Utility line locating services, term contract

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners' Purchasing Department issued Invitation for Bid (IFB #22-015/SM) for utility line locating services on a term contract basis, with bid responses due January 13, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. The procurement seeks a qualified contractor to provide firm, fixed-price locating, painting, and flagging services for utility lines including potable water, wastewater, reclaimed water, raw water piping, and lift station electrical services up to 54 inches in diameter throughout Palm Beach County service areas and the Glades region. Palm Beach County Water Utilities operates approximately 2,350 miles of potable water mains, 584 miles of wastewater force mains, and 1,230 miles of wastewater gravity mains in varying materials including PVC, DIP, AC, cast iron, and PCCP, with an estimated 45,000 line locates required during the initial 12-month period. The successful bidder must complete standard services within two business days of notification from Sunshine 811, with emergency requests completed within two hours. Pricing shall be based on nine unit line items including standard per-ticket locates, no-locates, ground-penetrating radar locates, vacuum excavation locates, emergency standard locates, utility lookout services (billed in 30-minute increments), and three-dimensional radar services for three different surface area ranges. All unit prices must include travel time, supervision, materials, labor, equipment, and transportation with no additional compensation permitted, and the successful bidder must maintain Sunshine 811 membership throughout the contract term.

The contract includes a Small Business Enterprise (SBE) price preference whereby certified SBE bids within 10 percent of the lowest non-SBE bid receive award consideration, and a 5 percent local preference applies to bidders with a permanent place of business in Palm Beach County or the Glades. The successful bidder will be awarded an initial 12-month contract with four optional 12-month renewal periods, subject to mutual written agreement and annual appropriation by the Board of County Commissioners. Required insurance coverage includes Commercial General Liability with minimum limits of $500,000, Business Auto Liability of $500,000, Workers' Compensation and Employer's Liability coverage, and Bailee's insurance of $100,000 per occurrence. All bids must be submitted on the provided response form and include completed EBO Schedules 1 and 2 documenting any subcontractor participation, along with a Certification of Business Location and Drug-Free Workplace Certification for consideration of tie-bid preferences. No incumbent vendor or specific budget range was identified in the procurement documents.