ROW Readiness Checklist

Phase 1

After award, before you mobilize

Many customers start from a written scope, often built from an RFQ template like the one buyers find on Tools & Templates. Read it again now that it's your job.

• Signed contract, scope of work and any addenda are on file, and you've read the deliverables section twice.
• Maps received in a format you can fly from (KML, shapefile or similar), and they match the written scope.
• Segment, circuit, route or line IDs are listed so your records can use the customer's names for each section.
• It's clear in writing who supplies product, who stores it and who handles empty containers.
• Contact list: project manager, field contact, safety contact and after-hours number.
• Notifications the customer requires (to landowners, local offices, agencies) are identified, with who sends them and when.
• Permits and authorizations the customer or the agency requires are in hand or assigned to someone with a date.
• Certificates of insurance are issued, naming the parties the contract says to name.
• Start date, completion window and any blackout periods are confirmed in writing.

Phase 2

Mobilization and access

• Gate keys, lock combinations or escort arrangements are set for every access point you'll use.
• You know whether you or the customer contacts landowners, and what you're allowed to say.
• Staging, mixing and refill locations are approved by the customer.
• Traffic control needs are identified, and it's settled who provides signs, flaggers or plans.
• Vehicles are marked the way the customer requires (company name, contractor ID or placards).
• PPE on board matches the product labels and the customer's site rules.
• Spill kit, batteries, spare parts and charging plan are packed for the length of the job.

Phase 3

Site safety coordination

• Crew has completed any safety orientation the customer requires.
• Clearances from energized lines follow the utility's own rules, and the crew knows them.
• On pipeline corridors, the crew follows the pipeline operator's requirements for markers, one-call and ground disturbance.
• Airspace is checked for each work area, and any needed FAA authorizations are in place.
• Emergency contacts and nearest medical facility are written down for each work area.
• Everyone on the crew knows they can stop work, and who to call when they do.

Phase 4

Corridor constraints

Buffers and restrictions come from the product label, your permits and the customer's program. Follow the product label and your state lead agency.

• Sensitive areas are marked on your flight maps: wetlands, wells, homes, schools, crops and organic fields.
• Water crossings and the rules for treating near water are identified from the label and any permits.
• Buffers are set from the label and permits, not from habit.
• Pollinator, habitat or wildlife program areas the customer specifies (such as land enrolled in a CCAA) are mapped with their treatment rules.
• Drift-sensitive neighbors are noted, along with what the customer wants done near them.
• No-spray zones are loaded into the flight plan, not just written on paper.
• Weather limits come from the label and the customer, and the crew knows when to stand down.

Phase 5

Daily execution

• Pre-flight checks are done and logged for each aircraft each day.
• Each day's treated area is recorded by segment, using the customer's IDs.
• Exceptions log is kept: areas skipped, why, and what's needed to finish them.
• Photos are taken where the customer wants them (before, after, problem spots).
• The customer gets updates on the schedule they asked for, even on days with nothing new.
• Weather and conditions are recorded the way your state and the customer require.

Phase 6

Documentation and closeout

• Application records are complete in the form your state requires. Check with your state lead agency.
• Treated-area maps are delivered in the format the contract asks for.
• Exceptions summary lists every untreated area, the reason and a recommendation.
• Product use is reconciled: what was received, what was applied and what's left.
• Invoice matches the contract's pricing structure, units and segment names.
• Keys, gate codes and any customer equipment are returned.

Phase 7

Follow-up

• Efficacy check is scheduled at the timing the customer wants.
• Retreatment terms are clear: what triggers it, who pays and how fast you respond.
• Lessons learned are written down while the job is fresh, for the next bid.
• You've asked whether the customer will serve as a reference.
• Records, maps and photos are archived where you can find them for next season.

How customers judge you

Professionalism on the corridor

Corridor owners remember how a contractor behaved as much as how the vegetation looked afterward.