Project Information

Bid Title

As-Needed Tree Services

Issuing Agency

City of Berkeley

Location

California

Published Date

Jan 30, 2026

Closing Date

Feb 24, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

26-11778-C

Original Source

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Project Description

As-Needed Tree Services

Due Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 - 2:00 pm

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Finance Department

General Services Division

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ)

Specification No. 26-11778-C

FOR

AS-NEEDED TREE SERVICES

PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE OPENED AND READ PUBLICLY

Dear Proposer:

The City of Berkeley is soliciting written proposals from qualified firms or individuals to provide tree services,

including but not limited to removing trees, stumps, pruning trees, and clearing brush. As a Request for

Qualifications (RFQ) this is not an invitation to bid.

The project scope, content of proposal, and vendor selection process are summarized in the RFQ (attached).

Proposals must be received no later than 2:00 pm, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Proposals are to be sent via

email with the “Specification No. 26-11778-C” and “As-Needed Tree Services” clearly indicated in the subject

line of the email. Please submit one (1) PDF of the technical Proposal with the filename saved as, “Proposal:

Specification No. 26-11778-C As-Needed Tree Services.” Corresponding pricing proposal shall be submitted as a

separate document with the filename saved as, “Pricing: Specification No. 26-11778-C As-Needed Tree Services.”

Email Proposals to:

City of Berkeley

Finance Department/General Services Division

Solicitations@berkeleyca.gov

Responses will not be accepted after the date and time stated above. Incomplete responses that do not conform to

the requirements specified herein will not be considered. Issuance of the RFQ does not obligate the City to

negotiate or award a contract, nor is the City liable for any costs incurred by the proposer in the preparation and

submittal of responses for the subject work. The City retains the right to award all or parts of this contract to several

firms or individuals, to not select any of the firms or individuals, and/or to re-solicit Statements of Qualifications.

The act of submitting a response is a declaration that the proposer has read the RFQ and understands all the

requirements and conditions.

For questions concerning the anticipated work, or scope of the project, please contact Thomas Dodge, Senior

Forestry Supervisor, via email at tdodge@berkeleyca.gov no later than Tuesday February 10, 2026. Answers to

questions will not be provided by telephone or email. Answers to all questions or any addenda will be posted on the

City of Berkeley’s site at Bid & Proposal Opportunities | City of Berkeley (berkeleyca.gov). It is the vendor’s

responsibility to check this site. For general questions concerning the submittal process, contact purchasing at 510-

981-7320.

We look forward to receiving and reviewing your proposal.

Sincerely,

Henry Oyekanmi

Finance Director

2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7320 TDD: 510.981.6903 Fax: 510.981.7390

E-mail: finance@ci.berkeley.ca.us Website: http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/finance

As-Needed Tree Services

Internal

City of Berkeley Specification No 26-11778-C

Page 2 of 23

Release Date xx/xx/xxxx

I.

BACKGROUND

The City of Berkeley invites submittal of RFQs, including Statements of Qualifications (SOQ), from tree

services firms interested in providing tree-related services to support its Urban Forestry Program. The City

is anticipating to contract with two (2) or more tree services firms for a total not to exceed amount of

$200,000.00. The contract will be a 3-year term with task order assignments such that the duration will not

extend beyond the contract termination date. Task orders for each project will take into account the scope

of service, work schedule, and fee proposal submitted to the City. There is no guarantee of quantity of

trees to be pruned or removed, or other tree-related work to be done.

The City has over 35,000 trees in the Park Recreation & Waterfront (PRW) Department’s inventory, in

addition to other trees located on City-owned parcels or along the public right of way.

The tree services firm will provide all services necessary to assess existing tree and site conditions;

remove trees; remove stumps; prune trees; clear brush and vines; clean-up debris; provide other tree-

related services as necessary; and coordinate with the City. Some trees may be in locations that are not

accessible with vehicles or equipment.

One or more contracts will be prepared with pre-qualified Tree Services Contractors, who would be

available on short-term notice to provide tree services as needed. The contract for tree services would

establish the parameters for future project-specific work as described herein.

The contractor shall provide services on a task-order basis for specific work. When work is needed for

which a tree services contractor is required, the City would distribute the proposed scope of work to one

(1) or more contractors. The contractors would respond with an estimate of time allocation for the various

jobs and costs for the specific project, based on the hourly charges previously submitted with its response

to this RFQ. The City would review the scope of work and the project-specific proposal with the contractor

and negotiate a schedule and not-to-exceed cost. A Notice to Proceed could then be issued with the full

scope of work and cost identified.

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The anticipated term of the proposed contract shall be from May 29, 2026, and continue through May 28,

2029. The agreement will be for three (3) years, with the option of two (2) sequential one-year extensions

at the sole discretion of the City.

The scope of work for specific projects will be determined at the time when the City solicits a proposal.

The scope of the work may include but is not limited to the following work items:

a. Tree removals and tree pruning. Some trees may be in remote and/or wooded locations that are not

accessible with vehicles or equipment. Trees may require climbing. Rigging may be required using

ropes, pulleys and lowering devices. Aerial lifts and/or cranes of various sizes may be necessary.

Trees may be especially large in diameter, weight and height. Brush and wood may need to be

dragged or carried out by hand. Some stump removals may require self-propelled or portable

machines. Brush cutting and vine removal may be required for fire fuel reduction.

b. Work performed must meet all requirements contained in the current edition of the American

National Standard for Arboricultural Operations – Safety Requirements (ANSI) Z133. All work

must also adhere to any applicable Cal/OSHA (Division of Occupational Safety and Health) laws

and regulations.

c. All pruning shall adhere to the current editions of the American National Standard practices for Tree,

Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Management - (Pruning) (ANSI) A300 (Part 1) and the companion

RFQ Revised Nov2022

As-Needed Tree Services

Internal

City of Berkeley Specification No 26-11778-C

Page 3 of 23

Release Date xx/xx/xxxx

publication of Best Management Practices for Tree Pruning published by the International Society

of Arboriculture.

d. Standard pruning specifications for all City of Berkeley trees (attached in Exhibit A) must be

followed.

e. Every tree to be worked on shall be carefully inspected, before beginning any operation, for active

bird nests in accordance with the California State Code: 3503, 3503.5, and 3513. Title 14, Chapter

1, Section 251.1. If an active nest is found, it is to be left undisturbed, the tree work is to cease and

the Project Manager is to be contacted.

f. Contractor must abide by the City of Berkeley Noise Ordinance (B.M.C. 13.40). The Ordinance can

be found on the City of Berkeley website at http://codepublishing.com/ca/berkeley/

g. Contractor shall be responsible for any required permits and provide traffic control within the work

zone throughout the project. Traffic controls shall be appropriate for the various traffic situations,

and in full conformance with the current version of the California Manual of Uniform Traffic

Control Devices (MUTCD), Part 6; or the California Manual of Temporary Traffic Controls (BNi,

Building News).

h. The contractor shall be responsible for purchasing and posting tree removal/pruning signs for “No

Parking” a minimum of 72 hours prior to the start of any tree work operation. All such signs shall

be pre-approved as to size, form and content by the City Arborist, or designee prior to purchase and

posting by the Contractor.

i. Contractor must abide by the City of Berkeley’s Pest Management Policy, Resolution No. 54,319-

N.S. adopted June 21, 1988.

j. Contractor shall provide a completion date with each bid and notify the City seven (7) days prior to

beginning the work. When work is scheduled for less than seven (7) days from when a bid is

accepted, Contractor shall notify the City as soon as they have scheduled the work. If the need to

tow cars for access delays the work, the completion date will be extended by that delay.

k. Contractor shall, at their own expense, dispose of all logs, branches, wood chips, and other debris

resulting from the tree removal and pruning operations, or any other debris resulting from tree-

related operations. Any wood from American or European elm and Monterey pine must be

completely removed from the City of Berkeley.

l. Each work site shall be cleaned and cleared of all logs, branches, limbs, twigs, and debris at the end

of each day, except with prior approval by the Project Manager. The clean-up operation shall include

removal of all debris including sawdust to be cleaned-up with a street broom or battery powered

blower. The use of gas-driven power blowers is not permitted.

m. All tree removals shall have the stump removed unless otherwise directed by the Project Arborist.

Stumps that are not removed shall be cut as close to the ground as practical.

n. Contractor shall be responsible for marking all stump removal locations with water-based marking

paint in accordance with the guidelines of the USA North 811 California Excavation Manual.

Contractor shall contact USA North 811 and wait the required time prior to any excavation. All

excavation, including stump removal, shall be done with care to protect all utilities. In the event a

utility is contacted, scraped, dented, nicked, or damaged, Contractor shall contact the City and utility

owner. Contractor shall comply with all California laws and regulations regarding excavations.

RFQ Revised Nov2022

As-Needed Tree Services

Internal

City of Berkeley Specification No 26-11778-C

Page 4 of 23

Release Date xx/xx/xxxx

o. Every stump, unless directed otherwise, shall be completely ground to a minimum depth of fifteen

inches (15”) below grade. All above ground roots and portions of the trunk buttress or flare

contiguous with the stump shall be ground to a depth of fifteen inches (15”) below grade. Each

stump removal site shall be filled with the stump grindings/soil mixture to a maximum height of six

inches (6”) above the surrounding grade. The grinding mixture shall be compacted by hand to

eliminate voids. All excess grindings shall be hauled offsite by the contractor.

p. Contractor shall be responsible for all damage to public and/or private property resulting from any

tree or stump removal, tree pruning, or any other tree-related operations. Such damage could be

either above or below ground. If such damage occurs, Contractor shall repair or restore damaged

property to its condition prior to the damage having occurred. This includes, but is not limited to:

electric, phone, or cable wires; damage to structures, walkways, driveways, steps, sidewalks, curbs

or streets; and any underground utility, drainage, or irrigation system.

III. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All Statements of Qualifications shall include the following information, organized as separate sections of

the SOQ. The SOQ should be concise and to the point.

A. Consultant Identification:

Provide the name of the firm, the firm's principal place of business (see section VII, F. – Local

Vendor Preference), the name and telephone number of the contact person and company tax

identification number.

B. Firm Experience:

Provide a listing of at least three (3) projects completed by the firm within the past five (5) years

involving California municipalities or other public agencies. This list should include a brief

description of each project, the scope, duration, location, cost, and dates. If possible, this list

should include the address and telephone number of a contact person.

C. Individual Staff Experience:

Provide a listing of each key staff person in the firm who will be assigned to the project and

background information demonstrating their capabilities and qualifications to perform the assigned

task. For each individual, provide current professional registrations, related experience,

educational background, and years of experience with the team.

D. Consultant Team:

Provide a description of the team, the organization and its general experience, and specific

experience of assigned staff. Provide a listing of similar projects of similar scope, which have been

completed by members of the consultant team within the past five (5) years. This listing should

include a description of each project; the location; construction cost; date; and (if possible) the

clients’ name, address, and phone number of a contact person.

RFQ Revised Nov2022

As-Needed Tree Services

Internal

City of Berkeley Specification No 26-11778-C

Page 5 of 23

Release Date xx/xx/xxxx

F. Client References:

Provide a minimum of three (3) client references. References should be California cities or other

large public sector entities. Provide the designated person's name, title, organization, address,

telephone number, and the project(s) that were completed under that client’s direction.

G. Contract Terminations:

If your organization has had a contract terminated in the last five (5) years, describe such

incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s non-

performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to

inaction on the part of the vendor, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the vendor

was in default.

Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party’s name, address, and phone

number. Present the vendor’s position on the matter. The City will evaluate the facts and may, at

its sole discretion, reject the SOQ on the grounds of the past experience.

If the firm has not experienced any such termination for default or early termination in the past

five (5) years, so indicate.

H. Budget:

Demonstrate track record in meeting budgetary requirements.

I. Project Organization:

Provide a chart showing the names and assignments of all key personnel including an estimate of

each individual’s time commitment to the project. The chart should include proposed lines of

communication with City staff. Any proposed sub-consultants should be clearly identified on the

chart.

J. Project Understanding and Approach:

This section of the SOQ should include a clear description of the Consultant’s understanding of

the project and state the approaches and methodologies which the consultant proposes to undertake

in order to meet the stated objectives of the City. Provide a work plan with as much detail as

needed to describe how the required services and scope of work will be performed.

K. Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC):

This section of the SOQ should address any QA/QC program the proposer has established or

proposes to establish and utilize throughout this project.

IV. SELECTION PROCESS

Evaluation will include, but is not limited to the criteria below:

A. Firm Experience: 50%

B. Equipment owned by firm and readily available for use: 20%

C. Relevant experience and skills of personnel, including industry certifications and qualifications:

20%

D. Client References: 10%

RFQ Revised Nov2022

Commodity Codes

• NAICS 561730Landscaping Services

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