How to Write an RFP for Building Maintenance Services

 

A vague RFP gets you vague bids. If three vendors read your request and picture three different jobs, you end up comparing prices for different work, and the lowest number may belong to the vendor who assumed the least.

Building maintenance is especially prone to this. Janitorial, landscaping, exterior cleaning and snow removal are often bundled, and each one has its own frequency, equipment and risk. This guide covers what to settle before you write, what the document should contain, and how to score the responses so the decision holds up when someone asks why you picked who you picked. It is written for property managers and strata councils alike, since the steps are the same whether you manage a building for an owner or sit on the council.

Settle the basics before you write

Walk every property before you draft anything. Note square footage, floor types, washroom counts, loading areas, parking, landscaped beds and who needs after-hours access. Pull your current invoices so you know what you pay today and what that price covers.

Then bring in the people who will live with the contract. The BC government's RFP guide for ministries recommends involving them during drafting and keeping the language plain, because heavy jargon can discourage suppliers from bidding. For a building, that usually means the property manager, a strata council or owner representative, and whoever handles tenant complaints. The guide is written for provincial ministries, so private owners aren't bound by it, but its advice holds up.

Finally, decide on a budget and share it. The same guide recommends disclosing it in almost all cases, since hiding it risks bids you can't afford or a process you have to cancel. If you aren't sure of the number, give a range.

What the RFP should contain

  1. Property summary. Addresses, size, operating hours, tenant types, access rules and who provides the service now. The BC guide advises naming the incumbent and saying whether they may bid.
  2. Scope grouped by frequency. List tasks by how often they happen, from daily or weekly up to annual, so vendors can calculate labor hours. Add a short out-of-scope list for work you handle yourself or through another contractor, as the BC guide suggests.
  3. Seasonal triggers. In Vancouver, owners and occupants must clear the full width of the sidewalk by 10 a.m. when there is snow or freezing temperatures, and missing the deadline can mean a $250 fine, or $750 if snow and ice sits for more than 24 hours, according to the City of Vancouver. The bylaw doesn't require clearing private property such as parking lots, so say in the RFP whether you want that done. State what starts a call-out and require crews to finish before 10 a.m. Other Lower Mainland cities set different deadlines, so check the bylaw for each site. For landscaping, give visits per month by season.
  4. Term and renewals. Give the start date, initial term and any extension options. A three-year commitment is priced differently from a one-year one.
  5. Compliance. Require WorkSafeBC registration, proof of liability insurance and WHMIS training for anyone handling cleaning chemicals. WorkSafeBC says employers are responsible for training their workers in WHMIS, so ask bidders to confirm it. To avoid liability for a contractor's unpaid premiums, WorkSafeBC says you need a clearance letter addressed to you showing the firm was active and in good standing for the whole contract period. You can collect these at award rather than with every proposal.
  6. Pricing format. Ask for a fixed monthly price for routine work, line-item prices for periodic work and hourly rates for extras. The BC guide tells buyers to say whether travel and other expenses are included in the price. Require all-inclusive pricing so supplies and equipment don't show up later as add-ons.
  7. Who does the work. Ask whether the crew are employees or subcontractors, and for the names of any subcontractors.

Score proposals on criteria you published

Tell vendors how they will be judged before they bid. The BC guide requires ministries to disclose criteria and weights and not to change them after closing. A private owner has no such rule, but the habit protects you when a losing bidder asks why.

Here is one reasonable split. It is an example, not a standard.

Criterion Points
Service plan, staffing and supervision 30
Experience and references on comparable buildings 25
Safety, insurance and compliance 15
Price 30

Score price with a formula: the lowest bid divided by each bidder's price, multiplied by the points available. Under the BC guide's version, a bid twice the lowest earns half the points. Put a minimum score on the service plan so a low price can't carry a weak one. The guide allows minimums on any criterion except price.

Use at least three evaluators, an odd number, who know the buildings and have no tie to any bidder. The BC guide says to replace an evaluator with a conflict of interest, such as a family member's business.

Run the process so it stays fair

Take questions in writing only, and send every answer to every bidder. The BC guide works this way so no vendor learns something the others don't, and it removes the asker's identity from the posted answer.

Mistakes that cost you later

  • Vague scope. “Clean as needed” invites bids that assume the minimum. Put frequencies in writing.
  • Too many mandatory requirements. The BC guide notes that each one raises the chance of rejecting an otherwise good proposal. Make something mandatory only if the job fails without it, and score everything else.
  • Writing for one vendor. The guide advises against requirements that only one supplier could meet. Shaping the RFP around an incumbent you like leaves you with thin competition and weaker pricing.
  • Choosing on price alone. The guide says a lowest-price award suits work where every qualified bidder would deliver essentially the same service. Where quality varies, score it.

A careful RFP takes a few days to write and saves months of arguing over what was included. If you're preparing one for a Lower Mainland property, we're happy to walk the site and price the scope. You can reach us through our contact page.