Pre-qualification required for bidders on Bus Shelter Replacement Project in Laguna Niguel.

CITY OF LAGUNA NIGUELREQUEST FOR PRE-QUALIFICATIONOF BIDDERS COMMENCING WITH FORTHCOMINGPUBLIC WORKS PROJECT
BUS SHELTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT, CC 24-08
Notice is hereby given that the City of Laguna Niguel (“City”) has determined that all bidders on the Bus Shelter Replacement Project, CC 24-08, (“Project”) to be undertaken by the City must be pre-qualified prior to submitting a bid on the project. It is mandatory that all Contractors who intend to submit a bid, fully complete the pre-qualification questionnaire, provide all materials requested herein, and be approved by the City to be on the final qualified bidders list. No bid will be accepted from a Contractor that has failed to comply with these requirements.
The Bus Shelter Replacement Project involves the installation of new prefabricated shelters at up to 33 existing bus stop locations throughout the City of Laguna Niguel (Project). The Scope of Work includes, but is not limited to, traffic control, remove and replace concrete sidewalk panels, protection of utilities, sign relocations, and providing and installing designated premanufactured bus shelters including amenities (bench, trash receptacle, lighting, display case and custom-branding elements) all in accordance with the Plans, Specifications and Contract Documents. All work shall be completed within 90 working days from the date of the Notice to Proceed. Construction is anticipated to start in June 2026. The Construction Cost estimate is $1,800,000.
If two or more business entities submit a bid as part of a joint venture, or expect to submit a bid as part of a joint venture, each entity within the joint venture must be separately qualified to bid.
The last date to submit a fully completed questionnaire is 4:00 p.m. on March 26, 2026. Contractors are encouraged to submit pre-qualification applications as soon as possible, so that they may be notified of omissions of information to be remedied or of their pre-qualification status well in advance of the bid advertisement for this project.
Answers to questions contained in the attached questionnaire, information about current bonding capacity, notarized statement from surety, and the most recent reviewed or audited financial statements, with accompanying notes and supplemental information, are required. The City will use these documents as the basis of rating Contractors in respect to qualifying to be on final qualified bidder list for the project. The City reserves the right to check other sources available. The City’s decision will be based on objective evaluation criteria.
The City reserves the right to adjust, increase, limit, suspend or rescind the pre-qualification rating based on subsequently learned information. Contractors whose rating changes are sufficient to disqualify them will be notified and given an opportunity for a hearing consistent with the hearing procedures described below for appealing a pre-qualification rating.
While it is the intent of the pre-qualification questionnaire and documents required therewith to assist the City in determining bidder responsibility prior to bid and to aid the City in selecting the lowest responsible bidder, neither the fact of pre-qualification, nor any pre-qualification rating, will preclude the City from a post-bid consideration and determination of whether a bidder has the quality, fitness, capacity and experience to satisfactorily perform the proposed work, and has demonstrated the requisite trustworthiness.
The pre-qualification questionnaire and supporting documents must be submitted into the City’s PlanetBids portal for the project before the time and date specified in this RFP.
Each Contractor shall be a licensed contractor pursuant to sections 7000 et seq. of the Business and Professions Code in the following classification(s): Class A and a C-61 Limited Specialty License Classification for a D-34 Prefabricated Equipment Specialty designation (C-61/D-34) and/or any combination of Class C Licenses, including a C-61/D-34 Specialty License, as required to perform the work. Subcontractors may fulfill the C-61/D-34 license requirement. Documentation as being a "Tolar Manufacturing Certified Installer" may be submitted in lieu of the C-61/D-34 License requirement.
The pre-qualification applications (questionnaire answers and financial statements) submitted by Contractors are not public records and are not open to public inspection. All information provided will be kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. However, the contents may be disclosed to third parties for purpose of verification, or investigation of substantial allegations, or in the appeal hearing. State law requires that the names of contractors applying for pre-qualification status shall be public records subject to disclosure, and the first page of the questionnaire will be used for that purpose.
Each questionnaire must be signed under penalty of perjury in the manner designated at the end of the form, by an individual who has the legal authority to bind the Contractor on whose behalf that person is signing. If any information provided by a Contractor becomes inaccurate, the Contractor must immediately notify the City and provide updated accurate information in writing, under penalty of perjury.
The City reserves the right to waive minor irregularities and omissions in the information contained in the pre-qualification application submitted, to make all final determinations, and to determine at any time that the pre-qualification procedures will not be applied to future public works projects requiring pre-qualification.
A contractor may be found not pre-qualified for bidding until the contractor meets City’s requirements. In addition, a contractor may be found not pre-qualified for either:1)Omission of requested information; or2)Falsification of information
The City may refuse to grant pre-qualification where the requested information and materials are not provided, or not provided by the due time and date. There is no appeal from a refusal for an incomplete or late application, but re-application for a later project is permitted. The closing time for bids will not be changed in order to accommodate supplementation of incomplete submissions, or late submissions.
Contractors who submit a complete pre-qualification application will be notified of their qualification status no later than ten (10) business days after submission of the information.
Where a timely and completed application results in a rating below that is necessary to pre-qualify, an appeal can be made. An appeal is begun by the Contractor delivering a written notice of appeal to the City of its appeal of the decision with respect to its pre-qualification rating, no later than five (5) business days from the date of the City’s negative determination notice to the Contractor. Without a timely appeal, the Contractor waives any and all rights to challenge the decision of the City whether by administrative process, judicial process or any other legal process or proceeding.
If the Contractor gives the required notice of appeal and requests a hearing, the hearing shall be conducted so that it is concluded no later than five (5) business days after the City’s receipt of the notice of appeal, and no later than five (5) business days prior to the last date for the receipt of bids on the project. The hearing shall be an informal process conducted by a panel to whom the City Council has delegated responsibility to hear such appeals (the “Appeals Panel”). At or prior to the hearing, the Contractor will be advised of the basis for the City’s pre-qualification determination. The Contractor will be given the opportunity to present information and present reasons in opposition to the rating. Within one day after the conclusion of the hearing, the Appeals Panel will render its decision. It is the intention of the City that the date for the submission and opening of bids will not be delayed or postponed to allow for completion of an appeal process.
Any questions regarding this request for pre-qualifications shall be submitted into the City’s PlanetBids portal for the Project as a question five days before the fully completed questionnaire and documentation are due.
Note: Without regard to Essential Criteria Question No. 3, the Project will require the Contractor to provide a liability insurance policy with policy limits of $2,000,000 per occurrence and $4,000,000 aggregate.
Laguna Niguel NewsPublished: 2/26/26