Compare the same project before comparing the price
Two wildfire-treatment totals are not comparable until they describe the same work. One proposal may cover several mapped vegetation areas while another covers one loosely described area. One may include mobilization and completion records while another leaves them unstated. The lower number may represent less work, different assumptions or a genuinely better value—you cannot know from the total alone.
Begin by putting each proposal against one property brief and one list of decision points. Mark every line as stated, excluded or unresolved. Resolve material gaps in writing before approval rather than treating silence as inclusion.
Give every provider the same property brief
Use the same starting information so differences come from the proposed service, not from what each provider happened to receive. You do not need to design the treatment yourself, but you should identify the priorities and current conditions each provider was asked to consider. Use the WTG assessment-preparation guide.
- Property address, property type and authorized decision-maker
- Priority buildings, operating areas or common spaces
- Current photographs and a simple map when available
- Existing mitigation reports or community plans relevant to the request
- Known ownership boundaries, shared land and access constraints
- Planned mowing, pruning, removal, construction or landscaping
- Water features, irrigation, animals, gardens and other site uses
Put the treatment footprint beside the total
A useful proposal identifies recognizable treatment units on a map or with descriptions an owner can find in the field. Total parcel acreage, home floor area and a generic radius do not establish the application footprint. Ask how the provider measured or estimated the included area and whether the price will be reconciled if the final footprint changes.
Compare included material and exclusions—not only square feet. A number can look precise while hiding different vegetation, terrain, equipment access or boundaries. Learn how treatment areas are estimated.
- Named or mapped treatment units
- Vegetation or ground fuels being considered
- Estimated included area and measurement method
- Excluded structures, finished surfaces and unsuitable material
- Water, animal-use, garden, neighboring or unauthorized areas
- Optional phases and unresolved areas shown separately
Match product evidence to the exact proposed use
Ask each provider to name the product, formulation and intended application—not only a brand or broad category such as retardant, foam or gel. Request the current document supporting any qualification claim and read the listed conditions. The U.S. Forest Service explains that products are added to a Qualified Products List after evaluation; a listing remains product- and condition-specific.
The September 15, 2025 Forest Service list includes Komodo K500CC for specified pretreatment and ground-application conditions. Its product information identifies premixed ready-to-use material and listed ground apparatus conditions. Those records do not qualify another formulation, certify an applicator, approve every surface or guarantee a property outcome. See what Komodo’s qualification does—and does not—mean.
- Exact product and formulation
- Intended use and material to be treated
- Applicable instructions and Safety Data Sheet
- Current qualification source and listed conditions
- Mixing, dilution or equipment assumptions, if any
- Evidence behind duration, coverage or performance statements
Separate preparation from the application scope
Mowing, pruning, removal, debris cleanup, structure work and landscape replacement can change what remains available for treatment. A proposal should state which preparation must occur, who performs it and whether its cost is included. Do not assume a vegetation-application price includes tree work, construction, defensible-space compliance or routine landscaping.
Colorado State Forest Service advises owners to start with the structure and work outward, addressing structural ignitability and surrounding defensible space with ongoing maintenance. WTG’s Komodo application is a supplemental vegetation measure. If priority removal or building work is still planned, identify the sequence before approving the final footprint. Compare pretreatment, defensible space and home hardening.
Compare access, operations and site coordination
The proposal should reflect how the property actually operates. Ask what equipment must reach the work, where staging occurs, who provides access and what conditions could prevent an area from being treated. For homes, confirm occupant, pet, irrigation and vehicle coordination. For ranches, communities and commercial sites, include the responsible property or operations contact.
Travel, mobilization, return visits and regional route assumptions should be visible before comparing totals. WTG reviews location, scope, access and travel before confirming a project; an inquiry is not a booking.
- Equipment approach, staging and terrain constraints
- Gates, private roads, parking and authorized access contact
- Irrigation, water features, animals and normal site use
- Operating hours, resident notices or contractor coordination
- Travel or mobilization included, excluded or conditional
- Conditions that require a revised scope or another visit
Read the price with its assumptions
Ask for one written total tied to the stated scope, then identify what can change it. A square-foot rate is not meaningful unless the included area, product use, preparation, access and mobilization are also defined. A lump sum is not complete if material responsibilities remain unstated.
Optional phases should have their own scope and price. If the provider expects to confirm quantities or boundaries later, the proposal should explain how the final adjustment will be calculated and who must approve it. Do not rely on verbal promises that conflict with the written offer. Review the factors that shape a treatment quote.
- Base scope and total price
- Mobilization, travel and taxes when applicable
- Preparation or other work included in the total
- Optional phases priced separately
- Allowances, estimated quantities or minimums
- Conditions that can change the total
- Written authorization process for additions or reductions
- Deposit, payment milestones and cancellation terms stated by the provider
Require a clear field-change process
Site conditions can differ from photographs or preliminary maps. The proposal should identify who can approve changes and how an exclusion, added area or substituted unit will be recorded. A crew should not silently expand onto neighboring land or treat a different surface because the original area is unavailable.
Use a simple rule: no material scope change without an authorized decision and an updated written record. For an HOA or shared project, identify the board, manager or property representative with that authority and keep private-lot approvals separate.
Compare scheduling promises carefully
A proposed date should be connected to preparation, access, suitable field conditions and current product instructions. Ask whether the offer provides a target window or a guaranteed date, what conditions may postpone work and how rescheduling is handled. WTG does not offer emergency response or promise application after an incident is underway.
A provider should not turn urgency into a claim that treatment makes it safe to remain during a wildfire. Follow public alerts, closures and evacuation instructions. See how to plan a treatment window.
Define the completion record before work begins
The proposal should state what the owner receives after application. A useful record connects the approved scope to the work actually performed and preserves material changes. It supports future property management without implying that excluded areas were treated or that the property was certified as safe.
- Property and project identifier
- Application date and product identification
- Completed treatment units or marked map
- Material exclusions and approved field changes
- Provider contact and relevant product information
- Project-specific care or follow-up instructions
- Recipient responsible for retaining the record
Keep inspection and reapplication separate from the initial price
Ask whether later inspection, a return visit or reapplication is included, optional or outside the proposal. Do not convert a one-time price into an assumed annual service commitment or a promised protection period. The Forest Service pretreatment listing states that durability and weathering were not evaluated for that category.
Later decisions should consider current product information and actual changes to weather exposure, irrigation, vegetation, mowing, construction and physical disturbance. The provider should explain the decision process, not substitute a universal calendar. Read the maintenance and weather guide.
Screen out claims the proposal cannot prove
A proposal should not promise that a property will survive, claim the treatment “fireproofs” vegetation or buildings, guarantee an evacuation route, promise an insurance result or use broad environmental-safety language without tying it to the exact product, use and source. Forest Service product qualification does not certify a contractor or individual property.
Ask the provider to separate agency evidence, manufacturer statements, contractor experience and property-specific observations. If a material claim has no identified source or condition, mark it unresolved rather than letting persuasive language substitute for scope.
Use a final pass, resolve or decline review
Before approving a proposal, give each decision point one status: pass when the written answer is clear, resolve when the answer is incomplete, or decline when the scope, evidence or terms do not fit. The goal is not to reward the longest proposal; it is to understand the service you are buying and the responsibilities that remain.
Keep the property brief, selected proposal, approved map and later changes together. Request a WTG treatment-suitability review and quote. WTG will define the proposed Komodo vegetation-treatment scope, exclusions, operating assumptions and price before a project is confirmed.
Questions about this service
Should I choose the lowest wildfire-treatment price?
Not until the proposals describe the same treatment units, product use, preparation, access, mobilization, documentation and follow-up. A lower total may cover less work or may be a better value; the written scope shows which.
Do matching square-foot totals make two proposals equivalent?
No. Providers may include different vegetation, terrain, preparation, exclusions, product conditions and operating responsibilities. Compare the map and assumptions behind the number.
What product information should a proposal identify?
Ask for the exact product and formulation, intended use, current instructions, Safety Data Sheet and the source and conditions behind any qualification, coverage, duration or performance claim.
Does a Forest Service Qualified Products List entry certify the contractor?
No. The listing applies to the named product and stated conditions. It does not certify a contractor, approve every application or guarantee a property outcome.
Should inspection or reapplication be included?
The proposal should say whether later review, inspection or reapplication is included, optional or separately quoted. Do not assume a universal service interval or fixed protection duration.
Can a proposal promise an insurance benefit?
WTG does not promise eligibility, coverage, rate changes or another insurance result. Ask the insurer directly what documentation it considers and how it makes underwriting decisions.
What should I resolve before signing?
Resolve treatment boundaries, exact product use, exclusions, preparation, access, price-change rules, scheduling assumptions, completion records, follow-up and the person authorized to approve changes.