Housing Society Waterproofing Tender: Scope Template and Evaluation Matrix

Society waterproofing tenders in Pune usually fail at the same point: each bidder is left to define their own scope, so the committee ends up comparing three documents that describe three different jobs. This template fixes that. Use the scope as issued, and score with the matrix.

Part one: the scope of work to issue

Send this to every bidder verbatim. It is deliberately written so that a compliant response is directly comparable.

1. Area. State the measured treated area including parapet upstands, and attach a marked plan.
2. Survey. Bidders shall carry out a moisture survey and report the entry points identified, not merely the visible staining.
3. Removal. State whether the existing layer is to be removed, by what method, and who disposes of debris.
4. Falls and outlets. Ponding areas to be identified and corrected; rainwater outlets to be cleared and re-set below finished level.
5. Crack treatment. All cracks to be cut, filled and reinforced. State the reinforcement.
6. Junctions. Parapet upstands to a minimum of 150 mm above finished level, mechanically terminated.
7. Penetrations. Purpose-made collars at every pipe; drain seals at every outlet.
8. System. Bidder to state chemistry, brand, product, coat count and target dry film thickness in microns.
9. Curing. Bidder to state the curing interval between coats and show it on the programme.
10. Testing. Ponding or flood test before handover, result recorded and signed.
11. Records. Photographic record of substrate after preparation, of junction detailing before over-coating, and DFT readings.
12. Warranty. Term, covered area and full exclusions to be submitted with the bid.
13. Site management. Working hours, access route, water and power arrangements, protection of residents’ property, daily clean-down.
14. Variations. Rate for additional work if further damage is found once opened up.

Part two: the evaluation matrix

Score each compliant bid out of 100. Non-compliant bids should be returned for clarification rather than scored, so that a bid which omitted preparation does not win on price.

A note on the price weighting. Thirty-five per cent feels low to committees used to awarding on lowest quote, and it is deliberate. On waterproofing the correlation between lowest price and eventual cost is negative often enough that weighting price above about 40 per cent reliably produces the wrong award.

Part three: what to require before award

• Manufacturer authorisation or partnership documentation for the materials proposed
• Product data sheets for every material, including potable-water certification where relevant
• Three references for comparable work, with contact numbers
• Workmen’s insurance and evidence of safety arrangements for work at height
• A method statement covering preparation, application, curing and testing
• The written warranty document, exclusions included

Each of these takes one email to request. Together they remove most of the field that would otherwise be assessed on impression.

Part four: payment and retention

Structure payment against verifiable milestones rather than elapsed time: mobilisation and material delivery, completion of preparation and detailing (photographically evidenced), completion of application with DFT readings, and successful water test. Hold a retention — commonly 5 to 10 per cent — until after the first monsoon rather than releasing it at practical completion. A contractor confident in the work will accept that; one who resists it is telling the committee something worth hearing.

Part five: the committee’s own obligations

Two things routinely undermine good tenders. The first is compressing the programme to fit a pre-monsoon deadline, which forces curing intervals to be cut and guarantees early failure — if the window has gone, defer to post-monsoon rather than rush. The second is failing to maintain outlets afterwards, which is both the commonest warranty exclusion and the commonest cause of recurrence. Put outlet clearing on the maintenance calendar before the tender is awarded, not after the first leak.

Societies preferring to run this formally can submit through our tender and RFQ submission page, which asks for exactly the information above.

Frequently asked questions

How should a society compare waterproofing tenders?

Issue one written scope to all bidders, then score on a weighted matrix — roughly 35 price, 25 specification, 15 warranty, 15 references, 10 programme.

What should we require before award?

Manufacturer authorisation, data sheets, three contactable references, insurance, a method statement, and the written warranty with exclusions.

Should we appoint the lowest bidder?

Only if it is compliant with the issued scope. Compare the lowest compliant bid, not the lowest bid.