How to win general contracting and renovation work from BC public buyers
How BC public buyers tender renovations and small projects: CCDC contracts, prime contractor duties, bonding, and what wins for a small general contractor.
Short answer
BC school districts, municipalities, health authorities and housing providers tender renovations and small building projects as general contracts, often on CCDC standard contracts. The general contractor prices the whole job, hires the trades, and usually becomes prime contractor for safety. Expect bid security on larger jobs, a schedule, a site superintendent, and references for similar projects.
Public buyers do a lot of small construction: an accessible washroom, a new reception area, a classroom conversion, a seismic upgrade, a fire hall renovation. Big projects go to large builders, but a great many jobs fall in the range a small general contractor can handle well.
Who buys renovations and small projects?
- School districts, for summer renovations, accessibility upgrades and modernizations.
- Municipalities, for civic buildings, rec centres, fire halls and park buildings.
- Health authorities, for clinic fit-outs and renovations in occupied hospitals.
- Housing providers, for unit renovations and building upgrades.
What does a general contract look like?
Public renovation tenders usually come with drawings and specifications from an architect or engineer, a bid form and a standard contract. In Canada many use CCDC documents, such as a stipulated price contract, with the buyer's supplementary conditions. The consultant answers questions, issues addenda and certifies your progress payments.
You price the whole job: your own work, every subtrade, general conditions (supervision, site office, clean-up, temporary protection) and allowances listed in the tender.
What does being general contractor mean for safety?
On a site where workers of two or more employers work at the same time, someone must be prime contractor, coordinating safety for everyone. On a public renovation that is usually the general contractor, by written agreement with the owner. It means a site safety plan, orientation for every trade, and checking each subcontractor's training and clearance. See what being prime contractor means.
How do I price a public renovation?
- Get subtrade prices early. Send drawings to at least two firms per trade, and chase them before closing day.
- Price general conditions by time: superintendent, site setup, protection and clean-up for each week on site.
- Check allowances and alternates the tender lists, and price exactly what's asked.
- Read the schedule. Summer-only school work can force overtime or a bigger crew.
- Carry contingency for older buildings, where hidden conditions are common.
What wins?
- A complete, correct bid form at a fair price. Most of these tenders are low compliant bid.
- Bid security when it's asked for. See how to get bonded.
- A named superintendent and a realistic schedule.
- References for similar work in occupied buildings.
When do renovation tenders come out?
Capital budgets are approved early in the year, so most renovation tenders come out from January to May. School work has to be finished before September, which puts pressure on summer schedules and subtrades. Health authorities and housing providers tender through the year.
What are common mistakes?
- Missing a subtrade and covering it yourself at a loss.
- Not reading every addendum, especially ones that change drawings.
- Underpricing general conditions on a job that runs longer than planned.
- Forgetting bid security or signing the wrong form.
Each one is avoidable with a checklist and a second read before closing.
Where to go next
Read subcontracting on public work for the other side of the relationship, and change orders and extra work before you start.
What to do next
Sources
Rules and forms change. Check the official page before you rely on a detail here.