Landscaping, Grounds, and Irrigation Maintenance Services

Houston City College is requesting proposals for landscaping, grounds, and irrigation maintenance services across six service areas spanning 19 campuses in Houston, Katy, Spring Branch, and Alief Independent School Districts, Stafford Municipal District, and the Fort Bend portion of Missouri City, with proposals due October 20, 2026 by 2:00 p.m. CDT through the HCC Bonfire portal.

The scope encompasses lawn mowing and edging, turf and groundcover maintenance, litter and debris removal, tree and shrub pruning, chemical applications for weed and pest control, monthly inspection and maintenance of irrigation systems by a licensed irrigator, and plant material replacement. All labor, materials, tools, equipment, transportation, and insurance are the contractor's responsibility. Travel time to multiple HCC campuses must be included in overall pricing with no additional mileage or fuel charges permitted.

Required staffing includes a Project Manager overseeing all service areas, a competent English-speaking Crew Leader for each crew, a full-time staff employee licensed to operate and apply chemicals, a Licensed Arborist providing twice-yearly inspections, and a Licensed Irrigator conducting monthly inspections. Contractors must carry minimum Commercial General Liability of $1 million bodily injury and $1 million property damage, Automobile Liability of $1 million, and Worker Compensation Insurance of $1 million; add Houston City College as an additionally insured party and certificate holder.

The estimated annual contract spend is $1 million, though HCC makes no guarantee of annual volumes and reserves the right to purchase more or less than stated. The contract term is two years with an option to renew for three additional one-year terms, plus potential month-to-month extensions not to exceed three months. HCC reserves the right to award separate contracts to multiple contractors and may add, delete, or modify the scope by written notification with fees to be negotiated accordingly.

A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference is scheduled for September 29, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CDT via Microsoft Teams. The anticipated board recommendation and approval date is December 2026. Site tours of all campuses are strongly encouraged to assess geographical scope, parking limitations, and access constraints.