Notice—Award of contract—Low bidder claiming error.
The notice shall state generally the nature of the work to be done and require that bids be sealed and filed with the commission at a time specified therein. Each bid shall be accompanied by a bid proposal deposit in the form of a cashier's check, money order, or surety bid bond to the commission for a sum not less than five percent of the amount of the bid, and no bid shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid proposal deposit. At the time and place named the bids shall be publicly opened and read and the commission shall proceed to canvass the bids and, except as otherwise in this section provided, shall let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder upon plans and specifications on file, or to the best bidder submitting his or her own plans and specifications. If, in the opinion of the commission, all bids are unsatisfactory, they may reject all of them and readvertise, and in such case all such bid proposal deposits shall be returned to the bidders; but if the contract is let, then all bid proposal deposits shall be returned to the bidders, except that of the successful bidder which shall be retained until a contract is entered into for the purchase of such materials or doing such work, and a bond given to the port district for the performance of the contract and otherwise conditioned as required by law, with sureties satisfactory to the commission, in an amount to be fixed by the commission, but not in any event less than twenty-five percent of the contract price. If the bidder fails to enter into the contract in accordance with his or her bid and furnish such bond within ten days from the date at which he or she is notified that he or she is the successful bidder, the check or money order and the amount thereof shall be forfeited to the port district or the port district shall recover the amount of the surety bid bond. A low bidder who claims error and fails to enter into a contract is prohibited from bidding on the same project if a second or subsequent call for bids is made for the project.
[ 1996 c 18 s 11; 1971 ex.s. c 258 s 2; 1955 c 348 s 3. Prior: 1921 c 179 s 1, part; 1911 c 92 s 5, part; RRS s 9693, part.]
NOTES:
Severability—1971 ex.s. c 258: See note following RCW 28B.10.350.
Severability—1955 c 348: See note following RCW 53.08.120.
Contractor's bond: Chapter 39.08 RCW.
Lien on public works, retained percentage of contractor's earnings: Chapter 60.28 RCW.