RFP amended-Sky Acres dry stone headwall

TOWN OF WASHINGTON, VERMONT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Dry Stone Headwall at Culvert #1 – Sky Acres

Date Issued: Friday, April 17th, 2026

Pre-bid Site Visit: Monday, April 27th, 2026 @ 8am

Proposal Due Date: Monday, May 4th, 2026 by 3pm

Bid Opening: Monday, May 4th, 2026 @ 6:30pm selectboard meeting

Bid Review and contract awarded: no later than Monday, May 18th, 2026

Project Completion: July 11th, 2026

1. Introduction

The Town of Washington, Vermont is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors for the

installation of a dry stone headwall on the inlet side of Culvert #1 on Sky Acres Road. The 6’

diameter culvert is located directly northeast of where Sky Acres and VT-110 meet at GPS

coordinates 44.061214, -72.463003. The project entails the following three phases of work: (1)

excavation surrounding the inlet side of the culvert that bares the structure down to its base at

least six feet back on both sides and above the structure; (2) laying a dry stone headwall around

the culvert, with a minimum total height of 6’ on either side, including a minimum of 2’ above

the culvert; and (3) restoring the road surface and utilizing rip rap to apron out from the road

surface and road shoulders to the headwall. Filter fabric provided by the town will be inserted

under the stone fill.

This project is being funded through FEMA’s hazard mitigation program and must conform to

state codes and standards as outlined in the VTrans Orange Book, as well as those best practises

for headwalls laid out in the VTrans Vermont Better Roads Manual, page 35. The headwall is

intended to provide durable, long-lasting protection to both the culvert and the roadbed,

especially in high-volume rain events.

The project has a not-to-exceed budget of $12,752. This budget includes both town costs

(restricted to purchased stone here) and contractor costs (equipment, labor, and large-stone

hauling). All bids should show that total costs will not exceed this amount.

ADDENDA & ALTERATIONS

I. The three phases of work detailed in the first paragraph are now to be replaced by the

following: (1a) excavation above the culvert, and to the tops of the concrete sidewalls that bares

the existing culvert-headwall structure a minimum of six feet back into the bank; (1b) excavation

of channel banks above the streambed on both sides in preparation for dry stone wingwalls; (2)

completing the existing headwall structure with dry stone above the exising concrete sidewalls

and across the top of the culvert. The finished headwall structure will stand at a minimum of 3’

above the top of the culvert, and will extend to the ends of the concrete sidewall on either side;

(3) laying dry stone wingwalls, extending from the headwall on both channel banks of the inlet

side. These should extend a minimum of 6’ on each side; (4) utilizing rip rap to apron out from

the road surface and road shoulders to the headwall.

2. Project Scope

(1) Excavation

Excavation around the culvert will bare the first six feet of its inlet side on all

three sides the eventual headwall will surround. On the lateral sides of the culvert,

the excavated area will extend at least four feet in each direction. Above the

culvert, the excavation will remove all material up to the level of the road surface,

and laterally to the extent of excavation on both sides.

ADDENDA & ALTERATIONS

II. This section is now to be replaced by the following: Excavation above the culvert and

above the tops of the concrete sidewalls will bare the first six feet of the culvert on the inlet

side, extended out to the far edges of each sidewall. Further excavation will take place along

the channel banks to prepare for the dry stone wingwall extensions. The wingwalls are to

extend a minimum of 6’ on both banks of the inlet side.

(2) Dry Stone Headwall

The headwall will be built primarily from large Type II and Type III stone.

Building should conform to basic principles of good dry stone walling: so most

stones should be laid with their long axis into the wall; joints should be well

crossed, not just lipped over; stones should be laid at their true horizontal, rather

than at sloping angles; the face of the headwall should be either flush with the end

of the culvert or built at a slight batter back from it as it rises; an abundance of

small stone pinning should be avoided.

Figure 33 on page 35 of the Vermont Better Roads Manual offers a visual

type here, with the primary exception being that the headwall to be built in this

case is to utilise much larger quarried stone.

Behind the large building stones will be a tightly packed composite of large and

medium-sized stones back to the extent of that 6’ inward depth. The use of

crushed stone to build up the roadbase is fine above the culvert, but there should

be a barrier of large or medium stone between it and the building stones which

show a face on the outside of the headwall.

headwall notes:

(a) All stone will be purchased on the town account at a mutually agreed upon

quarry.

(b) The amount of stone needed and of what type should be included on the

contractor’s estimate, even though this cost will be absorbed by the town.

hauling

(c) All Type II and Type III stone will be hauled by the contractor, and the

hauling should be included as such within the contractor’s bid.

(d) All dense grade or crushed stone will be hauled by the town.

ADDENDA & ALTERATIONS

III. Add a fourth paragraph after the first three that specifies the dry stone headwall

component as follows: In completing the headwall structure, stone will be laid across the full

width of the existing structure from the far edge of one concrete sidewall to the other. The

height of this headwall top should be a minimum of 3’ above the culvert top.

IV. To note (c) under hauling, add “Type IV stone” to the Type II and Type III already

specified there. The basic point is that the building stones should be primarily large

dimension stones.

V. A section (3) should follow specifying the wingwall construction in this manner: dry stone

wingwalls will be built into the channel banks on either side of the headwall structure. They

should be flared out and extend for a minimum of 6’ on each side. The height of the

wingwalls and any further length that is possible will be dependent on what the contractor

can propose while staying within the given budget.

(3) Resurfacing and Riprapping

If some of the north side of the roadway needs resurfacing, a base of DGCS will

be used, with the top 6’ consisting of fine, crushed gravel. No need to grade or

compact, as the Town will attend to this.

Riprapping should apron out above and around the completed headwall to help

integrate the headwall into a well-stabilised surrounding bank.

hauling

(a) all necessary riprap will be hauled by the contractor.

ADDENDA & ALTERATIONS

VI. The first paragraph is to be struck out as the north side of the roadway should not be

affected under the scope of work.

3. Contractor Qualifications

● The contractor must have experience with comparable work on other municipal

road projects.

● Must be able to complete the project in accordance with state codes and standards

and conforming to best practices for headwalls laid out in the Vermont Better Roads

Manual.

● Must provide proof of current liability insurance and workers’ compensation

coverage.

● Must comply with all federal, state, and local regulations.

4. Proposal Requirements

All proposals must include:

● Company name, address, and contact information.

● Relevant experience with culvert headwall construction and/or dry stone work.

● Proposed project timeline and availability. (Preference will be given to proposals

that can commit to completing the work by July 11th, 2026.)

● An itemized cost estimate showing how total costs for the project (i.e. both town and

contractor costs) will not exceed the $12,752 project budget. This means that you

should include your itemized costs for labor, equipment, and hauling and you

should include your estimates for the town’s costs for purchasing all stone used on

the project.

● Equipment and staff to be used, including any subcontractors.

● Proof of insurance.

● At least two references from recent municipal road projects (preferably involving

dry stone work and/or headwall construction).

5. Site Visit

A pre-bid site visit will be held on Monday, April 27th at 8am. The meeting point will be at

Culvert #1 on Sky Acres in Washington, VT, just above where Sky Acres and VT-110 meet

(gps: 44.061214, -72.463003).

6. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based with proportional weighting on the following criteria:

● Experience and qualifications (weighed at 10%)

● Understanding of project scope and technical approach (10%)

● Cost-effectiveness and value (40%)

● Proposed project schedule (20%)

● Equipment and staffing capacity (10%)

● References and past performance (10%)

The Town reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, and to award the contract in the

best interest of the community.

7. Evaluation Process

Following the submission deadline, the Selectboard reserves the right to schedule an

evaluation meeting and/or to establish a three-person committee with representation from

the Road Foreman, FEMA Grants Administrator, and 1-2 Selectboard members in order

to evaluate all bids and make a recommendation to the Selectboard within fourteen (14)

calendar days.

The evaluation meeting, if held, will serve as an opportunity for the Selectboard to:

● Ask clarifying questions of one or more respondents;

● Evaluate presentations or proposals in greater detail;

● Facilitate open discussion on project approach, timeline, and capacity;

● Score and compare bids in accordance with the evaluation criteria outlined in this

RFP.

Participation in this meeting may be requested of any or all respondents at the

Selectboard’s discretion. Respondents will be notified in advance if such a meeting is

scheduled and are expected to make appropriate representatives available if invited.

8. Submission Instructions

Submit sealed proposals by Monday, May 4th at 3:00 pm to:

Town of Washington

Notch Road Culvert Replacement Proposal

2895 VT Route 110

Washington, Vermont 05675

ADDENDA & ALTERATIONS

VII. “Notch Road Culvert Replacements” to be replaced by “Sky Acres Headwall.”

Electronic submissions and late proposals will not be accepted.

Qualified small, minority, and veteran-owned businesses, women’s business enterprises,

and labor surplus area firms are encouraged to submit bids. The Municipality is an Equal

Employment Opportunity employer.

9. Project Schedule

Work must be completed by July 11th, 2026, and coordinated with the Road Foreman.

Delays due to weather or unforeseen site conditions may be negotiated with the written

approval of the Road Foreman.

10. Payment Process

Payment will be made in lump sum for the bid amount within 30 days of project

completion.

11. Contact Information

Questions regarding this RFP are to be directed to town road foreman, Stuart Coburn,

who can be contacted at 1-802-522-0132.

12. Additional Information

 The contractor is responsible for safety at the job site.

 The selected contractor will be required to comply with federal contract provisions.

Issued by:

Town of Washington, Vermont