After culminating the Construction Documents, the owner is responsible for selecting a contractor for them to develop their project. The owner has two selection options:

1. Bidding:

In the case that the owner did not have a contractor involved during the design phase, the next step is to put out the CDS drawings and the specifications to bid with more than two contractors. In this case, we will select the best contractors we consider that can better address your project.

The bidding process allows a contractor to have multiple options when it comes to negotiating construction services. If you choose a contractor during the design development, you can decide whether to have or not a bidding process. If you are determined to switch from the initial contractor, you must pay the previous one for their work and assessment.

2. Negotiation:

If the owner chooses a contractor before commencing the construction bidding, the contractor might go through a negotiation process. For the contractor to build an overall project bid,  they will distribute the drawing set to other subcontractors to propose their bids. The main contractor will choose the best proposals among them. Both owner and contractor will agree on condition terms such as fee and any applicable maximum price.

Selecting the best method:

Both processes have advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, it is important to define early in the design process which of the methods the client prefers.

Permitting:

During the construction bidding process, we submit the project documentation to local building departments (OGPe) to inspect and evaluate whether the proposal complies with Building Codes and Zoning regulations. When submitting the documents, the owner will have to pay a fee to the building department for them to start the evaluation. The permitting process time frame may vary depending on the project’s complexity, size, and quickness of local jurisdictions.