N.J. Admin. Code § 17:19-2.13

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024

Section 17:19-2.13 - Award of contracts exceeding aggregate rating

(a) A firm shall include with each bid a certification that the firm's bid for the subject contract would not cause the firm to exceed its aggregate rating limits, including consideration of its backlog of uncompleted construction work, including public and private contracts.

(b) If at the time of a bid opening a question arises as to whether a bid for a project is within a firm's existing classification or aggregate rating, the bid shall be opened, and if the bid is at variance with the firm's trade classification or aggregate rating, the bid shall be rejected.

(c) A firm shall not be awarded a contract which, when added to the backlog of uncompleted construction work would exceed the firm's aggregate rating. The backlog of uncompleted construction work shall be the total contract value of unbilled work, as evidenced by the most recent approved invoice (or other similar documentation) received by the bidder before or on the date of the bid. The firm may deduct 85 percent of the total contract value of the work performed by principal trades, as described in (e) below, on such uncompleted work. DPMC may require the firm to provide documentary proof that its backlog of uncompleted work plus the contract price of the contract to be awarded would not cause the firm to exceed its aggregate rating.

(d) If a firm successfully bids for two or more contracts which, either in combination with each other or in combination with the backlog of uncompleted construction work on other currently held contracts would exceed the firm's aggregate rating, the firm shall be awarded only those contracts that in combination fall within the firm's aggregate rating, as follows:

1. Contracts shall be considered in the chronological order of the bid due dates.

2. Where the dollar value of a given contract award, when combined with the dollar value of the firm's current backlog of other uncompleted work, would cause the firm's total dollar value of uncompleted work to exceed the firm's aggregate rating, the firm shall not be eligible for that award.

3. However, if a firm provides clear and convincing evidence that its total dollar value of uncompleted work (including the bid amount for the current contract) will be within its aggregate rating as of the award date, the Director may determine to accept the bid if it is in the best interest of the State.

(e) On any project where a firm is awarded a single prime contract which encompasses work to be performed by a subcontractor in a principal trade, as defined in N.J.S.A. 52:32-2, including plumbing and gas fitting, steam and hot water heating and ventilation, electrical, structural steel and ornamental iron work, and general construction, and where the work to be performed by the subcontractors is specifically identified in the bid, the firm shall calculate the value of the awarded contract (for purposes of determining how much the contract will contribute toward determining the firm's backlog) by deducting 85 percent of the actual subcontract price of the work to be performed by principal trades from the actual price of the contract awarded to it. The firm will have the burden of proving that the work is encompassed by the principal trades and the value of the amount of the work performed by those principal trades.

N.J. Admin. Code § 17:19-2.13

Amended by 48 N.J.R. 2830(a), effective 12/19/2016