An interesting, helpful discussion. Apparently the problem was my use of the word "formalize". Because I certainly wasn't intending to describe a process that locks us into the lowest price. Nor was I envisioning something that locks the bidders into any specific process. Our geology in Chatham County is too weird and unpredictable to think rigidity is a path to success.
Ewest, you say you informally contact the good builders and ask their thoughts. That's what an RFP does. A Request For Proposals is inherently not a "formal low bid process."
We believe we have everything we are told the contractor would need to propose this job: Approvals, dam design, soil survey, samples and test holes. We just need a little help packaging the documents to send them to the good pond builders we know our neighbors have used. We need some means of getting from the pond builders written proposals of how they think it should be done, and at approximately what price.
I admit, I'm a total newby here. And all industries are different. But...
Am I hearing that the pond/dam builder industry has a culture of doing everything verbally up until the contract phase? Or is it that I've just not yet asked the right person to share template documents? (Admittedly, I've not yet had time to consult with either Bob Lusk or Mike Otto.)
Curious.
