When to Repair vs. Fully Re-mark: A Guide for Perth Facility Managers

Apr 19, 2026

A patch job over non-compliant markings will not solve the compliance issue, it just adds another layer.

We talk regularly with facility managers across Perth, often after they’ve already spent money on a touch-up that made the site look better without making it right.

The difference between a targeted repair and a full site remark is not only a matter of cost. It’s the difference between closing a compliance gap and creating the illusion that you have.

We assess sites across Perth weekly, from car parks in Osborne Park to distribution centres in Kewdale and warehouse floors in Welshpool. The same pattern keeps coming up: managers underestimate what worn markings actually mean under AS 2890.1 and WorkSafe WA requirements, and they overspend later as a result.

Facility managers reach out to us and ask if they need a spot repair or whether the entire site needs to be remarked, sometimes with photos attached.

An on-site inspection isn’t always necessary, but every site is different and photos don’t tell you whether the paint is still properly bonded to the surface.

The Three Factors That Drive Every Recommendation We Make

We’re judging three things: the surface condition, layout, Traffic flow of the site and context when we come to an inspection.

All of these factors can change our recommendation.

These three questions must be answered:

Is the existing paint still properly bonded to the surface?
Do current bay widths meet the 2.4 m minimum under AS 2890.1?
Has the site layout changed since the last full remark?

The Surface

Line-marking paint (water-based) is effective on hard asphalt or concrete but generally does not work once the base has moved, oxidised or worn away. The coating generally starts lifting, cracking or peeling away so painting on top of failed adhesion rarely lasts more than a few months.

We evaluate adhesion before recommending anything else. If the bond is still healthy, a direct remark is often enough.

If this doesn’t happen, we suggest grinding the old paint, then grinding down to strip the failed coating down to a clean and stable surface.

That extra step helps to increase longevity. Sites where we properly prepared the surface perform better than sites where new product was applied on a compromised base.

The clues that indicate adhesion has already failed:

The edges that are lifting are where old paint is separating from the surface.
Cracking through the paint film after patching or surface movement.
Peeling in high-traffic areas: entry points, turning areas, etc.
Surface breakdown weakening the asphalt beneath the paint.

Bay Widths and Colour Consistency

AS 2890.1 sets a minimum 2.4 m width for car bays. After years of repainting, particularly where multiple contractors have worked the same site using slightly different reference points, effective bay width can drift well below that threshold.

A line marking repair over non-compliant bays does not restore compliance. It adds a fresh coat to a layout that was already in breach and under government planning requirements, visitor bays must be permanently marked and clearly visible.

We see this on older commercial car parks in Osborne Park and Malaga where the original layout was sound but repainting over the years has eroded the dimensions.

Colour consistency creates a separate but related problem. When different product batches or different contractors have worked the same site over the years, white and yellow markings across a facility can vary noticeably, even under normal daylight.

Drivers pick up on the inconsistency even if they can’t identify what’s wrong and that introduces its own hazard.

Where mismatched colours have spread across an entire zone, our recommendation is to take the affected area back to bare surface using our line marking removal and alteration service, then apply a fresh, consistent coat across the whole zone.

When a full remark is required:

Bay widths have drifted below the 2.4 m minimum under AS 2890.1.
Accessible bays or adjacent shared zones are no longer clearly marked.
Colour inconsistency across the site is creating ambiguity for drivers.
A partial repair on a non-compliant layout still leaves the site in breach.

When WorkSafe WA Makes the Decision for You

For warehouses and industrial facilities, this is not quite a judgement call. As a hazard control measure, the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) explain that walkway markings, forklift exclusion zones and hazard markings must be clearly visible at all times.

Faded warehouse floor markings shouldn’t be a cosmetic concern.

If a WorkSafe inspector visits a warehouse in Malaga or a Welshpool and comes across a pedestrian walkway path that is unable to be read clearly, that would be a failure of an appropriate hazard control.

Accessible bays in car parks to the same level of compliance. Under AS 2890.1, the shared zone adjoining every accessible bay (a 2.4 m x 5.4 m yellow-hatched area) is required to be permanently marked and clearly visible. If that marking has been so degraded that it is no longer distinguishable, the car park is not in compliance with the standard.

Perth’s Climate and What It Does to Your Markings

Perth enjoys one of the highest UV index readings in Australia, especially from October to March. Road marking paint gets worn down with long-term UV exposure.

Thermoplastic line marking is much harder to fade under ultraviolet light. It is heat-applied to form a tougher and longer-lasting finish than with water-based paint.

The upfront price of thermoplastic pays off quickly for high-traffic facilities in Osborne Park and Malaga as it means reduced maintenance for warehouse owners.

In coastal locations where salt air seeps deep into the asphalt, moisture will start to form under the paint and peel away, rather than fade over time.

Grinding off the old paint followed by proper surface preparation is the only way to get a new application that lasts through the next wet season.

Making the Right Call

At Delineation Line Marking, we’re a local, family-owned business serving facilities across Perth, from Malaga and Welshpool to Craigie, Osborne Park and Fremantle.

We carry full insurance, operate to Main Roads WA (MRWA) standards and back every job with a workmanship guarantee.

Our car park line marking services cover all required elements under AS 2890, including accessible bays, shared zones, directional arrows and bay numbering.

Our line marking removal and alteration service handles the full mechanical removal process where stripping down to bare surface is the only way to get a clean, compliant result.

Our community-minded approach extends beyond commercial work. Here’s what one of our community clients had to say:

“Highly recommend DLM, who kindly loaned some equipment to our sporting club so we could mark out numbers on our grid, only hours before a large race event. We tried several attempts to purchase or loan this equipment without success before contacting Geoff at DLM, who solved our problem. Very community-minded and generous. We can’t recommend Delineation Line Marking enough; great company.” Dan Anderson

If your markings are worn and you’re not certain which direction is right, contact our team on 0497 314 758 or get in touch through our contact page for an obligation-free site assessment.

What’s the biggest challenge you face when deciding how to budget for line marking maintenance? Reach out directly. We’re happy to talk it through before any decision is made.