The facility picture at San Diego International
The passenger side includes Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with connected concourses, ticketing and baggage areas, plus an associated ground transportation and parking program. The Authority has been engaged in a long-term airport development program, and parts of the terminal complex have been in various stages of renovation and replacement. Confirm the current status of each building, since what exists today may differ from what older drawings show.
Behind the terminals are administrative offices, airfield operations and maintenance buildings, rental car facilities, parking structures, and public safety and rescue buildings. Airline and cargo tenants occupy their own space. The practical effect is a mix of Authority-owned and tenant-controlled mechanical systems on one small site.
Mechanical needs on a tight coastal site
San Diego's mild climate means economizer operation is valuable for much of the year, and a failed economizer or outdoor-air sensor quietly costs a lot. The terminals' air systems often rely on outside air for free cooling, so verification of dampers, actuators and sensors is productive maintenance. See our notes on rooftop and air-side systems and building controls.
Where terminal space has been added over time, mixed generations of equipment can fight one another: different control platforms, different refrigerants and different sequences. Integration, not just replacement, becomes the hard part of a project.
Concessions and food service are heavy users of refrigeration, hot water and kitchen ventilation, and their equipment sits in some of the most expensive square footage on the site. Reliable ice machines and walk-in coolers matter, and so does documentation of ownership: whether the Authority or the concessionaire is responsible for a given failure.
How the Authority generally buys work
As an independent agency, the Authority has its own Board of Directors and its own procurement rules. Larger contracts are generally approved at the board level, and construction work above statutory thresholds is generally competitively bid. Some work is bought through qualification-based selection, and recurring maintenance can be handled through term agreements. The Authority has run small business and local outreach efforts, and solicitations may state participation goals. Solicitations are generally posted on an online procurement portal that the Authority designates; confirm current registration steps, portals and thresholds directly.
Because the Authority is not the City or the County, do not assume city or county forms, vendor lists or insurance wording carry over. Read each solicitation's instructions to bidders as a new document.
Airside and landside realities
San Diego International is surrounded by roads, bay and military property, so approaches for deliveries are limited and the landside curb is a precious resource. A crane lift or a large equipment delivery must be sequenced with airport operations and the road network. Height limits near the runway approach also affect crane choice and lift timing.
Airside work, including on terminal roofs adjacent to the ramp, requires coordination with airfield operations and approved routes. Whether a given rooftop is reachable from the ramp, from inside the building or only by crane should be established on the pre-bid walk.
Badging and escorts
Unescorted work in secured areas generally requires an airport badge with background checks and security training. As elsewhere, the lead time matters, and a late roster of names is the most common cause of mobilization delay. For work outside San Diego County, a visiting crew should plan the badging process well in advance of the planned start. Confirm current requirements and fees with the Authority.
- Submit the full roster including supervisors and drivers as early as the process allows.
- Separate the tasks that need airside access from those that do not, so unbadged workers can do landside prefabrication.
- Agree on delivery windows and staging with airport operations.
- Ask how escorts are provided and what they cost the schedule.
Phasing in a terminal that stays open
The terminal runs from early morning until late evening, with a small overnight window. Expansion and renovation programs mean work areas are sometimes adjacent to active construction by other contractors, so coordination with the Authority's construction team and other trades is part of the job. Typical practice is to shut down a single air handler or loop at a time, with temporary cooling for any space that cannot be without it.
Winter shoulder months are often the best windows for chilled-water and cooling work because loads are low, though holiday travel peaks create their own limits. Confirm blackout dates early.
Prevailing wage and project labor terms
For the Authority's projects, prevailing wage, DIR registration and certified payroll are generally required, and its construction contracts are expected to follow those rules. Some airport programs have used project labor agreements or workforce provisions; whether one applies is a matter for the solicitation. UA Local 250 crews carry the PLA and prevailing-wage side of airport work; the prevailing wage guide covers the general requirements. Confirm with the Authority.
How Davinci approaches San Diego airport work
We approach a project outside our home county by being explicit about logistics: crew travel, material staging, badging lead time and who coordinates with other contractors on site. Technically, we start with diagnosis, because on a site where several generations of equipment coexist, the cause of a comfort problem is often in the controls or the airflow rather than the unit that was last changed. Our second-opinion diagnostic is built for that kind of question.
Documentation is stored in the DaVinci Portal so that an Authority facilities team can see service history by asset. Related pages: airports, ports and transit, the San Diego County region, and the bid projects page.
What to have ready
- Current license and DIR registration, plus any Authority vendor registration.
- Insurance and bonding as specified, confirmed before the bid date.
- A badging roster and a plan for landside prefabrication.
- A logistics narrative covering deliveries, lifts and staging on a tight site.
- A coordination plan for other contractors working in the same terminal.
- Documentation templates for startup, readings and closeout.
Authority procurement rules, portals and security procedures are theirs to set and may change. Check the current solicitation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Authority part of the City of San Diego?
No. It is an independent regional agency with its own board and procurement rules.
Does Davinci have a San Diego office?
No. Work for the Authority is mobilized from Orange County rather than a San Diego office, and it is treated as bid-level work.
Why does site logistics matter so much at San Diego International?
The site is compact, with limited approach roads and height constraints. Deliveries and lifts have to be sequenced carefully.
Does the Authority use project labor agreements?
Some airport programs have. Whether one applies is stated in the solicitation, so confirm with the Authority.