§ 67-2805 — PROCUREMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION

(1) When a political subdivision contemplates an expenditure to procure public works construction valued at or in excess of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) but not to exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), the procurement procedures of this subsection shall apply:
(a) The solicitation for bids for the public works construction to be performed shall be supplied to no fewer than three (3) owner-designated licensed public works contractors by written means, either by electronic or physical delivery. The solicitation shall describe the construction work to be completed in sufficient detail to allow an experienced public works contractor to understand the construction project the political subdivision seeks to build.
(b) The solicitation for bids shall describe the electronic or physical delivery method or methods authorized to submit a bid, the date and time by which a bid proposal must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision, and shall provide a reasonable time to respond to the solicitation, provided that except in the event of an emergency, such time shall not be less than three (3) business days.
(c) Written objections to specifications or bid procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least one (1) business day before the date and time upon which bids are scheduled to be received.
(d) When written bids have been received, by either physical or electronic delivery, they shall be submitted to the governing board or a designee of the governing board who shall present the lowest responsive bid to the governing board for approval or, if authorized, approve the bid. The governing board or the board’s designee shall approve the responsive bid proposing the lowest procurement price or reject all bids and publish notice for bids, as before.
(e) If the political subdivision finds that it is impractical or impossible to obtain three (3) bids for the proposed public works procurement, the political subdivision may acquire the work in any manner the political subdivision deems best from a qualified public works contractor quoting the lowest price. When fewer than three (3) bids are considered, a description of the efforts undertaken to procure at least three (3) bids shall be documented by the political subdivision and such documentation shall be maintained for at least six (6) months after the procurement decision is made. If two (2) or more price quotations offered by different licensed public works contractors are the same and the lowest responsive bids, the governing board or governing-board authorized official may accept the one (1) it chooses.
(2) When a political subdivision contemplates an expenditure to purchase public works construction valued in excess of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000), the procurement procedures of this subsection shall apply. The purchase of construction services shall be made pursuant to a competitive sealed bid process with the purchase to be made from the qualified public works contractor submitting the lowest bid price complying with bidding procedures and meeting the prequalifications, if any are provided, established by the bid documents. Competitive bidding for public works may proceed through either of two (2) alternative procedures as set forth below:
(a) Category A. Competitive bidding procedures shall be open to receipt of bids from any licensed public works contractor desiring to bid upon a public works project. For a category A bid, the political subdivision may only consider the amount bid, bidder compliance with administrative requirements of the bidding process, and whether the bidder holds the requisite license, and shall award the bid to the qualified bidder submitting the lowest responsive bid.
(i) The request for bids for a category A procurement shall set a date and place for the public opening of bids. Two (2) notices soliciting bids shall be published in the official newspaper of the political subdivision. The first notice shall be published at least two (2) weeks before the date for opening bids, with the second notice to be published in the succeeding week at least seven (7) days before the date that bids are scheduled to be opened. The notice shall succinctly describe the project to be constructed. Copies of specifications, bid forms, bidder’s instructions, contract documents, and general and special instructions shall be made available upon request and payment of a reasonable plan copy fee by any interested bidder.
(ii) Written objections to specifications or bidding procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least three (3) business days before the date and time upon which bids are scheduled to be opened. The administrative officer or governing board supervising the bidding process shall respond to any such objection in writing and communicate such response to the objector and all other plan holders, adjusting bidding timeframes if necessary.
(iii) All bids shall be presented or otherwise delivered under sealed cover to the clerk of the political subdivision or other authorized agent of the political subdivision designated by the information provided to bidders by the political subdivision with a concise statement marked on the outside generally identifying the project to which the bid pertains.
(iv) If the political subdivision deems it is in the political subdivision’s best interest, it may require the bidder to provide bid security in an amount equal to at least five percent (5%) of the amount bid. If required, a bid shall not be considered unless one (1) of the forms of bidder’s security is enclosed with it, and unless the bid is submitted in a form which substantially complies with the form provided by the political subdivision. The political subdivision may require that the bid security be in one (1) of the following forms:
(A) Cash;
(B) A cashier’s check made payable to the political subdivision;
(C) A certified check made payable to the political subdivision; or
(D) A bidder’s bond executed by a qualified surety company, made payable to the political subdivision.
(v) Any bid received by the political subdivision may not be withdrawn after the date and time set in the notice for opening of bids. When sealed bids have been received, they shall be opened in public at a designated place and time, thereafter to be compiled and submitted to the governing board for award or, if a designee is authorized, for approval of the award.
(vi) If the successful bidder fails to execute the contract, the amount of his bidder’s security may be forfeited to the political subdivision at the sole discretion of the political subdivision and the proceeds shall be deposited in a designated fund out of which the expenses of procuring substitute performance are paid.
(vii) The political subdivision may, on the refusal or failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract, award the contract to the qualified bidder submitting the next lowest responsive bid. If the governing board awards the contract to the next lowest qualified bidder, the amount of the lowest qualified bidder’s security may be applied by the political subdivision to the difference between the lowest responsive bid and the next lowest responsive bid, and the surplus, if any, shall be returned to the lowest bidder if cash or check is used, or to the surety on the bidder’s bond if a bond is used, less reasonable administrative costs not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the bidder’s security to the owner.
(viii) In its discretion, the governing board may reject all bids presented and re-bid, or the governing board may, after finding it to be a fact, pass a resolution declaring that the project sought to be accomplished by the expenditure can be performed more economically by purchasing goods and services on the open market. If identical bids are received, the governing board may choose the bidder it prefers. If no bids are received, the governing board may procure the goods or services without further competitive bidding procedures.
(ix) If the governing board of any political subdivision chooses to award a competitively bid contract involving the procurement of public works construction to a bidder other than the apparent low bidder, the political subdivision shall declare its reason or reasons on the record and shall communicate such reason or reasons in writing to all persons who have submitted a competing bid.
(x) If any participating bidder objects to such award, such bidder shall respond in writing to the notice from the political subdivision within seven (7) calendar days of the date of transmittal of the notice, setting forth in such response the express reason or reasons that the award decision of the governing board is in error. Thereafter, staying performance of any procurement until after addressing the contentions raised by the objecting bidder, the governing board shall review its decision and determine whether to affirm its prior award, modify the award, or choose to re-bid, setting forth its reason or reasons therefor. After completion of the review process, the political subdivision may proceed as it deems to be in the public interest.
(b) Category B. Competitive bidding procedures shall be open to licensed public works contractors only after meeting preliminary supplemental qualifications established by the political subdivision. The solicitation for bids in a category B procurement shall consist of two (2) stages, an initial stage determining supplemental prequalifications for licensed contractors, either prime or specialty contractors, followed by a stage during which bid prices will be accepted only from prequalified contractors.
(i) Notice of the prequalification stage of the category B competitive bidding process shall be given in the same manner that notice of competitive bidding is provided for a category A competitive bid request, providing a specific date and time by which qualifications statements must be received. Political subdivisions may establish prequalification standards premised upon demonstrated technical competence, experience constructing similar facilities, prior experience with the political subdivision, available nonfinancial resources, equipment and personnel as they relate to the subject project, and overall performance history based upon a contractor’s entire body of work. Such request must include the standards for evaluating the qualifications of prospective bidders.
(ii) During the initial stage of the category B bidding process, licensed contractors desiring to be prequalified to bid on a project must submit a written response to a political subdivision’s request for qualifications.
(iii) Written objections to prequalification procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least three (3) business days before the date and time upon which prequalification statements are due. The administrative officer or governing board supervising the bidding process shall respond to any such objection in writing and communicate such response to the objector and all other contractors seeking to prequalify, adjusting bidding timeframes if necessary. After a review of qualification submittals, the political subdivision may select licensed contractors that meet the prequalification standards. If any licensed contractor submits a statement of qualifications but is not selected as a qualified bidder, the political subdivision shall supply a written statement of the reason or reasons why the contractor failed to meet prequalification standards.
(iv) Any licensed contractor that fails the prequalification stage can appeal any such determination to the governing board within seven (7) days after transmittal of the prequalification results to contest the determination. If the governing board sustains the decision that a contractor fails to meet prequalification standards, it shall state its reason or reasons for the record. A governing board decision concerning prequalification may be appealed to the public works contractors license board no more than fourteen (14) days following any decision on appeal made by the governing board. The public works contractors license board shall decide any such appeal within thirty-five (35) days of the filing of a timely appeal. The public works contractors license board shall allow participation, written or oral, by the appealing contractor and the political subdivision, either by employing a hearing officer or otherwise. The public works contractors license board shall not substitute its judgment for that of the political subdivision, limiting its review to determining whether the decision of the governing board is consistent with the announced prequalification standards, whether the prequalification standards comport with the law and whether the governing board’s decision is supported by the entirety of the record. The decision of the public works contractors license board shall be written and shall state the reason or reasons for the decision. Category B prequalification procedures that are appealed shall be stayed during the pendency of the prequalification appeal until the public works contractors license board completes its review, but in no instance more than forty-nine (49) days after the appellate decision of the governing board regarding prequalification. Any licensed public works contractor affected by a decision on appeal by the public works contractors license board may, within twenty-eight (28) days of the final decision, seek judicial review as provided by chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.
(v) Following the conclusion of the prequalification administrative procedures, the bidding stage shall proceed by the setting of a time, date and place for the public opening of bids. In circumstances involving prequalified prime contractors, a notice soliciting bids shall be transmitted to prequalified bidders at least fourteen (14) days before the date of opening the bids. In circumstances involving prequalified specialty or subordinate contractors, the notice soliciting bids shall be published in the same manner applicable to category A bids. The notice shall succinctly describe the project to be constructed. Copies of specifications, bid forms, bidder’s instructions, contract documents, and general and special instructions shall be made available upon request and payment of a reasonable plan copy fee by any eligible bidder.
(vi) Written objections to specifications or bidding procedures must be received by the clerk, secretary or other authorized official of the political subdivision at least three (3) business days before the date and time upon which bids are scheduled to be opened.
(vii) All category B bids shall be presented or otherwise delivered under sealed cover to the clerk or other authorized agent of the political subdivision designated by the instructions to bidders with a concise statement marked on the outside generally identifying the project to which the bid pertains.
(viii) If the political subdivision deems it is in the political subdivision’s best interest, it may require the bidder to provide bid security in an amount equal to at least five percent (5%) of the amount bid. If required, a bid shall not be considered unless one (1) of the forms of bidder’s security is enclosed with it, and unless the bid is submitted in a form which substantially complies with the form provided by the political subdivision. The political subdivision may require that the bid security be in one (1) of the following forms:
(A) Cash;
(B) A cashier’s check made payable to the political subdivision;
(C) A certified check made payable to the political subdivision; or
(D) A bidder’s bond executed by a qualified surety company, made payable to the political subdivision.
(ix) Any category B bid received by a political subdivision may not be withdrawn after the date and time set in the notice for opening of bids. When sealed bids have been received, they shall be opened in public by the governing board or the board’s designee at a designated place and time. The governing board’s designee shall thereafter compile and submit to the governing board for award or, if authorized, approve the award. If identical bids are received, the governing board may choose the bidder it prefers. If the successful bidder fails to execute the contract, the amount of his bidder’s security may be forfeited to the political subdivision, in the sole discretion of the political subdivision, and the proceeds shall be deposited in a designated fund out of which the expenses for procuring substitute performance are paid.
(x) The political subdivision may, on the refusal or failure of the successful bidder to execute the contract, award the contract to the qualified bidder submitting the next lowest responsive bid. If the governing board awards the contract to the next lowest qualified bidder, the amount of the lowest qualified bidder’s security, if forfeited, shall be applied by the political subdivision to the difference between the lowest responsive bid and the next lowest responsive bid, and the surplus, if any, shall be returned to the lowest bidder if cash or check is used, or to the surety on the bidder’s bond if a bond is used, less reasonable administrative costs not to exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of the bidder’s security.
(xi) In its discretion, the governing board may reject all bids presented and re-bid, or the governing board may, after finding it to be a fact, pass a resolution declaring that the project sought to be accomplished by the expenditure can be performed more economically by purchasing goods and services on the open market. If no bids are received, the governing board may make the expenditure without further competitive bidding procedures.
(xii) If the governing board of any political subdivision chooses to award a competitively bid contract involving the procurement of public works construction to a bidder other than the apparent low bidder, the political subdivision shall declare its reason or reasons on the record and shall communicate such reason or reasons in writing to all persons who have submitted a competing bid.
(xiii) If any participating bidder objects to such award, such bidder shall respond in writing to the notice from the political subdivision within seven (7) calendar days of the date of transmittal of the notice, setting forth in such response the express reason or reasons that the award decision of the governing board is in error. Thereafter, staying performance of any procurement until after addressing the contentions raised by the objecting bidder, the governing board shall review its decision and determine whether to affirm its prior award, modify the award, or choose to re-bid, setting forth its reason or reasons therefor. After completion of the review process, the political subdivision may proceed as it deems to be in the public interest.

Legislative History

[67-2805, added 2005, ch. 213, sec. 37, p. 669; am. 2005, ch. 295, sec. 2, p. 935; am. 2017, ch. 197, sec. 5, p. 485; am. 2025, ch. 133, sec. 2, p. 687.]