HOA and Condo Association RFP Process: What to Prepare Before Requesting DoorBird Proposals

When an HOA or condo board starts evaluating video intercom and access control systems, the quality of the information gathered up front has a direct effect on how accurate and useful the proposals coming back will be. A vague request such as "we want video intercom for our building" tends to produce vague, hard-to-compare quotes. A well-documented request tends to produce proposals that actually reflect what the community needs. This guide walks through what a board or property manager should prepare before opening a request-for-proposal (RFP) process for a DoorBird system.

Why Multi-Unit Properties Need More Upfront Planning

A single-family DoorBird installation is usually one door, one panel, and a short list of residents. A condo or HOA property is a different animal entirely — there may be a main lobby, several building entrances, a parking gate, an amenity room, and dozens or hundreds of residents who each need some form of access. A workable proposal depends on giving installers enough detail to size the system correctly the first time, rather than discovering gaps after equipment has already been ordered.

1. Document the Unit Count and Building Layout

Start with the basics that shape almost every other decision in the proposal:

• Total number of units, and how they are distributed across buildings. A single high-rise is a very different project from a garden-style community with multiple structures.
• Number of controlled entry points — main lobby doors, individual building entries, side or service doors, parking gates or garage doors, mailroom access, and amenity spaces such as a pool, gym, or clubhouse.
• Entry pattern: do residents share one main entrance (which typically favors a single intercom station with a large resident directory), or does each building have its own entry (which typically favors multiple stations tied together on the same network)?
• Vehicle access points, if the property has gated parking or a garage that needs its own credential or remote-release method.

A simple sketch or existing site plan showing entry points, unit numbers, and approximate distances between buildings is one of the most useful things a board can hand to a prospective installer.

2. Inventory the Existing Infrastructure

DoorBird intercom stations and access control readers run on standard IP networking, most commonly over Power over Ethernet (PoE). Before requesting quotes, it helps to know:

• Is there existing network cabling (Ethernet/Cat5e or Cat6) running to or near the planned entry points, or will conduit and cable runs need to be added?
• Is there a network closet or IT room with a switch, and does it have available PoE ports, or will a PoE switch or injector need to be added?
• What door hardware is already in place at each entry — electric strikes, maglocks, or existing card/fob readers — since this affects how a new intercom or access control panel integrates with the door.
• Is there an existing intercom or buzzer system that needs to be replaced, and if so, does it use analog wiring (two-wire or four-wire) that a new IP-based system would need to work around or replace entirely?
• Internet service at the property, since remote features like mobile app notifications, video calls, and remote door release depend on a working internet connection at the panel location.

None of this needs to be an engineering-grade survey at the RFP stage — a general description is enough for an installer to scope a site visit. But even rough answers here will keep proposals from wildly diverging in scope and cost basis.

3. Define How Residents Should Be Managed

Multi-unit properties need a plan for how residents will appear in the system directory and how their access will be granted, changed, and revoked over time:

• Directory format: many DoorBird intercom stations support a searchable name directory so visitors can look up a resident by name rather than a unit number, which is worth considering for larger buildings.
• Who administers the system day to day — a property manager, an on-site staff member, or a management company handling multiple properties remotely.
• Turnover process: how quickly a departing resident's access needs to be removed and a new resident's added, since this affects whether the board wants self-service tools versus manager-only administration.
• Credential types residents will use for access control, if the project includes more than video intercom — fobs, key cards, PIN codes, or mobile credentials all have different provisioning and replacement workflows.

4. Identify the Stakeholders Who Need to Weigh In

DoorBird proposals for shared communities typically touch more than one decision-maker. Identifying them early avoids re-scoping a proposal after the fact:

• The board or association, which usually owns the budget decision and any changes to common-area infrastructure.
• Property management, which will likely operate the system day to day and should weigh in on administration and support needs.
• Building or maintenance staff, who may need to coordinate physical installation access and know how the new system interacts with existing door hardware.
• Legal or governing-document review, if the association's bylaws or covenants require board or membership approval for changes to common-area equipment or resident-facing systems.
• Residents themselves, particularly if the project changes how visitors and deliveries reach individual units — some boards choose to circulate a resident notice or survey before finalizing a decision.

5. Set a Realistic Decision Timeline

Because HOA and condo decisions often route through board meetings, budget cycles, and sometimes membership votes, it's worth mapping out a timeline before requesting quotes rather than after:

• When is the next board meeting where a vendor or proposal could realistically be discussed and approved?
• Does the purchase need to be included in an annual or reserve budget cycle, and if so, what is the deadline for that?
• Is there a target installation window, such as avoiding a peak moving season or a scheduled building project that might conflict with cabling or door work?
• How much lead time should be built in for a site visit, a formal proposal, and any follow-up questions before a vote or approval is needed?

Sharing this timeline with prospective installers up front helps them plan a site visit and prepare a proposal that lines up with the board's actual decision-making calendar.

Putting It Together: A Simple RFP Checklist

Before reaching out for proposals, a board or manager should be able to answer:

1. How many units and buildings are involved, and where are the entry points?
2. What network and door hardware already exists at each entry point?
3. Is there an existing intercom or access system being replaced, and how is it wired?
4. Who will administer resident directories and credentials going forward?
5. Which stakeholders need to review or approve the proposal?
6. What is the realistic timeline for decision and installation?

Having these answers ready doesn't just speed up the RFP process — it results in proposals that are actually comparable to one another, since every installer is quoting against the same site conditions and requirements instead of making their own assumptions.

Still Need Help?

If your board or management team would like guidance specific to your property, submit a support ticket and our team can help you work through the details before you request proposals.