Monthly parking
How should a parking lot handle event parking inquiries?
How a parking lot can answer event parking calls: date-specific availability, event rates, entrance and exit plans, monthly parkers and accessible spaces.
By Evan Thomas, Founder, Propty · Austin, TX
Published
Answer an event parking inquiry with facts for that date, not general ones. Check availability for the event date after you set aside what monthly parkers are promised, quote the event rate from your rate sheet, and tell the caller the arrival window, which entrance to use and how exit will work. Only a confirmed reservation guarantees a space, so say that plainly to anyone who does not book.
Key points
- Event availability is a separate number from everyday availability. Work it out per event, after monthly reserved spaces and any unreserved permits you hold space for.
- Quote only the event rate on your rate sheet, and say whether it is prepaid or drive-up.
- Give every caller the same four facts: arrival window, entrance, exit plan and what happens without a reservation.
- Decide in writing what monthly parkers get on event days, and tell them before the event.
- Know where your accessible spaces are and keep them and their access aisles open on event days for every eligible driver, whether a monthly parker or an event guest.
What to have ready before the phone rings
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Event date, start and end time | Availability, rate and staffing all depend on the date. |
| Event capacity for that date | Total spaces minus monthly reserved spaces and any space held for unreserved permits. |
| Event rate from your rate sheet | Prepaid and drive-up prices, if they differ. |
| Arrival window | When the lot opens for event parkers and when it stops taking cars. |
| Entrance for event parkers | The one you want them to use, with a landmark or street name. |
| Exit plan | Which exits open after the event and any re-entry rule. |
| Vehicle limits | Clearance height for covered levels, and whether oversize vehicles are accepted. |
| Accessible parking | Where the accessible and van-accessible spaces are, and how callers should ask about them. |
| Monthly parker policy for event days | Whether permits still work, and where monthly parkers should park. |
| Cancellation and refund terms | So the answer is the same every time. |
The workflow
| Step | Owner | What | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Set up the event | Manager | Enter date, times, event capacity, rates, entrance and exit plan | Event sheet |
| 2. Notify monthly parkers | Office | Send the event-day policy ahead of the date | Notice sent |
| 3. Answer | Office | Give date-specific availability, rate, arrival window, entrance and exit plan | Questions answered |
| 4. Reserve | Office | Take payment or hold per your terms; record plate if you use it | Confirmed reservation |
| 5. Confirm | Office | Send date, entrance, arrival window, exit plan and the reservation number in writing | Confirmation sent |
| 6. No reservation | Office | If the caller does not book or you are sold out, say there is no guaranteed space and give drive-up terms if any | Clear answer logged |
| 7. Event day | Attendant | Check reservations at the entrance and keep accessible spaces and aisles clear | Arrival log |
| 8. Close out | Manager | Compare reservations, drive-ups and monthly parker use with the plan | Notes for the next event |
Event inquiry checklist
- Event capacity worked out for that date (required)
- Event rate taken from the rate sheet, prepaid and drive-up (required)
- Arrival window, entrance and exit plan written on the event sheet (required)
- Monthly parker event-day policy sent before the date (required)
- Accessible and van-accessible space locations written down (required)
- "No guarantee without a confirmed reservation" said on every call that does not book (required)
- Written confirmation sent for every reservation (recommended)
- Clearance height given to callers with tall vehicles (required for covered lots)
- Close-out notes saved for the next event (optional)
Accessible parking on event days
The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design set the minimum number of accessible spaces for each parking facility in section 208. The Department of Justice's restriping brief restates the table: for example, a facility with 101 to 150 spaces needs at least 5 accessible spaces, and at least one of every six accessible spaces, but always at least one, must be van-accessible. On event days, those spaces stay available to eligible drivers with a placard, whether they hold a monthly permit or come for the event. Cones, temporary signs and pay stations should not block the spaces or their access aisles. Tell callers where the spaces are and how to reach them from the event entrance. How you reserve or price accessible spaces is a question for your attorney.
Example (hypothetical)
A surface lot has 120 spaces, including 5 accessible spaces, one of them van-accessible. On weekdays it has 30 monthly reserved spaces, none of them accessible spaces, and 40 unreserved monthly permits. Its written policy, used here as an example, holds one space for every unreserved permit on event evenings.
- The 5 accessible spaces are not sold as event inventory and not counted in the permit hold. They stay open to any vehicle with a placard, monthly or event.
- General event capacity: 120 minus 5 accessible minus 30 reserved minus 40 held for permits is 45 spaces.
- The lot's example plan sells 38 general spaces in advance and keeps 7 for drive-up.
The rate sheet lists $20 prepaid and $25 drive-up for this event.
- Prepaid: 38 times $20 is $760.
- Drive-up, if all 7 fill: 7 times $25 is $175.
- Maximum from the 45 general event spaces: $760 plus $175, or $935.
The 39th caller asks to reserve. The office says the advance spaces are sold, there is no guaranteed space without a reservation, and drive-up spaces, if any remain, are $25 on arrival through the event entrance. The caller knows exactly where she stands.
Common problems
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly parkers find the lot full | Event capacity ignored monthly commitments | Subtract reserved spaces and permit holds before selling event spaces |
| Caller thought a space was promised | No clear "no guarantee" answer | Say it on every call that does not end in a confirmed reservation |
| Event parkers use the wrong entrance | Entrance not in the confirmation | Put the entrance and a landmark in every confirmation |
| Accessible spaces blocked by cones or a pay station | Event setup not planned around them | Mark accessible spaces and aisles on the event layout |
| Price disputes at the gate | Staff quoting from memory | Quote only from the rate sheet, and put the price in the confirmation |
| Tall van turned away at a covered entrance | Clearance never asked | Ask vehicle height when the lot has covered levels |
What to track
Track the share of event reservations that received a written confirmation with the date, entrance, arrival window and exit plan. It should be every one.
Limitations
Event parking may need local permits or follow city rules on traffic, signage and lot use, and those vary by place. Your monthly parking agreements decide what monthly parkers are owed on event days, so read them before you set a policy. Accessible parking obligations depend on your facility and the federal, state and local rules that apply; the table above is a summary, not a compliance review. All capacities, rates and policies in the example are labeled examples. For everyday monthly inquiries, see how a parking lot should answer monthly parking inquiries.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check with your state program or attorney.
Where Propty fits
Propty's monthly parking page describes answering parker calls 24/7 with your approved greeting and a recording notice, quoting prices only from your rate sheet, texting back missed callers, recording reservation holds, waitlist holds, and secure payment links or supported phone-keypad payments on the call. Its What you get page describes payment links sent by text within your texting rules, and texts sent under your business name once carrier registration is approved. These descriptions come from Propty's public pages as checked on 2026-10-16. They are not a test of the live product. What is available for a property depends on setup and connected services, so confirm current behavior in a demo before relying on it.
Want to see how your listing and calls look to a new customer? Get a free Get Found audit.
Sources
- 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (ADA.gov): minimum accessible parking requirements in section 208 for new construction and alterations. Checked 2026-10-16.
- ADA Compliance Brief: Restriping Parking Spaces (ADA.gov): the minimum accessible space table by facility size, calculated per facility, and the one-in-six van-accessible rule. Checked 2026-10-16.
- Propty for monthly parking and Propty, What you get: the product descriptions above. Checked 2026-10-16.
- No outside statistics are used. All capacities, rates and policies are labeled examples.