811 Utility Locate Services

The City of Columbia is soliciting proposals for 811 Utility Locate Services to manage its utility locating program, which encompasses approximately 2,500 miles of water mains and 1,000 miles of sewer lines. The selected contractor will handle an average of 85,000 to 105,000 annual locate requests from SC811, with an expectation of completing roughly 25 percent of these tickets. Key performance requirements include responding to emergency and no-show requests generally within three hours and providing a positive response to SC811 within 72 hours. The contractor must also maintain detailed photo documentation of all markings indexed by ticket number and location. The initial contract term is six months, running through June 30, 2026, with options for one-year extensions. Proposals must be submitted via IonWave by December 4, 2026, and must not exceed 15 pages, excluding cover pages, resumes, and appendices. The evaluation process is based on a combined score from a technical response and interviews with key personnel. Award will be granted to the highest-ranked, responsive, and responsible contractor. Pricing is based on daily rates for a staff of 3 to 5 people, emergency rates for business and after-hours requests, and ticket scrubbing, with mileage reimbursed at GSA rates. Invoices must be submitted monthly and include a valid purchase order number.