S201--Building Drone Cleaning
Project Information
- Bid Title
- S201--Building Drone Cleaning
- Issuing Agency
- VETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF
- Location
- N/A
- Published Date
- Aug 15, 2026
- Closing Date
- Aug 21, 2026
- Government Level
- Federal
- Status
- Closed
- Ref. #
- 36C26226Q1150
- Original Source
- Join to Access Full Details
- Bid Inquiries
- Join to Access Full Details
- Bid Documents
- Join to Access Full Details
- Set Aside
- Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
- Project Description
-
FollowS201--Building Drone CleaningActiveContract OpportunityNotice ID36C26226Q1150Related Notice36C26226Q1150Department/Ind. AgencyVETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OFSub-tierVETERANS AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OFOffice262-NETWORK CONTRACT OFFICE 22 (36C262)General Information View ChangesLooking for contract opportunity help?
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- Contract Opportunity Type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Updated)
- Updated Published Date: Aug 14, 2026 09:45 am PDT
- Original Published Date: Jul 31, 2026 03:01 pm PDT
- Updated Date Offers Due: Aug 21, 2026 02:30 pm PDT
- Original Date Offers Due: Aug 10, 2026 01:00 pm PDT
- Inactive Policy: Manual
- Updated Inactive Date: Oct 12, 2026
- Original Inactive Date: Oct 09, 2026
-
Initiative:
- None
Classification- Original Set Aside: Total Small Business Set-Aside (FAR 19.5)
- Product Service Code: S201 - HOUSEKEEPING- CUSTODIAL JANITORIAL
-
NAICS Code:
- 488190 - Other Support Activities for Air Transportation
-
Place of Performance:
Department of Veterans Affairs Tucson , 85723
Description View ChangesThe purpose of this amendment 0002 is to extend the response due date, add previously excluded buildings, and provide the Questions and Answers.
PLEASE NOTE THAT BUILDINGS ERRONEOUSLY EXCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL SOLICITATION ARE NOW INCLUDED - Buildings 2, 20, 29, 30, 31, 32 and S45 parking garage
Submission of your final response shall be received electronically not later than 2:30 PST on 08/21/2026 at Stephanie.Naron@va.gov. Subject line should include “RESPONSE TO RFQ 36C26226Q1150.”
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- Several areas of the buildings have permanent exterior balconies or protected walking surfaces with guardrails. Although certain windows may be more than 20 feet above ground level, they are readily accessible from these permanent walking surfaces, with the glass approximately 9 feet above the technician’s standing surface. Can the VA please confirm whether the 20-foot threshold is measured from the technician’s accessible working surface or strictly from ground level?
Both
- Where windows are safely accessible from permanent protected balconies or walkways, may those windows be cleaned by hand using traditional window-cleaning methods rather than by drone?
The drone shall be used on the Stucco. The windows shall be cleaned by hand; the main building has a catwalk available for use for window cleaning.
- Based on our site visit, we believe traditional hand cleaning from these protected walking surfaces would provide the best finished result for those particular windows while maintaining safe access and minimizing disruption. Can the VA confirm that this approach is acceptable where the windows are safely reachable from those protected surfaces?
Yes.
- The Licensing Requirements section of the SOW lists "General Building license (Class B)" as a required offeror qualification. Under California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) classifications:
- Class B (General Building Contractor) is designated for structural construction requiring at least two unrelated building trades. It is not the applicable license for exterior building cleaning services.
- C-61 / D-38 (Sand and Water Blasting) is the CSLB specialty classification actually applicable to commercial pressure washing services in California, and only applies to contracts valued at $500 or more.
The Statement of Work describes exterior building cleaning (drone-based soft-wash, hard-surface pressure washing, interior/exterior glass cleaning) with no structural construction or modification component. Would you please clarify:
(a) Is the reference to "General Building license (Class B)" a drafting error, and did the VA intend to specify the C-61/D-38 Sand and Water Blasting specialty classification, or another CSLB classification?
The reference to General Building license (Class B) is an error. The VA intended to specify C-61/D-38 Sand and Water Blasting specialty classification.
(b) Does the VA consider this requirement satisfied through subcontracting arrangements with a CSLB-licensed teaming partner (consistent with the 50% prime performance requirement under VAAR 852.219-75), or must the prime contractor hold the license directly?
The prime contractor must hold the C‑61/D‑38 license directly if the contract includes pressure washing and exceeds $500. A subcontracting arrangement with a licensed firm does not satisfy this requirement—holding the license remains with the entity contracting directly with the VA.
Under California Business and Professions Code §§ 7026, 7028, and 7048, any person or entity that offers to contract for, bids on, or performs construction‑related services—including exterior cleaning and pressure washing—must hold the appropriate CSLB license when the total value of labor and materials meets or exceeds $500. The statutory definition of “contractor” (§ 7026) applies to entities performing work “by or through others,” meaning licensing responsibility cannot be delegated to a subcontractor. Contracting without the required license is a misdemeanor under § 7028, and the $500 threshold is established in § 7048.
(c) Will the VA accept an out-of-state incorporated small business meeting all federal certifications (Part 107 UAS, OSHA 30-hour, active SAM registration, Section 889 / ADSA compliance, dedicated $2M UAS aviation liability insurance) with a compliance plan to satisfy any California-specific licensing requirement within the pre-performance period?
All licensing requirements must be fulfilled before starting performance.
- The solicitation is identified as a total small-business set-aside but includes Veterans First requirements under VAAR 819.7004 and VAAR 852.219-75. We request that the procurement remain a total small-business set-aside and that the Veterans First provisions be removed. The applicable subcontracting requirements should instead be governed by FAR 52.219-14 and 13 CFR 125.6.
The procurement will remain a standard total small‑business set‑aside and the Veterans First provisions (VAAR 819.7004, VAAR 852.219‑75) will be removed, allowing the subcontracting requirements to be governed by the applicable government‑wide SBA rules (FAR 52.219‑14 and 13 CFR 125.6) rather than VA‑specific veteran‑preference regulations.
- The solicitation requires a California Class B General Building license. The scope is limited to exterior building and window cleaning using drones and conventional cleaning equipment and does not appear to involve construction, alteration, or multiple building trades. We therefore request removal of the Class B license requirement, or clarification of the specific work requiring that license.
The reference to General Building license (Class B) is an error. The VA intended to specify C-61/D-38 Sand and Water Blasting specialty classification.
- The SOW requires the offeror to possess a California General Building Contractor Class B license. Must the license be held in the prime contractor’s legal name, or may the requirement be satisfied by a licensed direct W-2 employee responsible for onsite performance?
The reference to General Building license (Class B) is an error. The VA intended to specify C-61/D-38 Sand and Water Blasting specialty classification.
- Would the VA accept an applicable California specialty license, such as a D-38 Sand and Water Blasting classification, in place of the Class B license for this window, façade, and pressure-cleaning requirement?
The reference to General Building license (Class B) is an error. The VA intended to specify C-61/D-38 Sand and Water Blasting specialty classification.
- Please confirm that the required annual service consists of one complete cleaning cycle during each contract year.
Yes, one complete cleaning cycle each contract year.
- Please confirm the complete list of buildings included in the requirement. The SOW identifies Buildings 2, 29, 30, 31, and 32, while earlier procurement information referenced additional building numbers.
Buildings 2, 20, 29, 30, 31, 32 and S45 parking garage
- Can the VA provide approximate exterior façade square footage, window counts, elevations, drawings, or other available measurements for each included building?
Additional information will be provided at a later date once available.
- Please provide the approximate quantity of interior and exterior glass below 20 feet that must be cleaned using traditional methods.
Approximately 400 EXTERIOR windows. Interior glass cleaning WILL NOT be included in this requirement.
- The SOW requires the drone to reach heights up to 175 feet. Please identify which building surfaces require cleaning at or near that elevation and provide the approximate maximum cleaning height for each building.
Buildings 2, 20, 29, 30, 31, 32 and S45 parking garage
- Will the VA provide access to onsite water and electrical utilities for the contractor’s heated-water, filtration, and pressure-washing equipment? If so, please identify the available connection types and approximate staging locations.
Contractors shall provide their own water source except in the courtyard. The courtyard has spigots available for use.
- Are there designated drone launch, equipment-staging, hose-routing, and vehicle-parking areas, or will these locations be established with the VA during performance planning?
Locations will be established with the VA during performance planning.
- Page 6 states that the VA is seeking a one-time fuel transfer between underground storage tanks. Please confirm that this sentence was included in error and is not part of the Building Drone Cleaning requirement.
This sentence was included as an error and is not part of the requirement.
Attachments/LinksContact InformationHistoryContracting Office Address- 335 E. German Rd SUITE 301
- Gilbert , AZ 85297
- USA
Primary Point of Contact- Stephanie Naron
- stephanie.naron@va.gov
- Phone Number 520-792-1450 14387
Secondary Point of Contact
- Aug 14, 2026 09:45 am PDTCombined Synopsis/Solicitation (Updated)
- Aug 06, 2026 03:46 pm PDT Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Updated)
- Aug 03, 2026 10:06 pm PDT Sources Sought (Original)
- Jul 31, 2026 03:01 pm PDT Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Original)
- Commodity Codes
-
- FSC SUtilities and Training Services
- NAICS 488190Other Support Activities for Air Transportation
- Related bids
-
Jul 13, 2026 [Sources Sought (Original)] S201--Building Drone Cleaning Service VA Loma Linda Health Care Systems Jul 31, 2026 [Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Original)] S201--Building Drone Cleaning Aug 6, 2026 [Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Updated)] S201--Building Drone Cleaning Aug 21, 2026 [Combined Synopsis/Solicitation (Updated)] S201--Building Drone Cleaning
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