PARKING LOTS
Parking Lot Photometric Plans.
Permit-ready calculations for drive aisles, stall fields, pedestrian routes, and property-line trespass built for the standards your jurisdiction reviews.
THE REQUIREMENT
What the code requires and why.
>= 0.5 fc
Minimum illumination (SeaTac)
<= 7.5 fc
Maximum illumination (SeaTac)
15:1
Max uniformity ratio
<= 0.1 fc
Residential property line (Bonney Lake)
Parking lot photometric plans are reviewed for more than fixture count. Plan reviewers look for documented visibility across drive aisles, pedestrian paths, stall fields, and lot edges so the installation can support circulation and safety without creating spill light onto adjacent property.
The current IES roadway and parking reference is ANSI/IES RP-8-25, and many jurisdictions publish their own maintained illumination criteria on top of that baseline. SeaTac, for example, lists District 1 and 2 parking lots at no less than 0.5 fc, no more than 7.5 fc, and a maximum-to-minimum uniformity ratio of 15:1.
A permit-ready plan also has to address light trespass. Bonney Lake limits rear and side property lines next to residential or rural uses to 0.1 fc, which is why the calculation package needs to document both the center of the lot and the property perimeter before the submittal goes in.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
Your parking lots photometric package.
01
Site plan overlay showing pole locations, fixture orientation, and mounting data
02
Point-by-point foot-candle grid across drive aisles, stall fields, and pedestrian routes
03
Iso-footcandle contours showing illumination falloff across the site
04
Property-line light trespass calculations and perimeter checks
05
Fixture schedule with distribution, wattage, mounting height, and cut sheet references
06
BUG and cutoff documentation where required by the jurisdiction
07
Jurisdiction-specific compliance summary for the permit set
08
Two revision rounds to address review comments or fixture updates
All plans modeled in AGi32 using IES LM-63-19 photometric data files.
COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION
Your parking lots permit may also require:
Most commercial parking lot permits require electrical load analysis and energy code documentation alongside the photometric calculations. Sites with 20 or more poles also need voltage drop verification due to long conductor runs from the panel to the farthest fixture.
Load Calculations
NEC Article 220 electrical load analysis for the total connected lighting load - demand factors, panel capacity, and conductor sizing for all poles and fixtures across the lot.
Voltage Drop Verification
Circuit-by-circuit conductor sizing calculations per NEC 210.19(A) FPN No. 4. Critical for parking lots with long pole-to-panel distances where branch circuit voltage drop can exceed recommended limits.
COMcheck Compliance
Energy code compliance certificate per IECC or ASHRAE 90.1 confirming that the total connected lighting load for the parking area stays within the jurisdiction's watts-per-square-foot allowance.
Permit Coordination
Assistance assembling the submittal package and communicating directly with the plan reviewer to resolve comments on the lighting documentation.
Controls: occupancy/vacancy dimming for covered parking areas, astronomical timeclock scheduling for exterior poles.
Need the complete package? We scope everything together — one fee, one timeline, one point of contact.
APPLICABLE STANDARDS
Code references for parking lots lighting.
- ANSI/IES RP-8-25
- Current IES recommended practice for roadway and parking facility lighting, including parking areas and obtrusive-light considerations.
- SeaTac SMC 17.24.020
- District 1 and 2 parking lots: 0.5 fc minimum, 7.5 fc maximum, 15:1 uniformity. District 3 and 4 parking lots: 0.2 fc minimum and 3 fc maximum.
- Bonney Lake MMC 18.29.080
- Dark-sky compliant fixtures are required, and rear or side property lines next to residential or rural uses may not exceed 0.1 fc.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Common questions about parking lots.
Most commercial parking lots are designed to a maintained minimum of 0.5–1.0 fc with a maximum-to-minimum uniformity ratio near 15:1, but the binding numbers come from your jurisdiction, not one national figure. SeaTac, for example, holds District 1 and 2 lots to no less than 0.5 fc and no more than 7.5 fc. ANSI/IES RP-8-25 is the underlying recommended practice the photometric plan calculates against.
Not quite. Parking lot lighting design is the broader work of choosing fixtures, pole locations, and mounting heights. The photometric plan is the calculated proof that the design meets code—the point-by-point foot-candle grid, uniformity ratios, and property-line trespass values your plan reviewer checks. For most parking lot permits, the photometric plan is the only piece the city actually requires.
Almost always, if the permit adds, replaces, or significantly modifies exterior lighting. Reviewers want documented illumination across drive aisles, stalls, and pedestrian routes plus a property-line trespass check before they sign off. Submitting without it is the most common reason a lighting permit stalls in review.
A single straightforward lot typically runs $300–$600; multi-lot or multi-zone sites run $600–$1,500. Standard turnaround is 48 hours, with 24-hour and same-day rush available. Send the site plan and we confirm scope and a fixed fee, usually the same day.
It's part of the calculation, not an afterthought. Many codes cap spill at residential boundaries near 0.1 fc—Bonney Lake is one example—so the plan documents the lot interior and the perimeter together. Skipping the trespass check is a frequent rejection trigger when a lot abuts homes.
RELATED READING
Keep reading
- Parking lot lighting requirements explainedThe IES and municipal foot-candle minimums reviewers actually check.
- IES RP-20 / RP-8 parking lighting standardsHow the current parking-lighting recommended practice reads.
- What is a photometric plan?Every layer of the deliverable, with an annotated sample plan.
- How much does a photometric plan cost?The honest $300–$2,500 range and what moves it.
- Foot-candle requirements by property typeTypical IES-based maintained fc ranges for every property type.
Scoped to your parking lots project.
Every parking lot plan is scoped to your site conditions and jurisdiction requirements. Send your site plan and we'll confirm the scope and fee, typically same day. No obligation.
Learn about our pricing model →Need a Parking Lot Lighting Submittal?
Send the site plan and fixture intent. We'll return a permit-ready parking lot photometric package built for code review.