NIGP 96863: Relocation and/or Removal Services for Utility Works

NIGP 96863 Relocation And/Or Removal Services For Utility Works, an Item code, encompasses labor and equipment services to move, relocate, or remove utility infrastructure—water mains, sewer lines, gas mains, electrical conductors, and associated equipment—ahead of or during roadway, transit, drainage, or other capital projects. State and local governments buy these services when utility lines conflict with new construction, require rerouting to accommodate site work, or must be abandoned as part of infrastructure modernization.

Cities, counties, and special-purpose utilities issue the majority of solicitations under this code. Recent activity reflects a mix of municipal utilities (water and wastewater departments in mid-sized Florida cities, Texas municipalities), county public works and engineering departments (Bartow County, Palm Beach County, Volusia County), electric cooperatives (Glades Electric Cooperative serving multi-county service territories in Florida), transit authorities (Orange County Transportation Authority), and regional infrastructure entities (Atlanta Beltline, Inc.). Representative recent opportunities include the City of Commerce, Georgia RFP 27-002 for natural gas main installation and relocation services with proposals due November 6, 2026; the City of Tarpon Springs, Florida Beckett Bridge Watermain and Force Main Relocation project (estimated $2 million to $4 million) requiring specialized horizontal directional drilling beneath Tarpon Bayou with bids closed June 5, 2026; and the City of Midland, Texas IFB for a Todd Drive potable water line extension (Project 27000008, Phase 2) with bids due September 10, 2026, requiring 4,500 linear feet of 12-inch PVC water main installation and coordination with existing utilities. Geographic concentration is heaviest in Florida and Georgia, with secondary activity in Texas and other southeastern states. Procurement vehicles span competitive sealed bids (IFB), RFPs for standby or master services agreements (MSA), and RFQs for engineering design and construction management oversight. Utility relocation work often carries prevailing wage and federal compliance requirements (Davis-Bacon, FEMA Public Assistance, Section 3 labor standards) when federally funded; local SBE subcontracting goals appear in multiple Florida and Georgia solicitations. Performance timelines range from 120 to 913 days depending on scope, and estimated values typically cluster between $500,000 and $5.6 million for discrete utility relocation segments.