Your elevator needs modernization. You send a few emails asking "how much for a mod?" and wait for quotes. Here's what happens next: three vendors respond with three completely different scopes, three different price formats, and three different definitions of what's included. Two vendors quote controls-only. One quotes full modernization. One bundles a 10-year service contract you didn't ask for. Another excludes testing and inspection. You can't compare any of them.
This is not a hypothetical. It's the standard experience.
A formal elevator modernization RFP solves this. When every vendor responds to the same scope, format, and evaluation criteria, you get apples-to-apples comparison. You control the process instead of reacting to whatever vendors decide to offer.
The template below has been used on actual modernization projects. Download it, customize it for your building, and send it to 3-5 vendors. The difference in response quality is immediate.
Why You Need a Formal RFP
Without an RFP: Vendors define the scope. They include what's profitable to include and exclude what's expensive. One vendor quotes $55,000 for controls-only. Another quotes $140,000 for full modernization. You think you're comparing prices but you're comparing different products.
With an RFP: You define the scope. Every vendor prices the same work. The $55,000 quote and the $140,000 quote both include door operators, fixtures, and testing. Now the $85,000 difference is real and requires explanation.
An RFP also demonstrates building sophistication. Vendors know sophisticated buyers get competitive bids. The first quote you receive may already be sharper than what they'd send to a cold inquiry. And if you show the competitive quote to the OEM? They often match, especially if the independent contractor has a solid reputation.
Not sure if you need modernization at all? Start with our 7 Signs Your Elevator Needs Modernization to assess your equipment condition.
What to Include in Your RFP
A complete elevator modernization RFP has seven sections. Skip any of these and you'll get proposals that require follow-up clarification.
Section 1: Building Information
This is basic intake. Address, number of floors, number of elevators, current equipment (manufacturer, model, approximate year installed), building type, and traffic patterns. Vendors need this to size the project and identify potential complications.
Include your contact information and preferred communication method. Some vendors will have clarifying questions. Make it easy for them to reach you quickly.
Section 2: Project Scope Requirements
This is where you control the bid. Define exactly what's included:
Scope selection: Are you requesting controls-only ($50,000-$70,000 range), full modernization ($120,000-$400,000 range), or a custom scope? If controls-only, specify whether you want door operator replacement included. If full mod, list every component category: controller, door operator, fixtures, cab interior, signals, pit equipment.
Mandatory inclusions: What must every proposal include? Controller replacement, door operators, testing and state acceptance, position indicators, hall buttons? Be specific. If it's not listed, vendors may exclude it.
Optional inclusions: What do you want priced separately? Cab interior refresh, hoistway lighting, ADA compliance upgrades, security intercom integration? Separate line items let you compare base scope and evaluate add-ons independently.
Exclusions: What is explicitly NOT part of this project? List it. This prevents vendors from inflating scope (and price) with work you don't need.
For modernization cost benchmarks, see our Elevator Modernization Cost Guide.
Section 3: Timeline Requirements
When do you need proposals? When do you plan to select a vendor? When should construction start? What's your deadline for completion?
Be realistic about timelines. Modernization typically runs 2-4 weeks per elevator for hydraulic systems, 4-8 weeks for traction. Permit review alone takes 4-8 weeks. If you need completion by a specific date, build that into your RFP and make it a scored criterion.
Specify acceptable working hours. Standard is 7 AM to 5 PM weekdays. After-hours or weekend work is available at premium rates. If your building can accommodate off-hours work, you may get better pricing on compressed schedules.
Section 4: Proposal Format Requirements
This is the secret weapon. Require a specific proposal format and vendors have to organize their responses the way you want to read them.
Required sections:
- Executive Summary (1 page max)
- Company Qualifications (licenses, references, certifications, local service presence)
- Proposed Scope of Work (detailed component list)
- Project Timeline (milestone schedule or Gantt chart)
- Pricing (base price plus itemized optional line items)
- Warranty Terms (years, parts vs labor, what's covered)
- Post-Installation Service Options (but don't bundle with the mod)
- Exclusions (what's NOT included)
Pricing format: Require a table format. Base modernization price, each optional item priced separately, total with all options. This eliminates the "total price quoted in a paragraph" approach that makes comparison difficult.
Warranty requirements: Set minimums. Controller: 2 years parts and labor. Door operator: 2 years. Other components: 1 year. Vendors can exceed these, but they can't go below.
Section 5: Vendor Qualifications
Set your minimum requirements:
- Licensed elevator contractor in your state
- Minimum years in business (5 is reasonable)
- Minimum completed modernizations in last 3 years (10 is reasonable for mid-size contractors)
- Insurance minimums ($1M general liability, $500K workers comp)
- Bonding capacity matching project size
References required: Ask for 3 references for similar projects. Similar building type, similar scope, completed within the last 3 years. Then actually call them.
For guidance on evaluating different vendors, see our Elevator Company Comparison Guide.
Section 6: Evaluation Criteria
Tell vendors how you'll decide. This focuses their proposals on what you actually care about.
Standard weighting:
- Technical Approach: 25%
- Pricing: 30%
- Timeline: 15%
- Qualifications and References: 20%
- Warranty and Service Terms: 10%
Adjust these weights for your priorities. If timing is critical, increase the timeline weight. If you're budget-constrained, increase pricing weight. If this is a complex high-rise, increase technical approach weight.
Critical question to include: "Is the proposed controller open-protocol or proprietary? What does this mean for post-warranty service options?"
The answer tells you whether you're locked into one vendor for the next 25 years or whether future service contracts will be competitive.
Section 7: Submission Instructions
How should vendors submit? Email, physical mail, online portal? What's the deadline? Who handles questions? Is there a site visit?
Site visit note: For larger projects, schedule a mandatory pre-bid site visit. Walk vendors through the machine room, pit, and cab. Answer questions once, to everyone, at the same time. This surfaces scope questions before proposals are written instead of after you receive them.
RFP Template Overview
The downloadable template includes all seven sections with fill-in-the-blank fields. It's designed to be customized for your specific building.
What you'll customize:
- Building information (address, floors, equipment details)
- Scope requirements (full mod vs controls-only, mandatory inclusions, optional items)
- Timeline requirements (your specific dates)
- Submission instructions (your contact info, deadlines)
What you'll leave as-is:
- Proposal format requirements (standardized for comparison)
- Evaluation criteria weightings (adjust if needed)
- Vendor qualification minimums (adjust minimums to your comfort level)
The template is in markdown format. Copy it into your preferred document editor, replace the bracketed placeholders with your building-specific information, and export to PDF for distribution.
Download the Elevator Modernization RFP Template
How to Evaluate Responses
You've sent the RFP. Proposals are arriving. Here's how to read them.
First Pass: Compliance Check
Did the vendor follow your format requirements? A vendor who can't follow a proposal format may struggle with project specifications. Non-compliant proposals go to the bottom of the stack.
Is everything included? Check for missing sections. A proposal without warranty terms or a timeline is incomplete.
Second Pass: Scope Comparison
Line up all proposals and compare scope items. Did everyone include door operators? Who included testing and state acceptance, and who excluded it? Who priced cab interior as base, and who priced it as optional?
Create a comparison matrix. Rows are scope items. Columns are vendors. Mark included, excluded, or optional for each cell.
Third Pass: Pricing Analysis
Compare apples to apples. Normalize all proposals to the same scope. If Vendor A includes cab interior in base price and Vendor B prices it separately, add Vendor B's optional cab price to their base for true comparison.
Look for outliers. If three vendors quote $130,000-$150,000 and one quotes $85,000, the low bidder may be missing scope. Or they may be buying the job with change orders later.
Red Flags to Watch
No pre-bid inspection: A vendor quoting modernization without seeing your pit, machine room, and hoistway is guessing. Change orders will follow.
Bundled service contract: Modernization and service should be negotiated separately. A bundled 10-year service agreement at inflated rates can cost more than the modernization itself.
Vague exclusions: "Testing not included" is a red flag. Testing and state acceptance are required. Who pays?
No open-protocol option: If the vendor only offers proprietary controllers, you're locked into their service rates for 25 years.
Warranty shorter than minimums: Controller warranty under 2 years is unusual. Ask why.
Common RFP Mistakes
Sending a one-line email: "How much for a mod?" is not an RFP. It's an invitation for vendors to define scope however they want.
Not requiring itemized pricing: Lump-sum pricing hides what's included. Require line items.
Skipping the site visit: Vendors need to see the equipment. A site visit surfaces questions and concerns before proposals are locked.
Over-specifying: Here's the counterintuitive trap. Consultants sometimes write RFPs so prescriptive that they limit vendor flexibility. A 40-page RFP requiring specific parts, minimum labor hours, and SLA guarantees can actually increase costs by restricting how vendors approach the work. Keep requirements focused on outcomes, not methods.
Accepting the first proposal: Even if you prefer one vendor, get competitive bids. Use them to validate pricing or negotiate.
Bundling service with modernization: Negotiate the service contract after modernization is complete. The vendor who does the mod often offers post-warranty service, but negotiate it separately to get competitive rates.
Next Steps
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Download the template: Elevator Modernization RFP Template
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Customize for your building: Fill in your building information, define scope, set timeline requirements.
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Identify 3-5 vendors: Include at least one OEM and at least one independent. Get competitive pressure working for you.
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Send with deadline: Give vendors 2-3 weeks to respond. Shorter timelines may exclude qualified bidders.
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Evaluate responses: Use the scoring matrix from Section 6. Compare apples to apples.
Once you receive proposals, we can help you compare them. Request a free contract review and we'll analyze the bids you've received.
Related Resources
Modernization guides:
- 7 Signs Your Elevator Needs Modernization - Not sure if you need to modernize?
- Elevator Modernization Cost - Pricing benchmarks by scope
- When to Modernize vs Replace - The full decision framework
Vendor evaluation:
- Elevator Company Comparison - OEM vs independent analysis
- How to Compare Elevator Service Bids - Proposal comparison tactics
Tools:
- Contract Scanner - Check what your current contract covers
- Contract Review Service - Get expert analysis of your proposals
Get a realistic cost range based on your elevator type, building, and location.