FACILITY CONSTRUCTION
proposed project, the bid and selection process, and technical specifications that describe the labor and materials required to implement the project. It is recommended that the drawing package include an existing conditions survey along with a series of drawings that indicate the proposed scope of work. Construction details should also be included to guide the contractor in understanding how the proposed improvements should be installed. The more detail you can provide on the drawings, the better a number a bidder can provide.”
Educate yourself on the project itself.“ Understand if the project is publicly or privately funded,” Charwick added.“ If it is a publicly funded project, most states have specific laws and requirements for bidding.”
And being aware of those requirements is key.“ It is important to understand each state’ s bid laws prior to putting a project out to bid so that there is no potential for a bid protest,” he said.
Projects may be privately or publicly funded, and this will impact the bidding process.
“ If the project is publicly funded, the award typically goes to the lowest responsible bidder,” said Charwick.“ This does not always mean the lowest bidder. This means the lowest bidder who also is able to provide all of the necessary bid requirements, bonds, demonstrates the ability to fulfill the requirements of the contract to be executed with the client, and shows financial stability and a good track record. If this is a privately funded project, there are no laws or requirements that need to be followed; however, the design consultant may still use public bid requirements in a private bid and the client may award the bid to however they would like based on their own selection criteria.”
Geotechnical analysis allows for a more complete picture of soil conditions that exist at the site.
All photos courtesy of HNP Landscape Architecture sportsfieldmanagementonline. com September 2025 | SportsField Management
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