538-19-215 RFI Tracker 20260818.docx

As of 8/18/2026 at 2:55PM

Solicitation: 36C25026B0043 Project: 538-19-215 Privacy/Dignity Renovations Facility Wide, Chillicothe VAMC Request for Information (RFI) Tracker with VA Responses KEY: Submitted RFI = Black; VA RFI Response = Blue RFIs

1. Ref drawing B31.1- Is steel stud and drywall type partitions present at existing door opening 31-1-211A? If not what type of partition wall is present?

VA Response: The contractor is responsible for verifying all existing conditions prior to performing new work. Onsite inspection knocking on the walls implies steel stud and drywall type partitions.

1. Ref spec 01 45 00 part 1.4- Will an onsite QC manager with 20 plus years supervision experience be acceptable in lieu of a graduate engineer, graduate architect, or graduate of construction management QC Manager ?

VA Response: QCM does not supervise staff directly but enforces quality control. 20 years of supervision experience alone does not apply and is not considered by itself. However, the CQC manager can be a construction person with a minimum of 5 years in related work (without a degree).

Specifications also state, “the CQC System Manager [QCM] and Alternate CQC System Manager are required to have completed the Construction Quality Management (CQM) for Construction course. (…) This course is periodically offered by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command and the Army Corps of Engineers.” If QCM has this training and can provide resume showing successful fulfillment of performing as QCM over the past 5 years, this may be considered.

1. Ref spec 08 71 00- Hardware set HWR-1 requires a new wrap around plate. Will the new plates be replacing existing wrap around plates? What type of hardware are the existing wood doors prepped for if new wrap around plates is needed? Can photos be provided of the typical patient bedroom and bathroom doors?

VA Response: Due to existing conditions, a wrap-around plate is required for the existing door leaf to provide:

· Stabilization: a solid mounting surface for screws, through-bolts, etc., to reduce misalignment of the new lockset.

· Reinforcement: additional strength to the lockset area to prevent splitting or warping.

· Aesthetic: The wrap-around plate should cover enlarged holes like screw holes and cutouts for a clean look.

· The new plates will be replacing existing wrap around plates (if present). New plates must be able to accept the new hardware and address the items detailed above (e.g. existing holes, stabilization, etc).

1. Ref SF1442- The description of work includes language regarding demolition of structures. In review of drawings, there are no structures shown for demolition. Will clarification be provided? Is there any other work aside from doors, hardware, and curtain track replacement for this project?

VA Response: The SF 1442 Description of Work is a general summary; the definitive scope is governed by the drawings and specifications. The Statement of Bid Items identifies installation of cubicle curtains and replacement of doors and door hardware across multiple buildings as the base scope; any additional demolition or work is only as required by the drawings/specifications.

1. Drawing IF102 (Portsmouth _Extra Curtains) has the wrong room numbers and wrong count of curtains.

VA Response: Note with room numbers is for Lancaster CBOC. See “Portsmouth – Reflected Ceiling Plan” drawing on sheet IF102 for count of extra curtains for Portsmouth.

1. There is no drawing or count of curtains for the Lancaster CBOC as listed on Bid Item #3 on the bid form.

VA Response: No Reflected Ceiling Plan (RCP) is shown for Lancaster CBOC. See, “LANCASTER EXTRA CURTAINS - GENERAL NOTES on sheet IF101 (and also copied on sheet IF102) for Lancaster details.

1. Will the rooms be occupied while we are performing the work.

VA Response: The Medical Center is an active, operational facility. Work may occur in occupied areas and, when necessary, may be scheduled outside normal hours with written approval by the Contracting Officer. Specific occupancy/phasing will be coordinated with the COR after award. Normal business hours are typically 7:30 AM–4:00 PM. Also see RFI #8 response below.

1. How many rooms will be made available at one time.

VA Response: The number of rooms available concurrently will be determined during post‑award planning and coordinated with the COR and facility operations. Contractors must submit and maintain a progress schedule per FAR 52.236‑15 after NTP; phasing/room releases will be managed to minimize disruption to patient care.

There are several variables with this as follows:

· Clinic’s load/schedule. Some days can be heavy, some days can be light.

· The room’s purpose (Community Longterm Care - CLC, Exam, Sleep Center, etc)

· the work to be performed (door replacement, hardware, cubicle curtain, etc)

· the time required to complete each room (Contractor’s means and methods)

Many of the rooms in the CLC’s (B210 & B211) have patients that can be relocated during lunch and daily activities to allow work in their rooms. However, those work periods are a total of about (2) hours and are limited to approximately (5) patients at a time. Therefore, the VA and the contractor need to work closely with the nursing staff each day to determine a schedule of work.

Many of the cubicle curtain installations are in exam rooms. These installations will need to be scheduled around appointments and/or after hours depending on the duration of each installation. The contractor should account for a portion of the rooms to be done after hours (e.g. the blood draw room on the 1st floor of B31, room 150 & 152 on the 1st floor of B27) unless an alternative plan acceptable to the VA can be determined.

Generally speaking, the CLC’s can have more opportunities for larger blocks of rooms available versus an individual clinic which may only be able to schedule around (1) room per day (depending on installation durations).

Coordination between Contractor and VA will prove critical to project success.

1. Can the superintendent act as the SSHO

VA Response: See Paragraph 1.07 on Page 01 35 26 – 9.

1. Specs state the CQC Manager needs the following credentials and can be the superintendent;

“The CQC system Manager is required to be a graduate engineer, graduate architect, or a graduate of construction management, with a minimum of 5 years construction experience on construction” If the CQC Manager is the superintendent, can the degree aspect be waived?

VA Response: Paragraph 3.2.B.1 in 01 45 00 states that the CQM reports to the superintendent, therefore will not be accepted as the same person. Also see RFI #2 response re: credentials.

1. The door schedule in 08 71 00, the hardware descriptions call for a “Custom Strike”. What is being asked for as a custom strike?

VA Response: Read RFI 12 response.

1. Hardware Sets 2H, R3, R4 & R4.1, states “custom lock strikes.” This is quite vague seeing locksets vary greatly in price based on what is required to be “custom.” Please advise and give more details to what lock strikes are being specified or what makes them “custom?”

VA Response: Due to existing conditions in the field, the design intent is to field-modify the existing door and frame to accept the new door hardware, ensuring the lockset functions properly, aligns and engages with the strike correctly, and does not require special physical effort to open/close and lock the door.

As with any project that involves working with existing conditions, the contractor must field verify existing conditions and take those into account in the product submittals. Some existing conditions may require a new strike while others may not, depending on the specific lockset manufacturer. Some strikes may require non-standard strike plate openings depending on the manufacturer’s standard products (but many manufacturers have options for non-standard dimensions). Please note, the hardware sets call for custom “strikes” not “locksets” as mentioned in the RFI. Strikes (or strike plates) are much easier to customize than locksets.

1. Will the sign-in sheet from site visit be available in addendum?

VA Response: Published with Amendment 00001

1. Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of SSHO?

VA Response: Read RFI 9 response.

1. If no to the question above, will the SSHO need to be full-time for this project?

VA Response: Read RFI 9 and 14 response.

1. Please clarify if a superintendent can be a dual hat to cover the requirements of QA/QC?

VA Response: Read RFI 10 response.

1. If no to the question above, will the QA/QC need to be full time for this project?

VA Response: Per spec 01 45 00; 1.4; B the CQC is required to be on site at all times. However, as a clarification to this spec section, the CQC can perform other duties (excluding project Superintendent) but needs to be allowed sufficient time to perform the assigned quality control duties as described in the contractor’s CQC plan.

1. Can a superintendent be a triple hat to cover the requirements of SSHO and QA/QC?

VA Response: Read RFI 9 and 10 response.

1. Please confirm if tax should be included in our proposal?

VA Response: Offerors shall include all applicable taxes in their proposals in accordance with FAR 52.229‑3. However, for this VA construction project in Ohio, Ohio sales and use tax on materials and qualifying construction services that will be incorporated into the real property should be excluded from the proposal. The Department of Veterans Affairs will issue the Ohio Sales and Use Tax – Construction Contract Exemption Certificate (Form STEC‑CC) to the awardee shortly after contract award. All non‑exempt taxes must be included as applicable.

1. Please provide the latest wage determination for this project’s county.

VA Response: The latest wage determination applicable to this project has already been provided within the solicitation package. As stated in the bidding information section, the Department of Labor General Decision Number OH20260053 is the current wage determination for the county in which the project is located.

1. Please confirm if the current prevailing wages will be consistent for the life of the project with no escalation?

VA Response: The prevailing wages applicable to this project are established by the Department of Labor General Decision Number OH20260053, which is included in the solicitation. This wage determination applies as of the bid opening and contract award. The wage determination will remain in effect for the life of the contract, with no escalation, unless otherwise required by law or additional Department of Labor actions.

1. Please confirm the current design documents meet current VA TIL guidelines.

VA Response: The drawings and specifications are the basis of bid. They were developed to meet applicable VA TIL criteria at the time of design. Bidders shall price the documents as issued; any TIL updates adopted after design will be addressed, if required, via post‑award submittals or modification.

1. Please confirm any minority business participation requirements.

VA Response: The solicitation does not establish specific minority‑participation quotas. However, the contract includes FAR 52.219‑8 (Utilization of Small Business Concerns) and is a 100% SDVOSB set‑aside, with compliance required under VAAR 852.219‑73 and VAAR 852.219‑75 (Limitations on Subcontracting—Certificate of Compliance). Offerors must meet these small‑business utilization and limitations‑on‑subcontracting requirements.

1. Who is responsible for contracting the commissioning agent?

VA Response: There will be no commissioning for this project. Standard 3-phase inspection Process from Section 01 45 00 and pre-final and final inspections are expected.

1. Please advise how much time we should carry for initial safety training of employees working on site. Also, is training good for the contract duration or will they need to be retrained annually?

VA Response: A 1-hour training session of each contractor personnel as well as printed training material will be provided by the VA. Training will be focused on general working conditions and expectations in and around patients. Due to the patient population, work in the CLC’s (B210 & B211) will generally require a (2) man crew to allow proper supervision of tools and materials during installation. All other safety training shall be by the general contractor per the specifications.

1. Is the use of temporary plastic wall panels (such as STARC panels) acceptable to meet ICRA requirements?

VA Response: Without submittals and product data, a predetermination cannot be made. However, the submittals for the ICRA requirements will be evaluated against the specifications for compliance. Read Section 01 35 26 for details.

1. Will shutdowns be required to be done during off hours or weekends?

VA Response: Work may be performed outside normal hours when specified by the drawings/specifications or with written approval by the Contracting Officer. Any required shutdowns must be requested, coordinated, and approved in advance; final scheduling will be coordinated with the COR.

It is assumed that this is referring to utility shut downs. Any utility shut downs for this project should be minimal but each shut down will need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and determine the best time to perform the shutdown. The VA will attempt to allow shutdowns during normal business hours whenever possible.

1. Please confirm if there are any domestic material requirements.

VA Response: Buy American—Construction Materials applies per FAR 52.225‑9 and FAR 52.225‑10, with domestic preferences and defined exceptions. Offerors must comply with these clauses and submit any exception requests with supporting data as required by the solicitation.

1. With regards to the minority participation requirements, please confirm if the value of the sole source products/vendors/contractors can be deducted from the total contract value to determine the final participation goals.

VA Response: No specific minority participation goals are established in this solicitation. Compliance is required with FAR 52.219‑8 and the SDVOSB set‑aside/limitations on subcontracting clauses; there is no deduction mechanism specified for sole‑source products for “minority goals.”

1. Please provide three recommended resources for vendors or contractors local to the project site.

VA Response: The Government does not endorse or recommend specific vendors/contractors. Offerors should conduct market research and utilize public resources (e.g., SAM.gov) for vendor discovery.

1. The drawings state that “an extra curtain shall be ordered for every curtain installed for attic stock.” Please confirm that this requires one complete spare curtain for every new curtain installed (100% attic-stock quantity), rather than a percentage-based spare quantity.

VA Response: This requires one complete spare curtain for every new curtain installed.

1. The specifications establish normal work hours of 7:30 AM–4:00 PM but state that work in occupied spaces may need to occur at times convenient to the occupants/Medical Center. Please identify whether door/hardware and curtain-track work in patient treatment/bedroom areas is anticipated during normal hours or after hours/weekends for bidding purposes.

VA Response: For bidding, assume door/hardware and curtain‑track work in patient treatment/bedroom areas will occur primarily during normal hours (7:30 AM–4:00 PM), with a reasonable allowance for after‑hours where clinically required. Final phasing and room releases will be coordinated with the COR.

1. Please confirm whether asbestos-containing material, lead-containing paint, or other hazardous materials are known or anticipated at door/frame or above-ceiling curtain-track work locations. If encountered, please confirm hazardous-material abatement will be performed by the Government or addressed as a differing site condition/change to the contract.

VA Response: Please see Section 01 35 26 (1.22 Asbestos Awareness) for additional details.

Contractors are responsible for conducting a site investigation and notifying the Government of any Differing Site Conditions per FAR 52.236‑3 and FAR 52.236‑2. The solicitation also requires evidence of general liability insurance without asbestos‑exclusionary clauses. If hazardous materials are encountered that constitute differing site conditions, they will be addressed in accordance with contract clauses and coordinated by the CO/COR.

1. Please identify the required Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) classification/control level for door replacement, hardware replacement, and above-ceiling curtain-track installation in occupied clinical areas.

VA Response: Please refer to Pre-Construction Risk Assessment (PCRA) Permit included with Specifications.

1. The drawings require the contractor to verify existing conditions and door dimensions. Please confirm if existing conditions are shown on the door frame and area around the frame are damaged; the contractor would be responsible for repairs on those areas.

VA Response: The contractor must protect existing structures and repair any damage caused by its operations per FAR 52.236‑9 and must clean up per FAR 52.236‑12. Responsibility for pre‑existing damage is limited to the repairs expressly required by the drawings/specifications; any discrepancy should be raised as an RFI or a differing site condition.

During Construction, Section 01 00 00 Paragraph 1.07 discusses existing conditions. Section 01 45 00 describes the CQC System Manager led Preparatory Phase Inspection which offers a final opportunity to determine existing conditions.

1. Due to delays in pricing and potential complications with the mail, we kindly request that you consider the acceptance of electronic bids via email.

VA Response: The solicitation is an IFB using sealed bidding with a public in‑person bid opening. Bids must be received at the address in SF 1442 Box 8 by the date/time shown; email submission is not authorized under this solicitation.

1. Can the SSHO, CQC Manager and the project superintendent be filled by one person onsite as long as they meet the criteria of all three positions?

VA Response: Read RFI #18 above.