Start with a clear project description
Name the property, identify the decision-maker, and describe the business reason for the project. A resurfacing project intended to restore appearance is different from a reconstruction project addressing base failure, drainage, or repeated pavement movement.
Attach a marked site plan or aerial showing the limits of work. If the project includes several buildings or parking fields, label each area so bidders can refer to the same locations in their proposals.
Checklist
- Property address and primary site contact
- Marked limits of paving, milling, repairs, and areas excluded from the work
- Available surveys, civil plans, pavement reports, or prior repair records
- Known drainage, utility, access, or base-condition concerns
Describe the pavement work without prescribing an unverified repair
If an engineer has prepared plans and specifications, issue those documents to every bidder. If the final repair method has not been designed, describe the observed condition and ask bidders to state their recommended scope and assumptions. Do not force every condition into one repair type simply to make the RFP shorter.
Ask for separate quantities or alternates where field conditions may change the work. Examples include full-depth repair, additional milling, unsuitable base material, or drainage adjustments. This keeps a visible allowance from becoming an undefined surprise later.
Checklist
- Proposed milling depth or required finished elevations, if designed
- Asphalt lift, mix, and compaction requirements from the project documents
- Full-depth repair locations or a method for authorizing discovered repairs
- Responsibility for traffic control, permits, testing, markings, signs, and disposal
Make site operations part of the scope
Commercial paving affects entrances, parking, deliveries, pedestrians, emergency access, and neighboring work. State when crews may work, which entrances must remain open, and who communicates closures to tenants or the public.
For an occupied property, request a preliminary phasing plan with the proposal. The final plan should be coordinated before mobilization because production sequencing and business access are linked.
Checklist
- Permitted work days and hours
- Required access for tenants, deliveries, emergency vehicles, and pedestrians
- Available staging, truck routes, and material storage areas
- Blackout dates, special events, and coordination with other trades
Standardize the proposal and closeout response
Ask each bidder to return the same core information: base scope, alternates, unit prices where appropriate, schedule, proposed phasing, exclusions, and payment terms. A low total is not comparable when it omits work another bidder included.
Define the closeout information the owner needs before award. Depending on the contract, that may include daily documentation, tickets, test reports, approved changes, completion photographs, and warranty information actually offered by the contractor.