Firm Foundations: Vetting Environmental Services Contractors

Whether you’re new to environmental services or are only just beginning to consider it as a career path, there’s a lot to learn in this industry and it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why we launched our blog series, Firm Foundations. Each post will provide you with the resources you need to develop a basic understanding of topics like…

• Drilling
• Sampling
• Site characterization
• Remediation
• Evaluating contractors
• Career development in environmental services
• Improving industry recruitment and retention

Today’s post is about how to vet environmental services contractors. We’ve collected our best educational content from our experts all over the country, and are sharing it here.

Vetting Contractors: The Lowest Price Isn’t Always the Best Value

When you’re an environmental consultant, you’re responsible for selecting contractors, stewarding the budget, managing project challenges, reporting progress, achieving site goals—and a million other tasks in between. Although it’s never easy, things go a lot smoother when you have contractors you can count on.

In this blog post, Bill Poupis explains how to determine if the contractors you’re considering offer the best value—not just the best price.

How to Choose a Sonic Drilling Contractor

There are more drilling companies than ever offering sonic technology, which means you may have several options to choose from. That’s great! But how do you select a contractor if they all offer the same thing?

Sonic drilling expert Jim McCombs shares questions you can ask to vet sonic drilling providers, and determine which company is best suited for your project needs.

3 Things You Need to Ask Every Contractor Before Hiring Them for Your Anode Installation

Anode installation can seem pretty straightforward, but if your contractors are inexperienced or poorly equipped things can quickly go sideways. In this blog post, drilling industry veteran Bill Poupis shares three questions you can use to evaluate the capabilities of your contractors.

How to Write Your RFQ to Get More Accurate Sonic Drilling Quotes

Writing a request for quote (RFQ) can be tedious, but issuing generic ones can result in an avalanche of vendor questions, proposal timelines based on misunderstood criteria, and a high risk of cost overruns. In this blog post, drilling expert Bill Armstrong explains how to write an RFQ for sonic drilling that generates accurate bids and proposals.

RFP 101: How to Build an Effective Request for Proposal

Developing a request for proposal (RFP) can have similarities to building an RFQ, but you’re looking for a different kind of response from contractors (and that makes a difference!). In this blog post, remediation expert Eliot Cooper explains how to write a detailed RFP that elicits creative, cost-effective and effective solution proposals.

4 Reasons to Hire Large Environmental Services Contractors

Working with local environmental services contractors can often provide a more personal touch than larger companies, but they’re also a higher risk when it comes to project delays and cost overruns. In this blog post, Project Manager Bronson Bartley shares four major reasons you should consider hiring a larger contractor.