Frequently asked questions

Two companies, one phone number. Straight Line Services handles parking lots: striping, layout, ADA and minor repairs. B&M Land Management handles the ground: land clearing, demo, drainage, grading and more. One call to 662-719-7737 reaches both.

We are based in Ruleville and work the Mississippi Delta, from the Memphis area down to Vicksburg and Jackson, between the river and the I-55 corridor. Farther out? Call 662-719-7737 and ask.

Yes. Straight Line Services also takes striping work in Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas. Tell us where the lot is and what it needs.

Yes. We clear whole tracts, or clear around the trees you want to keep. Walk us through which ones stay and we work around them.

Yes. Ponds and dirt pits, with an excavator and a dump truck on site to dig it out and haul the dirt where it needs to go.

Yes, on land work and on lot work. Only your name and phone are needed on the form, and you get the estimate before any work starts.

On thick timber, we push it up in windrows along the edge of the cleared ground or where you want them. Lighter brush and small timber can be mulched in place with the forestry mulching head. We talk through which way fits your plans.

You tell us. We walk the ground with you or go over photos and a map, and you show us the keepers. Flag them, or give us a simple rule like keep every oak over a certain size. We settle the plan before the mulcher starts.

Wide enough for a truck and trailer is the standard we work to on lanes. Trails for walking or ATVs can be narrower. Tell us what needs to drive it, and we will cut it to fit.

Mississippi State University Extension suggests ponds in the state average about 5 to 6 feet deep and go no deeper than 10 to 12 feet, with about a fifth of the bottom at least 6 feet deep. Large areas shallower than 3 feet tend to grow weeds and dry up late in summer.

That depends on the lot, the flood zone and what your builder wants. If you are in a mapped flood zone, the city or county floodplain administrator may set a minimum floor height. Outside a mapped zone, look at where water stood after hard rains and build above it.

University of Kentucky guidance suggests a crown of 1 to 2 percent so water runs off the arena. The crown is built into the base during the dirt work. Talk with your footing supplier too, since some footings have their own base requirements.

On most Delta ground, it is a mix of flat land and heavy clay. Soils like Sharkey take water in very slowly and usually have less than 1 percent of slope. Water cannot soak in fast or run off, so it sits until the dirt is shaped to move it.

Because on flat Delta ground the slope that drains a yard is only a few inches over a long distance, and that is hard to see by eye. The laser level lets us check the fall as we grade, so the yard actually drains away from the house.

Most guidance calls for a sand-based mix with silt and clay. One industry guide puts the sand at about 58 to 75 percent, with silt no higher than clay. A soil test is the only way to know what your field has before you add material.

Tell us what needs to come down and we will talk it through. Every demo job is different. Describe the structure, where it is and what you want left when we are done, and we will tell you how we would handle it and whether it is a fit.

It depends on the asphalt mix, the weather and the paving contractor's recommendation. Ask your paver when the surface is ready for paint and we will plan around that date. Striping too early can cause problems with the lines.

Yes. If the lot is being sealed or the lines are gone, that is the time to change the layout. We measure the lot, plan the new stalls, aisles and markings, and you approve the plan before we paint. Old lines that conflict need to be covered.

Under Table 208.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards, a lot with 51 to 75 spaces needs at least 3 accessible spaces. At least one of those must be van accessible. Hospital outpatient and rehabilitation facilities need a higher share.

The International Fire Code does not set one color. Many fire departments ask for red curbs with white lettering, but local rules vary. Check with your local fire marshal before we paint, and we will match what they require.

No. OSHA requires permanent aisles and passageways to be appropriately marked where forklifts and other mechanical handling equipment are used, but it does not set one color or width for aisle lines. Yellow is common practice under ANSI and industry color plans.

OSHA's safety color rule says yellow is the basic color for caution and for marking physical hazards like tripping and falling. Yellow edge lines follow that rule and are what people expect to see at a hazard.

Not for minor problems. We fix small potholes, cracks and broken edges as part of getting the lot ready for paint. If the lot needs a full overlay or new pavement, that is a bigger job and we will tell you so up front.