Writing a landscaping and snow RFP for many sites.

By John Brocklebank, Chief Executive Officer

Why most RFPs get bids you can’t compare

Most bad bids start with the request. Three mistakes show up again and again.

• A vague scope. “Maintain the grounds” with no visit count and no list of services by season. Every bidder fills in the gaps differently, so every price covers something different.
• No real site details. A list of addresses and nothing else. Without lot sizes, green space or access hours, bidders guess, and the guesses show up later as change orders.
• Price as the only score. The lowest number wins, service slips, and the same sites are back out to bid a year later.

A good RFP fixes all three before the first bid comes in.

Give bidders what they need to price it

The more a bidder knows about your sites, the closer the price is to what you’ll actually pay. Send:

• A site list with sizes. One spreadsheet with the address, lot size and green space for every location. Add property type and anything unusual, like a retention pond or a steep slope.
• What you get today and what isn’t working. The current service at each site and the problems you want solved. Bidders can’t fix a problem they don’t know about.
• Access and hours. When crews can be on site, gate codes or key holders, quiet hours, and when the doors open.

Write one scope, then the exceptions

Start with one standard for every site, then list the sites that differ.

For landscaping, spell out:

• How many visits a year, and how often in each season
• What each visit includes: mowing, edging, trimming, blowing off hard surfaces, litter
• Seasonal work: mulch, color, pruning, leaf cleanup, irrigation start-up and shutdown
• What counts as extra and needs approval first

For snow and ice, put four things in writing: what triggers service, which areas get cleared, the deadline, and how de-icing is handled. Our guide to snow contracts covers the pricing options.

What every bid should include

Ask every bidder for the same things, in the same format, so the bids line up side by side.

• Proof of every visit. A check-in tied to the site’s location and before-and-after photos you can see without asking. Ask for a sample report.
• Snow response times. How fast lots, walks and entrances are cleared, in writing, by how much snow falls.
• One point of contact. A named person accountable for every site, and who you call when that person doesn’t answer.
• Pricing by site and by service. Use your spreadsheet as the bid form, so every price lands in the same column.
• Insurance. A certificate that meets your limits, and how they keep certificates current for the crews on your sites.

Score more than the price

Decide how you’ll score bids before you open them. Price matters, but it isn’t the only thing. Proof of every visit, response times and who does the work matter too. One simple way: give each bidder a score from one to five on price, proof of service, snow response, the point of contact, and references from other multi-site customers. Then add them up.

If two bids are close, ask both to walk you through a sample week at three of your sites. You’ll learn more from that than from the price sheet.

Run it so it’s fair and fast

• Send the same package to everyone. Site list, scope, bid form and the scoring you’ll use.
• Take questions in writing. Send every answer to every bidder.
• Give them time. Two to four weeks is typical for many sites. Rushed bids come back padded.
• Don’t walk every site. With many sites, good photos and sizes do the job. Walk only the sites that are unusual.
• Start with a region. If you’re not ready to move every site, award one region first and add the rest once it’s working.