Landscaping for HOA Boards / How HOA Landscaping RFPs Work, and Why the Bids Come Back So Far Apart
Landscaping for HOA Boards, Part 3

How HOA Landscaping RFPs Work, and Why the Bids Come Back So Far Apart

Five Houston landscapers bid on the same community and the numbers land far apart. Is someone gouging, or cutting corners? Usually neither. Here is what happens on the bidder side, and how to get numbers you can compare.

See the Seven Reasons See the Full Series
Wooded walking path and turf in a Houston community common area
In this part
  • The RFP in four stages
  • Seven reasons bids differ
  • How to get comparable bids
Written for Greater Houston communities: HOA board membersCommunity managersLandscape committeesContract renewalsFirst-time RFPs
Written by Good Landscaping. We respond to HOA RFPs across Greater Houston and help managers write them. Here is what happens when an RFP lands on an estimator desk.
Purpose

What an RFP is really for

When an RFP is vague, each landscaper fills in the blanks with their own guesses. Then the board is not comparing prices. It is comparing five different guesses about what the community wants.

An RFP has one real job: make every bidder price the same work, so the board can compare fairly.

Step by step

The RFP process in four stages

Tap through

From scope to award

Plan on six to eight weeks. Tap each stage.

Weeks 1 and 2

Decide what you are buying before anyone bids.

  • Agree on the standard (Part 2)
  • Write the scope: tasks, visits, mulch and color counts
  • Mark every area and priority zone on a map
  • Create one pricing form for everyone

For scope language and sample sections, see the commercial landscaping RFP guide and the RFP builder.

Behind the scenes

What happens on the bidder side

A good landscaper does not plug in a price per acre. The estimate is built in three steps.

1. Measure

Turf and bed area, edging length, shrubs, trees, irrigation zones and controllers.

2. Turn it into hours

Then add materials, equipment, travel, supervision and overhead.

3. Price the risk

Anything unclear gets padded with hours, or excluded and billed later.

Planting bed with agave beside a sidewalk at a Houston community entrance
  • A flat, open field mows fast with a big mower.
  • Islands, slopes, fences and tight gates mow slow with a small one.
  • Same acres, completely different job. That is why hours matter more than size.
The spread

Seven reasons bids come back far apart

Tap each reason

Why the numbers differ

Quick quiz

Check your RFP instincts

Question 1 of 3

Bids for your community came back far apart. What should the board look at first?

Fix the process

How to get bids you can compare

Scorecard

Before your RFP goes out

0of 6

Tick what your RFP already has.

When proposals come in, the bid leveling guide and the bid comparison guide show how to put them side by side.

Houston timing

Timing an RFP in Houston

Paver walkway beside ornamental grasses and shade trees

Walk the property with bidders when beds and turf are easy to see.

Send it in late summer or early fall

For a January start. That leaves time for the budget and the spring startup.

Allow six to eight weeks

Give bidders two weeks after the site walk to price properly.

Walk when beds are visible

Not right after a freeze or a storm.

Avoid a spring or summer switch

That is when the property needs the most care, and a new crew is still learning it.

FAQ

Common questions about HOA landscaping RFPs

How many landscapers should an HOA invite to bid?

Three to five qualified companies that already maintain properties like yours. More bidders add paperwork without adding much information.

Why are HOA landscaping bids so different for the same property?

Usually because bidders priced different work, measured differently, or moved costs between the monthly price and extra work rates. A clear scope, a map and a single pricing form narrow the spread.

Should the HOA require a site walk?

Yes. A required site walk makes sure every bidder sees the same property and conditions. Bids from companies that did not walk the site are guesses.

When should a Houston HOA send out its landscaping RFP?

For a January start, late summer or early fall. That leaves time for a site walk, written questions, leveling, interviews and a proper transition.

The series

Next: the lowest bid

Even with a clean process, one bid sometimes comes in far below the others. It is tempting, and often the riskiest choice on the table. Part 4 explains why.

Read Part 4: The Lowest Bid
Part 3 of 6

Landscaping for HOA Boards

  1. 1New to the HOA Board? What You Are Really Overseeing in Landscaping
  2. 2What Good HOA Landscaping Looks Like: Too Much, Not Enough and Just Right
  3. 3How HOA Landscaping RFPs Work, and Why the Bids Come Back So Far Apart(you are here)
  4. 4Why the Lowest HOA Landscaping Bid Is Often the Riskiest
  5. 5How Landscapers Size Up an HOA Job Before They Bid
  6. 6What It Takes to Do HOA Landscaping Well, and How Boards Get the Best of It

Continue learning

The Commercial Landscaping RFP Guide
A complete guide for property managers and HOA boards on writing clear scopes, comparing bids fairly, and choosing the right landscape vendor.
Bid Leveling Guide
Compare commercial landscape proposals fairly by leveling scope, exclusions, irrigation responsibility, pricing, reporting, and vendor assumptions.
RFP Red Flag Review
Spot landscaping proposal red flags before award, including vague scope, low pricing, missing irrigation responsibility, unclear exclusions, weak reporting, and missing documentation.
RFP Development Service
Help writing an RFP that makes every bidder price the same scope.

Planning an RFP for next year?

We can help your manager build a clear scope, map and pricing form, or walk the property and give you a measured bid.

Request RFP Help See the Full Series