Academy/Procurement, Bids & Contracts
RFPs
The document that gets vendors to show their work, not just their price.
An RFP, or Request for Proposal, asks vendors to propose a complete approach to a job, not just a number. Use it when the "how" matters as much as the price: capital projects, professional services, anything where two vendors could do the same job in very different ways. The board evaluates technical approach, experience, and price together.
What an RFP is actually for
An RFP is not just a fancier way of asking "how much." Federal contracting guidance, which is where the term comes from, draws a clear line: an RFP is for a purchase where the buyer is still weighing different ways to solve the problem, not just different prices to solve the same one.
"An RFP is used when an agency is seeking a complete solution."
Source: Understand common federal contracting terms: RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, U.S. General Services Administration
For a board, that means an RFP fits a roof replacement where vendors might propose different materials and warranties, a management company search, or a landscaping overhaul where crews propose different maintenance schedules. It does not fit ordering the same mulch from three suppliers.
RFP or RFQ?
The two get used interchangeably by boards and they should not be. An RFQ (Request for Quotation) is for when the board already knows exactly what it wants and is only comparing price. An RFP is for when the board is still comparing approaches.
| Situation | Send this |
|---|---|
| Spec is fixed, only price varies | RFQ |
| Vendors could reasonably solve the problem different ways | RFP |
| Board is still learning what options even exist | RFI (Request for Information) |
Sending an RFQ for a job that actually needs an RFP gets the board three prices for three different, uncomparable jobs, which defeats the whole point of collecting bids.
What to put in the RFP
Every RFP needs a written scope of work so vendors are proposing against the same job, a list of what you want them to submit (approach, timeline, references, price), and the criteria you will judge them on. Skip the criteria and the board is comparing whatever each vendor happened to include, not what the board actually needs to know.
This documentation is not just paperwork. A board's vendor decision is protected from later second-guessing when the board can show it actually investigated before deciding, comparison, criteria, and reasoning on the record, not just a signed contract.
Whether an RFP is required at all, and above what dollar amount, is set by your governing documents or board policy, not by any general law. Check your CC&Rs and purchasing policy before assuming a threshold.
Check yourself
Answer before you read the explanation, recalling it is what makes it stick.
The board wants to replace the clubhouse roof and cares about materials, warranty terms, and price together. What should it send vendors?
The board already spec'd the exact irrigation parts it wants and just needs the lowest price from four landscapers. Which document fits best?
Four vendors submit RFP responses for a fitness center renovation, each proposing a different approach. What should the board evaluate them against?
Sources
- Understand common federal contracting terms: RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, U.S. General Services Administration
- Wex, "business judgment rule", Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute
- How to Compare HOA Vendor Bids and Choose the Best Value for Your Community, Kuester
Related elsewhere in the Academy
Procurement, Bids & Contracts
Ready to compare what comes back? See how bid leveling normalizes vendor responses before you weigh the numbers.
Whether your association must use an RFP process, and at what dollar amount, is set by your CC&Rs and board purchasing policy, not by any general statute.