Bids for elementary school over estimate

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Bids were opened Thursday for the Van Wert City School District’s grades 1-5 elementary school construction project, but it was readily apparent that at least some portions of the project might have to be rebid.

Kevin Straub of Richard L. Bowen & Associates, the construction manager for the project, opened each of the bid envelopes, checking to see that each contractor had followed the bid requirements, including having  a performance bond. Also on hand were Van Wert City Schools Superintendent Ken Amstutz, architect Kraig Beilharz, VWCS Treasurer Mike Ruen and Randy Stemen, VWCS maintenance supervisor.

While most of the five bid packages came in under or fairly close to cost estimates, the largest bid package — the general trades package — was nearly a third higher than cost projections. Because of the disparity between bids and estimates, the overall project won’t meet Ohio School Facilities Commission requirements that the aggregate low bids for the project not exceed 10 percent of the estimated cost.

With the overall cost estimate of the project totaling $15,226,441, the highest bid aggregate that would be acceptable would be $16,749,085.10. Unfortunately, taking the lowest bidder in each of the five bid packages would give the project a total cost of $17,628,500, exceeding the allowable 10 percent ceiling for the project.

The good news is that three of the five bid packages are under estimates and would likely not need to be rebid. Those under bid include the fire suppression package, which was estimated to cost $387,017, but all four bids received were under that, including the apparent low bid of $242,000 submitted by Absolute Fire Protection.

Also under bid estimates were the plumbing and HVAC (Heating-Ventilation-Air Conditioning) packages. The cost estimate for the plumbing package was $1,544,882, while the apparent low bidder, Slagle Mechanical, bid $829,000 for the job. Apparent low bidder for the HVAC package, Vaughn Industries, submitted a bid of $1,734,000, while the cost estimate for that portion of the project is $2,085,252.

The electrical/technology cabling package bids exceeded the estimate of $1,874,457, with the apparent low bidder, Woolace Electric, coming in at $2,550,000.

However, it was the largest portion of the project, the general trades package, which was the furthest away from cost estimates. That project package was estimated at $9,334,833, but the apparent low bidder, Ferguson Construction, submitted a base bid of $12,273,500 — nearly $3 million over what that package was estimated to cost. In addition, general trades bidders also submitted bids for three alternates: concrete parking lot paving, terrazzo flooring in high-traffic areas of the school and wood flooring in the school’s gymnasium.

Bidders and their base bids on the project include the following:

General Trades (cost estimate: $9,334,833)

• Ferguson Construction, $12,273,500
• Reece-Campbell, $12,860,000
• Weigand Construction, $13,268,000
• Fetters Construction, $13,558,000
• W.H. Sheets & Sons, $13,750,000

Fire Suppression (cost estimate: $387,017)

• Absolute Fire Protection, $242,000
• Shambaugh & Sons, $245,875
• S.A. Comunale, $274,800

Plumbing (cost estimate: $1,544,882)

• Slagle Mechanical, $829,000 (also a combination bid for both plumbing and HVAC of $2,585,000).
• Ohio Plumbing & Electrical, $1,090,000.

HVAC (cost estimate: $2,085,252)

• Vaughn Industries, $1,734,000
• Slagle Mechanical, $1,763,000

Electrical/Technology Cabling (cost estimate: $1,874,457)

• Woolace Electric, $2,550,00
• Henry Electric, $2,818,700
• Sollman Electric, $2,881,000
• Koester Electric, $3,000,000
• Sidney Electric, $3,248,500

At this point, it doesn’t appear that bids for the total project can be awarded as planned at the April 13 meeting of the Van Wert City Board of Education, with at least some areas of the project likely needing to be rebid. However, a final decision will have to be made following a review of bids for the project.