How to Handle Irrigation Repairs in a Landscaping RFP
A practical resource for property managers and HOA boards who want clearer irrigation pricing, fewer vendor assumptions, and a fairer way to compare landscaping bids.
Do not ask vendors to include unknown irrigation repairs in the base maintenance price
One common RFP mistake is asking landscape vendors to include irrigation repairs inside the monthly maintenance price. That may sound simpler, but it usually creates a worse result.
The problem is that irrigation repairs are unknown. One property may need very little repair work. Another may have broken heads, leaking valves, controller issues, wiring problems, and recurring damage. If the RFP asks vendors to include repairs without defining the level of work, every vendor has to guess.
When vendors are forced to guess, the bids stop being clean comparisons.
Including repairs can lead to inflated pricing or underpriced bids
If a smart vendor is asked to include unknown irrigation repairs, they will protect themselves. They may build extra money into the maintenance price because they do not know how many repairs the property will need. That can overcharge the customer.
If another vendor does not think through the risk carefully, they may underprice the contract. Over time, they may lose money, reduce service quality, or try to recover margin through other charges. Neither outcome is ideal.
| RFP approach | What can happen |
|---|---|
| Repairs included with no limits | Vendors guess, prices inflate, or bids become unrealistic |
| Above-ground repairs included | Still creates uncertainty because the quantity and frequency are unknown |
| All repairs excluded with no process | Customer may get surprise pricing and weak communication |
| Repairs priced separately with clear rules | Cleaner bids, better transparency, and fairer vendor comparison |
The goal is not to avoid paying for repairs. The goal is to make repair pricing transparent, documented, and approved before work starts.
Define inspections, then price repairs separately
A cleaner RFP separates irrigation into two parts: what the vendor will inspect or report as part of the maintenance contract, and how repairs will be priced, approved, documented, and completed.
For most properties, it is reasonable to include limited irrigation review in the base contract. But the RFP should say what that means. A full system inspection takes more time than a quick visual check, and they should be priced accordingly.
- Visual reporting during routine service
- Limited monthly irrigation review
- Obvious leak reporting
- Dry spot and runoff observations
- Basic controller review, if specified
- Photos and location notes for visible issues
- Head replacements
- Valve repairs
- Line repairs
- Controller replacement
- Wiring troubleshooting
- Major diagnostics and full audits
What to ask vendors in the RFP
Instead of asking vendors to guess repair costs, ask them to explain exactly how they handle repairs.
A sample invoice is one of the most useful things to request. It shows whether the vendor repair billing will be clear enough to review and explain to ownership or a board.
Need help reviewing the irrigation section of your RFP?
Good Landscaping helps property managers, HOA boards, and commercial property owners create clearer landscaping RFPs, review irrigation assumptions, and compare vendor proposals more fairly. A clean irrigation section helps vendors price the same expectations and helps customers avoid inflated maintenance pricing, underpriced bids, and disputes after the contract starts.
- Scope review
- Irrigation language
- Vendor requirements
- Bid comparison support
- Property walkthrough
- Irrigation observations
- Service gap review
- Priority recommendations