How to Write an RFP for Commercial Exterior Services

A good exterior services RFP describes every building and service in enough detail that every bidder prices the same job, sets one pricing format, states the compliance, insurance and safety requirements, and explains how bids will be evaluated.

1. Overview: buildings, addresses, contacts and the term of the contract.
2. Scope by building and service: quantities such as panes, square feet or linear feet, plus height, elevations and access.
3. Cadence: visits per year per service, and any seasonal windows.
4. Inclusions, exclusions and add-ons, each named.
5. Compliance and safety: roof anchor documentation for rope work, site-specific safety plans, certified technicians.
6. Insurance: general liability and workers comp, with a certificate of insurance naming each property.
7. Workforce: whether crews are W2 employees or subcontractors.
8. Pricing format: per visit, per building, per service, with add-ons, mobilization and escalators as separate lines.
9. Service standards: how missed areas are reported and resolved, and one point of contact.
10. Site coordination: tenant notice, roof and suite access, ground-level safety zones.
11. Timeline and evaluation: site walk dates, question deadline, due date and how bids will be scored.
12. References on buildings like yours.

• Offer a site walk. Bidders who see the roof and the facade price the real job.
• Provide a bid form, so every response comes back in the same structure.
• Give enough time for a walkthrough on every building.
• Ask for alternates separately, so they do not muddy the base price.

The commercial window cleaning RFP template covers window cleaning scope in detail and adapts to other exterior services. Then compare responses with how to compare exterior services bids.

S&K walks every property, scopes the work and delivers a clear, fixed proposal, with 100% W2 crews, documented safety plans and certificates of insurance on request. Request a quote, or send us your RFP.