Procurement Procedures and Documents Flashcards
Purpose of prequalification of bidders
To select only those contractors who meet certain standards of reliabilty, experience, financial stability, and performance
Prequalification of contractors is based on
Information submitted by contractors concerning their financial qualifications, personnel, experience, references, size bonding capability, and any special qualities that make them particularly suited for the project under construction.
The two primary ways to notify prospective bidders are
- Advertising in newspapers or trade journals
- Invitation to bid
With an advertisement for bids, the following information is published in one or more newspapers
A call for bids is being made
- Project name and location
- Name and address of the owner and archtiect
- Brief description of the project, including building type, size, principal construction materials and systems, and other pertinent info
- Date, time, and location bids are due
- How and where bidding documents can be obtained, and deposit if required
- Location where bid documents may be viewed
- Type and amount of bid bonds required
- Procedure for submitting bids
- Whether or not bids will be open publicly
- Other information, such as the owner’s right to waive irregularities of the bidding process or to accept bids other than the lowest
Addendum
- A written or graphic document issued by the architect prior to the execution of the contract that modifies or interprets the bidding documents by addition, deletion, clarification, or correction
- When an addendum is issued, it is sent to all registered bidders not later than four or five days before receipt of bids to give all bidders ample opportunity to study the document and modify their proposals accordingly
Pre-bid conference
- Meeting with the archtiect, owner, and bidders during which bidders can ask questions and the architect and owner can emphasize particularly important conditions of the project
- Copy of notes of conference should be sent to all bidders, whether or not they were in attendance
After bids have been opened, a decision of award is typically made after:
10 days
If all the bids exceed the project budget and the Owner-Architect Agreement fixes a limit on construction, the owner has one of four options:
1) Rebid (or renegotiate if a negotiated contract)
2) Authorize an increase in the construction cost and proceed with the project
3) Work with the architect in revising the scope of the project to reduce construction cost
4) Abandon the project
Bidding documents usually include the following:
- Advertisement to bid
- Instructions to bidders
- Supplementary instructions to bidders (if any)
- Bid forms
- Bid security information
- Performance bond, if required
- Labor and material payment bond, if required
AIA document often used as instruction to bidders
AIA Document A701
Bidder’s representations
- Included in instructions to bid
- Bidder represents that he/she has read and understood all documents
Instructions to bid usually contain:
- Bidder’s representations
- Bidding documents
After the award of the bid, the contractor must submit what to the archtiect
- A contractor’s qualification statement, AIA documents A305, unless it has already been submitted as part of the bidding process
- Designation of the work to be performed with the contractor’s own forces
- Names of the manufacturer’s, the products, and the supplier of the principal items proposed for the project
- Names of the persons or companies proposed to perform major portions of the work
Bid security
- Required to ensure that the successful bidder will enter into a contract with the owner
- Form of the bid security may be a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond
If the successful bidder does not enter into an agreement:
The bid security may be retained to compensate for the difference between the low bid and the next lowest bidder
Performance bond
- Statement by a surety company that obligates the surety company to complete construction on the project should the contractor default on his or her obligations
- If contractor defaults, the surety company may hire another contractor or supply additional money to defaulting contractor to allow construction to proceed
- Cost of performance bond is paid by owner and is usually included in amount of the construction price
Because a performance bond only ensures completion of the project, but does not guarantee payment for labor and materials, what must an owner obtain in addition to a performance bond?
Labor and material bonds
Advantages of alternates in bids:
- Allow flexibility in modifying the cost of the project when the bids are in by varying the quantity or quality of the project
- Allows owner to select certain options based on firm prices rather than on preliminary estimates
- Add-alternates add to base bid
- Deduct alternates reduce base bid
Unit prices:
- Sets costs for certain portions of work based on individual quantities
- When required, they are listed on the bid form and provide a basis for determining changes to the contract
- Example: a square foot costs for asphalt paving may be requested if the full extent of paving is unknown when bids are received
Which of the following methods of bidding is required on most projects for which government funds are to be used?
Public
In developing a list of bidders for a private project, the architect’s role is to:
Recommened qualified contractors