The Town of North Hempstead opens bids October 14 at 11 a.m. on TNH245-2026, its boiler maintenance, servicing and replacement contract. It's sealed envelopes only, mailed or hand-delivered to the Purchasing Division at Town Hall, 220 Plandome Road in Manhasset. Fax and email bids will not be accepted.

The term is two years from December 6, 2026, with two one-year renewals. It covers the town's boilers plus gas-fired pool heaters, Modine heaters and gas, electric and oil-fired water heaters, at a list of named town facilities plus “Additional Miscellaneous Facilities throughout the Town.” The list runs from Town Hall III in Manhasset to the DPW building in New Hyde Park, Harbor Links Golf Course, the Animal Shelter and the Town Dock in Port Washington. One flag: the Yes We Can Community Center in Westbury is a LEED building with a geothermal system, and the bid form makes you circle yes or no on whether you can maintain it.

Here's how you price it. You bid hourly rates for steamfitter, sheet metal, electrician and plumber against the town's estimated hours, 100 for the steamfitter, 25 for sheet metal and 20 for the electrician, plus a flat fee per project estimate. Parts and boilers go at 15% above certified cost, subs at 10% above certified invoice. It's a requirements contract with no minimum purchases, and the town says its hour estimates are not guaranteed minimums. It can also name a primary and a secondary vendor.

Now the strings. You get four hours to put a crew on an emergency and one week to start non-emergency work, and you have to be ready to work between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. when the town asks. “No travel time will be paid.” It's Article 8 prevailing wage with certified payrolls on your invoices, electricians and plumbers have to be licensed to do business in the town, and the town encourages DBE and M/WBE participation. Under state municipal law, other governments in New York can use whatever contract comes out of this bid, too.

The 2023 round shows how wide this can get. The town's posted recap for TNH245-2023 shows a total of $32,775.00 from Maccarone Plumbing Inc. and $16,710.00 from Energy Mechanical Inc. The town board authorized that award on December 5, 2023.

So who's this for? A local heating shop with a service van, a steamfitter on payroll and a phone that gets answered at night. Get your rate sheet in by 11 a.m. on October 14.

On the record: Boiler Maintenance, Servicing and Replacement, Town of North Hempstead, issued by North Hempstead, Town of. Solicitation TNH245-2026. Bids are due October 14, 2026 (Bids due 11 a.m.). The listing on Town of North Hempstead bids: https://www.northhempsteadny.gov/departments/purchasing/bids___rfps/index.php. Full record on The RFI Wire's board: https://therfiwire.com/rfi/RFI-003068.html.