Begin with the whole surface
Stand where the full paved area and its surroundings are visible. Record entrances, garage or building tie-ins, shoulders, slopes and where water can leave. A close-up of the worst crack is useful only when it is paired with the larger pattern.
- Photograph from the same reference points
- Mark direction of slope
- Include transitions and adjacent ground
- Date every observation
Group distress before judging severity
Connected cracking, isolated cracks, depressions, raveling, potholes and edge breakup describe different visible patterns. Record their location and spread without assigning a cause from appearance alone.
- Isolated versus connected cracking
- Settlement or wheel-path depression
- Ravelled or open surface texture
- Edge cracking and lost shoulder support
Separate surface clues from deeper questions
A worn surface can be a maintenance issue, while repeated movement, soft zones or depressions may justify questions about the structure below. The condition record should show why deeper investigation belongs in the quote scope.
- Movement around old repairs
- Soft or pumping areas
- Repeated cracking in one zone
- Elevation changes at fixed structures
Add the water layer
Note ponding after rain, roof discharge, ditch or culvert observations, downhill flow and low shoulders. New paving changes finished elevations, so drainage questions belong before method selection.
- Time until visible water clears
- Direction of surface flow
- Downspout and runoff points
- Low edges and outlets
Know when the worksheet stops
Do not dig, core, test compaction or infer engineering requirements from this page. Escalate unstable slopes, significant movement, public-road connections or suspected buried-utility issues to appropriately qualified review.
- Public access or right-of-way questions
- Retaining walls or slope movement
- Unknown buried infrastructure
- Conditions that make observation unsafe
Maple Ridge identifies erosion, rainwater and stormwater management as part of its watercourse-protection framework. The City also describes public storm infrastructure as including ditches, culverts and storm sewers. Use those sources to mark review boundaries; they are not a private pavement diagnosis or specification.
City of Maple Ridge — Water Protection & Management · City of Maple Ridge — Sanitary & Storm Sewers
Sources reviewed September 22, 2026. Confirm current requirements for the exact address and scope.