Many construction, facilities maintenance and installation-support solicitations offer a site visit, an organized tour of the work location before proposals are due. Summer is a busy season for them, as agencies push to award facilities work before the fiscal year ends. A site visit is one of the few chances an offeror has to see the actual conditions behind the drawings and the statement of work. Firms that treat it as a formality often price the job as if the building were the one they imagined.
Why site visits matter
Construction contracts and many service contracts include language stating that the contractor has taken steps to understand the nature and location of the work and the general conditions that can affect it, such as access, utilities, weather and the character of the site. These provisions generally limit relief for conditions a reasonable site investigation would have revealed. If a site visit is offered and you skip it, you may find it hard to claim later that a visible condition came as a surprise. Construction contracts also include a differing site conditions clause that addresses genuinely unforeseen physical conditions, but that protection is not a reason to skip the visit.
Before the visit
- Read the solicitation, drawings and statement of work closely, and list what you need to verify in person.
- Register by the deadline, following the solicitation’s instructions; installations often require names and identification in advance for access.
- Send the right people, usually an estimator and a superintendent or technical lead who will understand what they see.
- Bring measuring tools, a camera if photography is permitted, and a copy of the drawings to mark up.
What to look for
Focus on conditions that drive cost and schedule. Common items include:
- Access routes, staging areas, laydown space and permitted working hours, including any escort requirements
- Existing conditions that differ from the drawings, such as walls, ceilings, mechanical systems or finishes
- Utilities: where they are, whether they can be shut down and how outages must be coordinated
- Occupancy: whether the building will be in use during the work, and what that means for noise, dust and phasing
- Possible hazardous materials, such as older finishes or insulation that may require testing or special handling
- Equipment condition and age for maintenance contracts, which affects the effort the work will really require
Questions, answers and fairness
Government representatives on a site visit usually avoid answering substantive questions on the spot, because information given to one offeror must be shared with all. Expect to submit questions in writing through the solicitation’s question process. The agency may publish questions and answers, sometimes with a list of attendees, and it may issue an amendment if the visit reveals something the solicitation needs to address. Statements made during a tour generally do not change the solicitation unless they are confirmed in writing.
Remember that competitors are listening. Ask questions that clarify the requirement without revealing your approach.
After the visit
Write up your observations the same day, with photographs and measurements, and share them with everyone working on the price and technical approach. Compare what you saw with the drawings and note discrepancies to raise through formal questions. Then price the job you actually saw. A careful estimate built on real conditions protects your margin, your schedule and your relationship with a customer who will remember whether you delivered what you promised. Opportunities and site visit notices are posted on sam.gov, and the related FAR clauses are at acquisition.gov.