FAR 52.247-4—Inspection of Shipping and Receiving Facilities.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.247-4, Inspection of Shipping and Receiving Facilities, is a solicitation provision used in transportation and transportation-related service acquisitions when the Government wants offerors to inspect the actual shipping, receiving, or other performance sites before submitting bids or proposals. The provision addresses when the clause is used, the purpose of site inspection, the scheduling of site visits, and the point of contact for additional information. Its main purpose is to help offerors understand local conditions that can affect performance costs, such as access limitations, loading dock configuration, traffic patterns, security procedures, equipment constraints, and other site-specific factors. In practice, it supports more realistic pricing and reduces later disputes over whether a contractor should have anticipated site conditions. It also helps the Government improve competition by giving all offerors the same opportunity to examine the work environment and ask questions before pricing. This provision does not itself require a site visit in every case, but it strongly encourages inspection when the contracting activity believes site conditions are relevant to cost and performance.
Key Rules
Used in specific solicitations
This provision is inserted in solicitations for transportation or transportation-related services when the Government wants offerors to inspect shipping, receiving, or other sites to prepare realistic bids. It is not a universal clause; its use depends on the contracting officer’s judgment under the prescription in FAR 47.207-1(c).
Offerors are urged to inspect
Offerors are encouraged, not strictly required, to visit the facilities and satisfy themselves about all general and local conditions that may affect contract performance costs. The burden is on the offeror to investigate the site and account for visible or reasonably discoverable conditions in its price.
Site visits may be scheduled
The solicitation must identify the scheduled site visit locations, dates, and times if the Government is arranging them. This gives all offerors a fair opportunity to inspect the facilities under comparable conditions.
Contact information must be provided
The provision includes a place to identify a Government contact name and telephone number for further information. This helps offerors coordinate visits, ask logistical questions, and obtain clarification about the inspection process.
Supports realistic pricing
The core function of the provision is to reduce pricing errors caused by unfamiliarity with site conditions. By encouraging inspection, the Government helps ensure bids reflect actual performance requirements rather than assumptions.
Does not shift all risk
The provision helps inform offerors, but it does not eliminate the Government’s responsibility to provide accurate solicitation information or excuse material misstatements. Likewise, an offeror that fails to inspect may still be responsible for pricing based on reasonably available information.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Decide whether the solicitation should include this provision under the applicable FAR prescription, arrange and document site visit details if used, and provide a contact point for questions. The contracting officer should ensure all offerors receive the same access to site information and that the solicitation clearly states the locations, dates, and times of any visits.
Offeror
Review the solicitation, decide whether to inspect the facilities, and account for all general and local conditions that could affect performance cost. If the offeror chooses not to inspect, it bears the risk of pricing without firsthand knowledge of the site conditions that were reasonably discoverable.
Agency/Activity Hosting the Site Visit
Provide access to the shipping, receiving, or other facilities as scheduled and support an orderly, fair inspection process. The activity should help ensure the visit is conducted consistently for all interested offerors and that logistical arrangements are clear.
Site Contact/Point of Contact
Respond to inquiries, coordinate visit logistics, and provide practical information needed for offerors to inspect the site. The contact should help facilitate access but should not give unequal or nonpublic information to one offeror that is not made available to others.
Practical Implications
Offerors should treat this provision as a warning that site conditions matter to price and performance, especially in transportation work where access, loading, security, and local traffic can drive costs.
A common pitfall is failing to inspect and later claiming the Government should have warned about obvious or discoverable conditions; this provision is designed to reduce that argument.
Contracting officers should make sure the solicitation actually lists the visit details and contact information if a site visit is intended, because vague or missing instructions can create confusion and protest risk.
If the Government wants all bidders to compete on the same information, it should manage site visits carefully and provide equal access to any clarifications or follow-up information.
Contractors should document what they observed during the visit and use that information in pricing, staffing, equipment planning, and schedule assumptions.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 47.207-1 (c) , insert the following provision in solicitations for transportation or for transportation-related services when it is desired for offerors to inspect the shipping, receiving, or other sites to ensure realistic bids: Inspection of Shipping and Receiving Facilities (Apr 1984) (a) Offerors are urged to inspect the shipping and receiving facilities where services are to be performed and to satisfy themselves regarding all general and local conditions that may affect the cost of contract performance. (b) Site visits have been scheduled as follows: __________________________________________________ ( Locations) __________________________________________________ ( Dates ) __________________________________________________ ( Times ) (c) For further information offerors may contact: __________________________________________________ ( Name ) __________________________________________________ ( Telephone ) (End of clause)