Underground Utility Facilities by Positive Location

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB #10A1796) for Underground Utility Facilities by Positive Location services across eight counties: Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Mariposa, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne. The contract requires the successful bidder to provide routine utility location services using vacuum excavation, hand excavation, or comparable methods to precisely identify underground utility infrastructure. Contractors must possess either a Class A (General Engineer) or C-12 (Earthwork and Paving) license and be located within 50 miles of Caltrans' Stockton District office. The services will be performed on an on-call basis during normal working hours, Monday through Friday, with each task order limited to a maximum travel distance of sixty miles between the most distant potholes. Written questions were due by May 11, 2016, with bids required to be submitted by May 24, 2016, and an estimated contract award date of June 9, 2016. The initial contract term will run from July 1, 2016 (or upon Caltrans approval) through June 30, 2018, with a minimum guarantee of four potholes per task order at an initial per-hole rate.

The procurement includes specific small business and diversity participation goals, with a 25% Small Business (SB) participation requirement and a 3% Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) participation goal. Bidders must provide a bid bond of 10% for bids $291,000 and greater, and a payment bond of 100% is required for task orders exceeding $25,000. State General Prevailing Wage Rates will apply to this contract. The estimated project value is approximately $250,000.00, with task orders that include specific requirements for utility location documentation and GNSS information tracking. Contractors should note that while GNSS information is part of the contract requirements, exact northing and easting coordinates cannot always be provided due to the variable nature of utility locations. The solicitation indicates that payment will be structured based on completed potholes and task order specifications, with careful attention to geographic coverage and precise utility identification services.