Public Construction / Prevailing Wages
We have an extensive practice in all aspects of public contracting laws, including formal bidding procedures, bid protests, the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (UPCCAA), prevailing wages, design-build projects, claims resolution and appeals. We are experienced in completing projects ranging from small routine repair and maintenance agreements to public streets and highways, from constructing new city buildings to large water treatment and conveyance systems.
Expertise
- Pre-project planning and procurement strategies
- Cooperative purchasing
- Formal bid document preparation
- Prequalification policies and procedures
- Design-Build project development
- Construction contract development
- Green building and CEQA requirements
- Local hiring provisions
- Project labor agreements
- Risk allocation
- General and Special conditions revisions and updates
- Bid protest evaluation
- Claims review and resolution
- Warranties
- Defaults and bond recovery
- Stop orders, prevailing wages, and other labor disputes
- Dispute resolution including mediation, arbitration, litigation and appeals
Expertise in Action
Our attorneys in this practice area have extensive experience in public contracting and bidding, and have worked on numerous projects of importance in California. These projects range from routine public infrastructure improvements to large public facilities including City Halls, Libraries, Wastewater Treatment Plants and Advanced Treatment Water purification Facilities.
We work closely with staff and top consultants to assist with all aspects of the public contracting process including, but not limited to, environmental, CEQA and NEPA issues, project financing, developing RFQs, RFPs and formal bid documents, managing risk allocation and bonding, property acquisition and construction dispute resolution.
Example projects our firm has recently assisted with include:
The replacement of a city’s wastewater treatment plant with an advanced water purification facility that meets state regulations, protects the environment, and is capable of contributing a drought buffer. Project includes construction of a new one million gallon per day advanced treatment facility, two new lift stations, and approximately 3.5 miles of pipelines and wells to inject purified water into groundwater aquifer.
The development and construction of a solar array on public facilities for a client water district with a combined system capacity over 21 megawatts (21,000 kilowatts) which is expected to produce over 45 million kWh/yr to directly support the agency’s operations. Each facility will have an average of 30 percent of its energy usage provided through the solar facilities and the project is anticipated to save ratepayers more than $2 million annually over the life of the system.
A $250 Million for a Joint Powers Authority to construct an advanced water purification facility and related pipelines utilizing new Progressive Design Build procurement processes provided pursuant to Senate Bill 991.
Procurement and claims resolution on a $50 million dollar water desalter project including a reduction in over $10 Million in claims and change orders by contractor and recovery in offset of damages from contractor’s introduction of microbiologically induced corrosion into the plant system.
