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General Preservation Construction and Specialty Preservation Construction

Application for Qualification (AFQ)

The Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (PHMC) is offering the opportunity for preservation and traditional trade contractors, craftspeople and artisans to become pre-qualified to bid on preservation construction projects on historic buildings at PHMC's historic sites and museums throughout Pennsylvania.

You are invited to submit an Application for Qualifications (AFQ) to become pre-qualified in one or more preservation specialty areas; and/or as a general contractor for preservation construction projects. See links to the eMarketplace web site below to download AFQ forms which includes instructions for submission.

The AFQ process will result in a series of bidder lists:

  1. General Preservation Construction (one list)
  2. Specialty Preservation Construction (bidders list for each of the following categories):
    • Preservation carpentry, including wood repair and restoration, replication of wood moldings, doors, railings, porches, cornices, trim, floors and other wood features
    • Restoration of wood windows
    • Surface preparation and painting of historic structures
    • Repair of historic plaster (flat and molded)
    • Preservation repair and pointing of historic masonry
    • Cleaning and conservation of historic masonry
    • Repair or replacement of historic roofing - wood shingles
    • Repair or replacement of historic roofing - slate and tile
    • Repair or replacement of historic roofing - metal


You may apply to qualify for more than one bidders list if you have qualifying experience in more than one specialty trade. This is an open enrollment process; therefore you can apply at any time.

Preservation construction projects will only be bid to the pre-qualified bidder lists that are appropriate for the project scope of work. Interested contractors who have not become pre-qualified at the time of the bid due date for a project will not be allowed to bid on that project.

If you are a general contractor submitting an AFQ and you work with sub-contractors for certain trades listed under the Specialty Preservation Construction categories above, be sure to notify your sub-contractors that they must apply under the appropriate categories to become qualified to work on these projects as your sub-contractor.

Note: Be sure to check for any Bulletins posted on the eMarketplace web site before submitting your AFQ.