Gimme Shelter: The Benefits of a Booth

January 2024

The use of a pre-fab booth, also known as a parking lot attendant booth, has been typical in the parking industry for decades. The factory-built parking office, or parking lot booth, often doubles as a guardhouse as well as a revenue collection station. When it comes to revenue collection in the parking industry, there are two main types: self-service (automated) pay machine and attended.

This article will delve into the two types of parking revenue collection and their respective shelters, but first a bit of history. Par-Kut International began in the 1950s when parking lot revenue collection wasn’t much more than an attendant with a cigar box for cash. Parking lot shacks were generally simple wood huts. A factory-built, portable steel booth was a new idea at that time. It offered the owner the option to move it when the property was sold or when their lease was expiring. Today’s booths are much more complex and are built to comply with electric, building and accessibility codes.

These days, automated pay machines and self-service pay stations for revenue collection can minimize or eliminate the need for on-site parking attendants and can reduce payroll expenses. However, automated parking pay systems can be very costly to purchase, install and monitor. In addition, the automated parking pay machines may fail when they are exposed to severe weather, resulting in high repair and maintenance bills. More importantly, when the automated pay machines are down, customers cannot pay and may not be able to enter, or even to exit. To keep automated equipment out of the weather, machine-specific shelters can be purchased. These shelters are typically three sided and include overhead lighting and an extended roof to cover customers making their payments. Par-Kut has experience with basic and architectural shelters and offers many design options.

On the other hand, having a staffed parking booth allows for a parking attendant to collect payments in person. In addition, the parking attendant can help prevent crimes and vandalism. Typically, a parking booth with an attendant or security officer present is a greater visual deterrent than camera surveillance alone. Par-Kut International can also incorporate security camera options into our booths. Moreover, the presence of a parking lot booth with a parking attendant offers visitors and employees a sense of security and peace of mind. An attended parking lot cashier booth can also provide customers with useful information, flexibility with types of payment and better customer service than self-serve pay machines alone. The booth attendant can also provide customers with directions, local information, and smiles.  From a purely functional standpoint, the parking lot booth provides basic shelter for parking attendants and security officers, keeping them safe, secure, and comfortable.

From single unit commercial structures to airport plazas and municipal parking facilities, Par-Kut builds quality parking booths that last regardless of the location. Solid welded construction and corrosion-resistant materials help these parking booths withstand physical and environmental abuse while keeping your operation and your attendants safe, secure and comfortable. Our portable steel buildings are built to weather adverse conditions and remain attractive for up to 25 years with little or no maintenance.

Par-Kut offers project-specific drafting and design services in addition to exceptional manufacturing capabilities. This creates options to customize your ideal building, allowing it to appear built-in, rather than “bolted on.” Regardless of the desired look, from the most basic to high finish style, we’ll work diligently to accommodate your style and functional requirements.

These built-to-order parking lot booths are factory assembled and delivered ready for easy hook-up and immediate use. Options include outfitting the booth with restrooms, bullet resistant construction, and platform mounting. Our parking booths can be standard, or architecturally enhanced to better blend with site surroundings.

When contacting Par-Kut, please have some information ready for us. To make sure your parking booth can pass code requirements we’d like to know where the booth will be used. The geographic location, city and state are very important in the design of the parking booth. As we build every booth on a custom basis for every client, you can be positive that it’ll meet or exceed all applicable codes.

Par-Kut International has designed and built the most durable portable parking booths since 1954. For more information about Par-Kut booths and shelters, please visit www.parkut.com, or call 1-800-394-6599.

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