14 July 2026 Questions and Answers.pdf

Questions and Answers

127EAX26Q0051 GAOA Vault Toilet Accessibility Improvements

14 July 2026

1. Attachment 2 (Schedule of Items) lists individual pay items per site, but the General Notes state "required work not specified in the Schedule of Items shall be considered subsidiary to other pay items." Please confirm the Schedule of Items and quantities shown are final and will not be revised prior to bid opening, and clarify whether concrete pad/apron demolition at sites with existing concrete pads (e.g., Cherry Lake Boat Ramp) is subsidiary to the asphalt path pay item or requires separate pricing.

Answer:

Demolition of concrete pads/aprons is not specified at any sites where not associated with toilet building demolition. Per the notes listed on plans, "construct asphalt paths and aprons flush with grade of existing vault toilet building finish floor or concrete pads, whichever is applicable".

2. Drawing sheets for Sand Flat Campground (C-09) and Grouse Flat Campground (C-08) note that road access is "variable" with narrow roadway, steep grades, and a stream crossing, and direct the Contractor to "verify conditions." Can the Government confirm current road/bridge weight limits and whether the stream crossing at Grouse Flat is passable by delivery trucks carrying precast vault sections, or is a smaller/split delivery method anticipated?

Answer:

Bridges are not present on these roads, and no road weight limits are set. The stream crossing at Grouse Flat is not passable in a semi-truck -- however, this site is demolition-only, no installation is specified.

3. General Note 1 requires the Contractor to furnish portable toilets at each site for public use during construction, unless the site is "site work only" (no toilet replacement) and at least one toilet remains open in the campground/day use area. Please confirm which specific pay items/sites qualify for this exemption, as the Schedule of Items does not flag "site work only" locations.

Answer: "Site work only" refers to locations where toilets are not being demolished or installed.

These sites are: Lake Alpine East Shore, Lake Alpine West Shore, Crabtree X-Country, and Cherry Lake Boat Ramp.

4. Work Note 1 (Sheet G-02) prohibits work at Lake Alpine East Shore, Lake Alpine West Shore, and Rim of the World between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Given the 365-calendar-day performance period beginning 10 days after Notice to Proceed, can the Government confirm whether an NTP issued in late summer/fall 2026 creates a seasonal work gap at these three sites that would need to be sequenced into year two of performance?

Answer: The 365-day period of performance takes into account these work restrictions as well as weather. The contractor will need to phase work to ensure that restrictions are met and work is completed by the end of the period of performance. Work at Lake Alpine does not include toilet installation and should have minimal lead time required. Rim of the World is accessible year round.

5. Specification 13 40 00, Section 1.1(C) states the exterior finish and color scheme for each vault toilet building "will be selected at time of award." Please confirm the anticipated timeframe after award for the Government to issue color/finish selections, and whether this selection affects the 10-day NTP clock or shop drawing submittal timeline.

Answer: CHANGE: The exterior finish and color scheme will be selected during the submittal process, within the 14-day review specified in Specification 01 40 00. Provide manufacturer's finish and color options in the submittal.

6. General Note 7 requires the Contractor to notify the Forest Service 15 days in advance of proposed use of borrow sources, water sources, and staging areas. Can the Government confirm whether any pre-approved borrow, water, or staging locations exist near the more remote sites (e.g., Sand Flat, Grouse Flat, Ferretti Trailhead), or must the Contractor identify and permit these independently?

Answer: Staging areas will be made available at all sites. Borrow sites are generally available immediately adjacent to the toilet locations, but will depend on the amount of borrow material necessary for the work to be performed. Where Government water sources are available, the are available for use per Specification 01 60 00. Water for drafting may be available near other sites but will depend on streamflows and restrictions that vary seasonally. All clearances/permitting needed for use of borrow and water sources will be completed by the Forest Service within 15 days of request.

7. Three optional items (Ferretti Trailhead, Spicer Snow Park, Cottonwood Day Use) are included per FAR 52.217-6/7, exercisable by the CO within 30 days of written notice. Please confirm whether the Government anticipates exercising any or all options at time of award versus later in the period of performance, as this affects material procurement and crew sequencing.

Answer: Exercising of the options is dependent on the amount of funding available to award the base items and option items at time of award.

8. Item 12a of SF 1442 confirms Performance and Payment Bonds are required, with bonds due within 10 calendar days after award (Item 12b). Please confirm whether a bid guarantee (bid bond) is required to accompany the proposal itself, and confirm the effective start date used for the 10-day post-award bonding clock (date of written Notice of Award vs. verbal/email notification).

Answer: As stated in the solicitation, bid bonds are required. The 10-day bonding begins when award is sent to successful contractor.

9. Two separate wage determinations are provided in the solicitation package — CA20260007 and CA20260018 — both apparently applicable to Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties. Please confirm which wage determination governs which sites/counties, or whether both apply concurrently based on classification type.

Answer: As you can see in the technical documents, this project requires both wage determinations.

10. General Note 4 requires the Contractor to contact USA North 811 before excavation and states Forest Service utility locations are "approximate." For the more remote dispersed sites without mapped utilities, can the Government confirm whether any existing utilities (electrical, water, buried propane) are known to be present at any of the fourteen project sites?

Answer: Forest Service owned utilities are known to be present at Lake Alpine and Sourgrass.

The Lake Alpine site work is not anticipated to interfere with buried utilities. Water utilities are present adjacent to the toilet building at Sourgrass and should be preserved per Note 1 on Sheet C-05.

11. Spec 31 20 00 and Drawing General Note 4 (Sheet G-02) state that finished floor grade control for each building will be marked by the COR within 10 business days of the Contractor's request, and that shown layouts/locations are approximate. Given fourteen dispersed sites, can the Government confirm COR availability/scheduling capacity to provide timely staking across multiple sites without becoming a schedule bottleneck?

Answer: The COR will attempt to respond to requests as quickly as is practical (and always within 10 business days of request), and will anticipate the progression of work based on the Contractor's submitted schedule. It is the Contractor's responsibility to make requests in a timely manner to avoid delays.

12. Please confirm whether an active SAM.gov registration and completed Reps & Certs (FAR 52.204-7 and related provisions checked in Attachment 1) must be current as of proposal submission date or as of award date.

Answer: Yes, everything must be current at time of submission.

13. The Schedule of Items notes the Rim of the World single vault toilet is to be removed and staged at Groveland Ranger Station for later installation at Ferretti Trailhead (Optional Item 1) if exercised. Please confirm the maximum anticipated storage duration at Groveland Ranger Station and whether the Contractor is responsible for the condition of the building during storage if the option is not exercised promptly.

Answer: The option will be exercised if funding is available. The Groveland Ranger Station is available for storage if necessary, but no storage is required if it's preferable to move the building directly to the Ferretti site.

14. Please confirm whether the contractor may bill for invoiced materials prior to installation for long-lead or prefabricated items, including holding tanks and prefabricated bathrooms.

Answer: An invoice can be submitted as long as a paid receipt is available.