Co-op Board Scaffolding RFP Template: NYC 2026 Guide

Say your co-op board has an engineer's scope, a sidewalk shed deadline, and a managing agent asking you to approve one scaffolding contractor quickly. Three proposals come in. One is a lump sum. One includes monthly rental but not removal. One mentions insurance, but the certificate of insurance is missing. The board is being asked to compare documents that are not actually comparable.

That is the problem a scaffolding RFP is supposed to solve.

A generic construction RFP template will not cover the parts that matter in New York City: DOB permit responsibility, 90-day sidewalk shed renewals, COI requirements, building-specific work rules, conflict disclosures, and the board record needed if shareholders later ask why this contractor was selected. This guide gives you a copy-ready co-op board scaffolding RFP template, plus a scoring matrix the board can use at the meeting. You can also shortlist contractors by verified permit activity before sending the request.

The goal is simple: every bidder receives the same facts, prices the same scope, submits the same evidence, and can be scored on the same criteria.

What a NYC co-op board scaffolding RFP template must include

A scaffolding RFP is not just an invitation to price the job. It is the board's control document. CooperatorNews describes a clean RFP process as starting with a needs assessment and a statement or scope of work before solicitation [1]. For NYC co-op scaffolding, that scope has to be specific enough to support DOB filings, insurance review, and board approval.

Use this structure as the minimum.

The table matters because it prevents the classic board problem: three bids, three formats, no defensible comparison. For the broader governance process around the bid file, see the co-op board scaffolding due diligence guide.

Before you send the RFP: lock the scope

Do not send an RFP while the scope is still fuzzy. A contractor cannot price a comparable bid if the board has not defined the scaffold type, building access, duration, work hours, sidewalk conditions, and engineering responsibilities.

For scaffold work, DOB says a permit application must be completed online by the licensed or registered contractor, and the licensee's license and insurance must be active and current before permit issuance [2]. DOB's owner-facing scaffold requirements also distinguish work that can proceed without a permit from work that requires a licensed contractor, registered design professional, and permit depending on the design and project conditions [3].

That means your RFP should be built from the engineer's or architect's written scope, not from a managing agent's email summary. Attach the professional scope as Exhibit A. If the work is tied to FISP, include the FISP classification and relevant Cycle 10 timing. If the shed will affect neighboring property, flag potential RPAPL 881 access needs. If the building has house rules that affect pricing, such as freight elevator limits, weekend work restrictions, landmark facade requirements, or sidewalk cafe conditions, disclose them before bid day.

For the pre-scaffold sequence, pair this template with steps before a scaffold goes up in NYC and the FISP Cycle 10 guide.

Copy-ready scaffolding RFP template

Use the language below as a working draft. Have the building's attorney, engineer, and insurance broker adjust it for your building before release.

1. Project overview and building information

Project: [Building name and address]

Owner: [Co-op corporation legal name]

Managing agent: [Company and contact]

Building information: [Number of stories], [construction type], [co-op/condo/rental], [landmark status if applicable], [occupied building status], [block and lot if available].

Project purpose: The board is soliciting proposals for [sidewalk shed installation / supported scaffold / suspended scaffold / related temporary construction equipment] in connection with [FISP facade repair / unsafe condition / parapet repair / roof or exterior work].

Professional scope: Bidders must price the attached scope prepared by [engineer or architect name], dated [date]. Any bidder who believes the scope is incomplete must submit written questions by [question deadline]. Bidders may not assume alternate scope in the base bid unless listed as a separately priced alternate.

2. Scope of work and site conditions

Bidder shall provide all labor, materials, equipment, supervision, filings, coordination, and removal required for the temporary scaffold or sidewalk shed work described in Exhibit A.

The proposal must identify:

• Scaffold or sidewalk shed type proposed
• Approximate linear footage, height, and configuration
• Protection of pedestrians, residents, staff, visitors, and adjacent property
• Access constraints, staging area needs, and sidewalk occupancy assumptions
• Anticipated DOT or DOB coordination
• Occupied-building protection measures
• Work-hour assumptions
• Exclusions, assumptions, and owner responsibilities

If the bidder proposes a deviation from the attached professional scope, it must be listed as an alternate. The base bid must price the scope as issued.

3. Required bidder qualifications

Bidders must submit evidence that the firm is qualified to perform NYC scaffold or sidewalk shed work.

Required attachments:

• Legal company name and DBA, if any
• DOB license or registration number, if applicable
• Names and license numbers for any rigger, hoist, engineer, architect, or subcontractor used for the work
• Proof that license and insurance are active and current at bid submission
• Three recent NYC references for comparable buildings
• Recent project list showing borough, building type, project duration, and removal date
• Disclosure of any active DOB stop-work orders or unresolved scaffold-related violations

The board may verify bidder claims using DOB records, references, and public permit data. For a bidder-by-bidder check, use how to check a scaffolding contractor's DOB license in NYC.

4. Permit, DOB, and professional responsibility

The proposal must state exactly who is responsible for each filing and renewal task.

Bidder must identify:

• Entity responsible for DOB scaffold or sidewalk shed permit filing
• Licensed or registered contractor responsible for the permit application
• Registered design professional responsible for drawings, if required
• Special inspection agency or inspector coordination, if required
• DOT coordination, if sidewalk conditions require it
• DOB NOW account holder and filing contact
• Renewal contact and backup contact
• Closeout and removal inspection responsibilities

The board will reject proposals that say only "owner to handle permits" without explaining which filings, documents, and professional signatures remain with the contractor.

5. Schedule and 90-day renewal milestones

The proposal must include a project schedule with dates or date ranges for:

• Contract execution
• Insurance approval
• Filing submission
• Permit issuance
• Mobilization
• Installation
• First 90-day renewal checkpoint
• Each additional renewal checkpoint expected during the project
• Substantial completion of underlying work
• Removal request
• Final removal and DOB closeout

DOB's January 2026 service notice says sidewalk shed permits issued or renewed under the new system have a maximum duration of 90 days, are not automatically renewed, and carry a $130 renewal fee [4]. Local Law 48 also created escalating idle-shed penalties and progress-report requirements tied to renewals [5]. The proposal must explain how the bidder will track those milestones.

Say the board expects an 8-month facade repair. The bid should not say "duration to be determined." It should show three renewal windows, who prepares the progress information, who pays the renewal fee, and what the contractor needs from the engineer before each deadline.

6. Pricing format

Bidder must use the pricing format below. Lump-sum proposals without the required breakout may be deemed non-responsive.

The proposal must also state whether prices are valid for 30, 60, or 90 days. For bid normalization after proposals come in, use the scaffolding contractor bid comparison guide.

7. Insurance and COI requirements

Bidder must submit a sample certificate of insurance and agree to provide final certificates before mobilization. The board's broker may require revisions before award.

At minimum, the proposal package should include:

• General liability certificate
• Workers' compensation and disability coverage evidence
• Umbrella or excess liability certificate
• Additional insured endorsement naming the co-op corporation, managing agent, and other required parties
• Waiver of subrogation endorsement if required by the building's broker
• Primary and non-contributory language if required by the building's broker
• Carrier names, policy numbers, expiration dates, and broker contact

New York Labor Law Section 240 imposes owner and contractor obligations for covered elevation-related work, including scaffolding and other safety devices [6]. Do not let insurance review happen after award. Make it a required bid attachment, then route the package to the building's broker. For the document-level review, see how to read a scaffolding contractor COI in NYC.

8. Proposal package and submission rules

Each bidder must submit one PDF package by [deadline] to [email address]. The package must include:

• Signed proposal cover letter
• Completed pricing form
• Project schedule
• License and registration evidence
• Insurance package
• Reference list
• Subcontractor list
• Permit responsibility matrix
• Exceptions to the RFP
• Conflict disclosure statement

Questions are due by [date]. The board or managing agent will circulate written answers to all bidders by [date]. Site visits will occur on [date and time]. No bidder may rely on private conversations with board members, residents, building staff, or the managing agent unless the answer is issued to all bidders in writing.

9. Evaluation criteria

The board will evaluate proposals using the following criteria:

• Completeness and responsiveness to the RFP
• Total cost using the required pricing format
• NYC scaffold and sidewalk shed experience
• Permit history in the relevant borough
• Schedule realism and renewal plan
• Insurance package completeness
• References from comparable buildings
• Exceptions, exclusions, and change-order risk
• Conflict disclosures

The lowest bid is not automatically the winning bid. The board may select the proposal that provides the strongest combination of price, schedule, experience, insurance, and verifiable permit history.

10. Conflict disclosures

Each bidder must disclose any personal, professional, financial, referral, family, employment, ownership, or compensation relationship with:

• Any board member
• Any managing agent employee
• The building's engineer or architect
• The building's attorney
• The building's insurance broker
• Any building employee involved in the project

If no relationship exists, bidder must state: "Bidder has no relationship to disclose with the board, managing agent, engineer, architect, attorney, insurance broker, or building staff involved in this procurement."

The board should separately ask directors and the managing agent to disclose relationships before proposals are discussed.

Co-op board scaffolding RFP template scoring matrix

Once proposals arrive, score them before the meeting. The board does not need a complicated procurement system. It needs a consistent matrix that turns the RFP into a record.

Weighting is a recommended board-review framework; adjust it before bids are opened and apply the same weights to every bidder.

The board secretary or managing agent should keep the completed scorecard with the bid package. A contractor directory can help fill the permit-history line: compare NYC scaffolding contractors by active permits, borough coverage, and permit volume.

How the RFP supports board protection

A good RFP does not guarantee a perfect project. It gives the board a process that can be shown later.

The New York Attorney General's co-op board guidance explains that the Business Corporation Law governs most co-op corporations and that shareholders receive annual reports on certain interested-director contracts [7]. NY Business Corporation Law Section 717 sets the director duty-of-care standard and allows directors to rely in good faith on competent professionals [8]. NY Business Corporation Law Section 713 addresses contracts involving interested directors, including disclosure and approval rules [9].

The RFP turns those legal standards into project documents.

The Business Judgment Rule standard for co-op boards comes from Levandusky v. One Fifth Avenue Apt. Corp.; courts defer to board decisions made within authority and in good faith when the process is informed and not discriminatory or arbitrary [10]. For the final approval document, pair the RFP with the board resolution template for scaffolding procurement and the co-op board fiduciary duty contractor selection guide.

Red flags in contractor responses

Send the proposal back, or score it down hard, if any of these appear:

• Lump-sum pricing only. The board cannot compare installation, rental, renewal support, and removal.
• No 90-day renewal plan. The contractor is not pricing the 2026 permit cadence.
• "Owner handles permits" with no detail. The filing responsibility matrix is missing.
• COI promised after award. Insurance should be reviewable before the board votes.
• No named supervisor. The board does not know who is accountable once work starts.
• Building rules ignored. Work-hour limits, sidewalk access, elevator constraints, and occupant protections affect price.
• Undisclosed subcontractors. The board cannot verify who will actually perform the work.
• Conflict disclosure left blank. A blank is not the same as "none."

These are not paperwork quibbles. They are the places where change orders, missed renewals, insurance gaps, and shareholder questions begin. For contractor interview follow-ups, use questions to ask scaffolding contractors before hiring and how to verify a scaffolding contractor in NYC.

Frequently asked questions

How many bids should a co-op board request for scaffolding?

Three complete bids is the practical minimum for a NYC co-op scaffolding procurement. Four or five is stronger if the timeline allows. The bigger issue is not the count alone; each bidder must price the same scope using the same line-item format.

Should a scaffolding RFP require line-item pricing?

Yes. Require separate prices for installation, monthly rental, permit or renewal support, removal, after-hours work, and change-order rates. A lump-sum bid may look simple, but it hides the cost drivers the board needs to compare.

What insurance documents should the RFP request?

Request a sample COI, workers' compensation evidence, umbrella or excess liability certificate, additional insured endorsement, waiver of subrogation if required, and broker contact information. The building's insurance broker should review the package before award, not after mobilization.

Can the managing agent recommend a contractor?

Yes, but the recommendation should not replace verification. Include the managing agent's recommended bidder in the same RFP process, require the same attachments, score the proposal using the same matrix, and record any relationship or referral disclosure before the board votes.

How does Local Law 48 change the RFP timeline?

Local Law 48 makes the renewal calendar central. Sidewalk shed permits now operate on 90-day cycles under DOB's 2026 implementation notice, so the RFP should ask bidders for renewal checkpoints, progress-report coordination, renewal-fee treatment, and removal timing before the board signs.

Where can a board verify contractor permit history?

Start with The Shed Registry contractor directory, which organizes NYC sidewalk shed permit data by contractor, active permits, and borough coverage. Then cross-check license and filing details in DOB systems before award.

Next step: send a cleaner RFP, then score the bids

A co-op board under deadline does not need a longer meeting. It needs cleaner inputs. The RFP above gives every bidder the same scope, the same pricing format, the same insurance requirements, and the same conflict-disclosure standard. That is how the board gets from "the managing agent likes this contractor" to a documented, apples-to-apples procurement record.

Before you send the request, attach the engineer's scope, set the question deadline, and decide the scoring weights. When bids come back, compare each contractor against verified permit history and active work. Use The Shed Registry contractor profiles to check borough coverage before the board vote, then save the RFP, proposals, scorecard, COIs, and resolution in the project file.