Underground Electrical Power Infrastructure Installation

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is requesting bids for underground electrical power infrastructure installation along Signal Ridge Road extending to Cold Springs Lookout in Mendocino County under IFB, with bids due October 16, 2026, and a mandatory pre-bid site inspection on September 30, 2026.

Bidders must hold a California Class A Engineering License and Department of Industrial Relations public works registration; meet PG&E pre-qualification; maintain an office within 60 miles of the project site; and hold a valid Motor Carrier Permit. These are decision-flipping eligibility filters.

The scope encompasses trenching and installation of approximately 9,766 linear feet of four-inch electrical conduit within a 40-foot-wide corridor, furnishing and installing five traffic-rated splice boxes, vegetation canopy removal up to 15 feet high, removal and replacement of 11 existing culverts with new 18-inch HDPE rock-armored culverts, and resurfacing the service road with six inches of compacted gravel. Contractors bear all material, labor, equipment, tool, permit, tax, and transportation costs. Work must coordinate with PG&E for inspections and system energization.

Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation is encouraged with incentive amounts ranging from 1 to 5 percent based on verified DVBE participation, capped at $100,000 in total incentive dollars.

The contract commences November 1, 2026, and expires October 31, 2028, with construction work scheduled between June 1, 2027, and October 31, 2027. Bidders must submit lump-sum pricing on the Rate Sheet (Attachment 3) and will be paid in arrears upon completion and invoice approval. Prevailing wages for Mendocino County apply. A bid bond of no less than 10 percent of the total bid is required if the bid price exceeds $484,000; a payment bond of 100 percent of the contract amount is required prior to work commencement for bids exceeding $25,000. The written question deadline is October 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. Public virtual bid opening is scheduled for October 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.