Wood Utility Pole Inspections

The City of Norwich, Connecticut, acting on behalf of Norwich Public Utilities, is issuing an Invitation for Bid (ITB) for comprehensive wood utility pole inspection services. The solicitation (Bid No. 26-55) opened on March 12, 2026, at 8:45 AM EDT and closes on March 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT, with proposals to be submitted through the City of Norwich Procurement Portal. The scope of work encompasses the inspection of approximately 600 utility poles annually between April and June, with capacity for up to 1,000 pole inspections per year, utilizing inspection methods including visual inspections, sounding, boring, excavation, and treatment for decay, insect damage, and structural deficiencies. Deliverables include unit-priced services across eight primary line items: excavated and external treatment (900 poles), visual inspection and sounding (1,000 poles), visual inspection with sounding and boring (1,000 poles), internal treatment (1,000 poles), pole number installation (500 poles), guy guard replacement (250 poles), ground wire maintenance (250 poles), and pole reinforcement (2 poles), with provisions for additional miscellaneous maintenance tasks. Required qualifications include substantial prior experience with a minimum of 5,000 utility poles inspected under qualified instruction and an additional 5,000 inspected independently, along with supervision by State of Connecticut certified pesticide applicators. All work shall be performed Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Contractor must provide comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation (statutory), Commercial General Liability ($1,000,000 each occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate), Commercial Automobile Liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), Pollution Liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), and Umbrella/Excess Liability ($2,000,000 per occurrence), with Norwich Public Utilities named as additional insured. Data deliverables must be submitted digitally in formats compatible with NPU's GIS pole database using ESRI Collector or an equivalent approved application.

The contract term is three years from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, with an option for a two-year extension negotiated at the Owner's discretion, with a maximum total contract term not to exceed five years through June 30, 2031. No bidder may withdraw its bid within sixty days of the bid opening date. The solicitation documents do not specify set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations eligible to respond, nor do they identify any incumbent contractors or current vendors. Sales and use taxes are not applicable under this contract per Connecticut Agencies Regulations. All contractors must comply with state and federal regulations, including OSHA standards, nondiscrimination requirements, Executive Orders, and the City's Sexual Harassment Policy. No estimated total contract value or budget range is provided in the available documentation. Vendors interested in clarification may contact Robert Castronova, the primary contact for the City of Norwich, at 100 Broadway, Room 105, Norwich, CT 06360, telephone 860-823-3706, or via email at rcastronova@cityofnorwich.org.