ID/IQ Tree & Brush Removal - Avery, Caldwell, & Watauga Counties (District 2)

The North Carolina Department of Transportation, Division Eleven, is soliciting sealed bids for an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity tree and brush removal contract (MK00206) covering primary and secondary routes in Avery, Caldwell, and Watauga Counties (District 2), with bids due October 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. and work available beginning November 1, 2026 through October 31, 2027. No MBE/WBE goal applies.

The scope encompasses cutting, trimming, and removal of trees and brush from right-of-way areas as directed by the Engineer, with daily debris removal and disposal per 2024 Standard Specifications. Stump grinding work, performed to 6 inches below ground level with subsequent leveling, seeding, and mulching, is also included. The contractor must provide a four-person tree crew with minimum two chainsaws, an aerial bucket truck with minimum 75-foot working height, a chipper with minimum 75 horsepower, dump trucks with covers, skid steer equipment, and a truck with grapple. All equipment and personnel must meet current DOT and OSHA safety standards.

Compensation is hourly, measured to the nearest 0.25 hour, for each equipment type and crew when actively engaged in work. No payment applies to idle equipment. An annual spending limit of $5 million applies, with compensation fixed for the first twelve months; renewal periods may adjust for Consumer Price Index changes not exceeding 10 percent. The contract permits two additional one-year renewal periods beyond the initial term. Liquidated damages range from $100 per calendar day for work orders under $100,000 to $850 per day for orders between $1 million and $2 million.

Work orders will be assigned to multiple awarded contractors based on lowest work order cost using unit prices from bids. No minimum quantity of services is guaranteed. Bidders must hold North Carolina contractor licensing under General Statutes Chapter 87 at bid submission for non-federal projects with bids of $40,000 or more; federal-aid projects allow 60 calendar days post-opening to obtain licensing. Payment and performance bonds are not required.