A contractor question sheet before pricing

A useful contractor question sheet begins with decisions the owner actually needs to make. It should help explain what is included, what the site must provide and what remains uncertain before pricing. It should not become a collection of technical terms that nobody can connect to the ground. This Calgary Project Workbook follows a quotation from the first brief to the final clarification, with room for preparation, materials, access and establishment responsibilities. It supplies no market rates or promise that a particular method is suitable.

Attach one consistent description of the site

Give the contractor the address, current plan, intended use and proposed work boundary. Include dated overview photographs and identify held areas. State which dimensions are measured and which are estimates. Describe known construction activity and the desired sequence. If the owner is comparing proposals, each contractor should receive the same current information rather than a different version assembled during separate conversations.

Start the sheet with “What additional information do you need before confirming scope?” The answer may reveal an unresolved grade, water source or access question. Record it with an owner and decision date. An unanswered question is not necessarily a reason to reject a contractor; it may show that the project brief needs work before a dependable proposal can be prepared.

Ask what ground condition the price assumes

Separate clearing, soil work, final preparation and application. Ask who performs each operation and how readiness is confirmed. A quotation that assumes a prepared seedbed should say so plainly. Ask what happens if the ground is disturbed again before the planned visit. Record whether a return inspection or additional preparation is included, provisional or separately priced.

If a proposal refers to a municipal specification, ask for its exact title, edition and reason for applicability. The City of Calgary — current landscape publication editions index distinguishes editions. That reference should support a clear discussion, not a vague claim that all private yards are governed by a parks contract. Ask which requirements are actually incorporated into the project and who resolves a technical uncertainty.

Make materials and alternatives identifiable

Ask how the proposed planting objective influenced the seed and other materials. Request enough identity and documentation to review the proposal appropriately. Avoid treating “premium,” “commercial grade” or a colour description as a specification. Ask whether an alternative changes preparation, installation, care or acceptance as well as the quoted total.

The question sheet does not need to dictate a universal mixture or application rate. It should expose whether those decisions have been made on a suitable basis. Where the project needs a designer or specialist, identify that role instead of asking the installer to settle every issue through a quotation.

Ask how access affects the proposal

Describe gates, delivery space, overhead constraints, narrow routes and neighbouring activity. Ask what equipment and staging the contractor proposes and which site information they need to confirm feasibility. Do not promise access simply because a vehicle appears likely to fit. Keep the equipment decision with the party responsible for operating it safely.

Where proposed loading or staging touches public space, check the City of Calgary — street use permits guidance and obtain the applicable municipal decision. A private quotation does not authorize occupying a sidewalk or road allowance. Ask who coordinates the required permission and what happens if the proposed arrangement is unavailable. Keep public-space approval separate from the owner's consent to work on their property.

Trace the care commitment beyond installation day

Ask who supplies water, checks coverage, adjusts care as conditions change and responds to a failure. Does the proposal include active establishment visits, written instructions or both? Identify equipment the owner must provide. Ask how late-released or repaired areas are handed over so they do not inherit the wrong care history.

The City of Calgary — watering new, developing landscaping guidance is a useful local reference for discussing developing landscaping. It does not replace a site-specific arrangement or the current watering rules. Ask how the contractor communicates care decisions and which observations trigger a review. A quoted installation date should not be mistaken for a guaranteed date when the lawn can accept normal traffic.

Turn answers into the final proposal

Give each clarification a reference number and connect it to a quotation revision. Before accepting a proposal, check that important answers appear in the actual scope and agreed documents. A reassuring conversation cannot reliably fill a missing line item months later. Identify exclusions, provisional items, acceptance decisions and the process for changed work.

For an illustrative two-stage yard, the sheet might reveal that the first area is ready but the rear strip still lacks access and water coverage. The useful result is a defined first release and a separate decision for the strip, rather than one price that quietly assumes everything is ready. Continue with access constraints, watering handover and scope changes.