entire structures unto themselves; deferring repairs can put the full investment at risk. In many cases, garages are literally the foundation of a building, or they constructed above active ground-floor retail or restaurant spaces with constant foot traffic and are integral to the building structure. There’s no true “out of sight, out of mind” luxury here. When something goes wrong, it can affect vehicles and occupants inside the garage—and potentially compromise the stability and safety of the building above, below, or around it.

One of the most cited and sobering examples is the 2021 Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida. The underground parking garage and the pool deck above it showed long-standing issues, including chronic flooding, water intrusion, and failed waterproofing. There were several engineering investigations prior to the collapse though the warnings were unheeded. Investigations after the collapse revealed a combination of design flaws, construction deficiencies, and deferred maintenance, with saltwater intrusion accelerating corrosion of reinforcing steel. The garage conditions exposed broader structural weaknesses that ultimately contributed to the catastrophic failure and the loss of 98 lives.

The bottom line: parking structures play an essential role in the usability, safety, and value of nearly every property type—office, retail, multifamily, mixed-use, public, and cultural spaces alike.

Complexity

Parking structures are far more than “just concrete and ramps.” They are engineered systems that must perform safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively over decades. Degradation often follows a predictable pattern, especially in extreme climates, though various types of structures translate to different complexities (special considerations for below-grade, enclosed garages vs. exposed garages, precast, structural steel and metal decking, etc.). Cracks form, vehicles bring in snow and moisture, and freeze-thaw cycles compound minor existing deterioration. Water migration carries minerals and salts through micro-cracks into the concrete leading to corrosion of reinforcing steel, spalling of concrete, and other structural distress that can affect both the safety of the occupants and the vehicles within it.

Operational challenges

Once cracking and deterioration occurs, costly repairs can disrupt operations, displace tenants or guests, and limit access to the property. A maintenance closure, say for traffic coating, can be performed over a weekend, whereas structural repairs typically include garage closures and logistical problems for tenant parking for months.

Value perception

A poorly maintained garage erodes confidence. It impacts tenant satisfaction and retention, and it can influence leasing decisions, renewals, and asset value. Often, the garage is the first and last experience or impression a visitor or tenant has with a property, setting the tone for everything else.

When issues arise in a parking garage, the most significant concerns typically include:

• Unexpected capital costs
  Waterproofing or drainage failures can lead to extensive structural damage. Deferred maintenance compounds over time, making early intervention the far more cost-effective choice.
• Reputation and asset value impacts
  A neglected garage undermines trust and long-term tenant confidence, affecting leasing, sales, and overall market perception (and therefore, potentially value).
• Tenant experience and safety
  Poor lighting, confusing layouts, accessibility shortcomings, vehicle damage, and liability risks—from slips, falls, or structural hazards—can negatively affect occupants and guests.
• Regulatory and insurance implications
  Compliance with accessibility requirements, fire and life safety standards, and evolving building codes is an ongoing charge, as is minimizing preventable insurance claims.

If you haven’t had a recent evaluation—start there (and soon). Early assessments and due diligence are critical. A qualified consultant can uncover hidden risks prior to acquisition or development and perform constructability reviews, code compliance checks, and lifecycle cost analyses.

Most damage occurs over the winter, making spring an ideal time to assess what weather conditions have revealed and plan repairs for completion before the next fall or winter season.

Much like routine checkups for your health, your car, or your home, regular condition assessments help flag issues before they become major crises or unplanned capital expenses. While frequency varies by age and exposure, evaluations every three to five years are typical (more often for higher-risk conditions). These assessments examine not just visible deterioration, but the underlying causes, ensuring systems like drainage, lighting, and waterproofing are coordinated and resilient.

From there, consultants can help develop lifecycle and maintenance plans—clear roadmaps to prioritize repairs, forecast budgets, and manage risk.

When repairs or reconstruction are required, an experienced partner can guide scope and timing, obtain accurate contractor pricing, and provide construction oversight. As conditions and priorities inevitably evolve during repair work, skilled oversight and project management helps keep projects on schedule and ensures quality outcomes that perform long-term. Consultants can also support ongoing operations and maintenance planning, setting owners up to avoid future issues.

Firsthand insight—deferred maintenance, escalating consequences

Denver team members at Marx Okubo worked with a client on a two-level, below-grade, 800-space, cast-in-place concrete parking structure built in 1998 with a podium office/retail structure above. Years of deferred maintenance led to overhead and surface spalling, along with water intrusion through foundation walls. Today, required repairs are estimated at $3.7 million and will take approximately 2.5 years to complete. By comparison, routine maintenance over 30 years would have totaled about $2.24 million.

While annual maintenance costs can vary, reflecting garage size, age, exposure to elements, and the length of time maintenance was deferred, the lesson is always consistent: postponing maintenance increases both cost and disruption.

Owners and managers increasingly need parking structures to be resilient—not constant maintenance burdens. In addition to structural integrity and environmental exposure, forward-looking considerations include:

• Electric vehicle (EV) readiness—Power infrastructure, charging capacity, and long-term scalability.
• Fire suppression and life safety systems—Particularly in older garages, requirements are evolving rapidly and require specialized evaluation.
• Flexibility and adaptability—Designing and maintaining garages with future use, sustainability, and reduced lifecycle costs in mind.

Parking structures aren’t just functional necessities; they’re long-term investments. Proactive planning, inspections, and expert guidance protect both value and safety. If you own or manage a property with structured parking, now is the time to evaluate whether it’s performing as the asset it should be.