Section 229.050 - Engineer's estimate of cost - advertisement for bids - contract1. Whenever it shall be ordered by the county commission, township board or district commissioner, as the case may be, that any road, bridge or culvert in the county be constructed, reconstructed or improved or repaired by contract, and the engineer's estimated cost thereof exceeds the sum of five hundred dollars, the county, township or district authorities shall order the county highway engineer, or other engineer in their employ, or both such engineers acting together, if so desired, to prepare and file with the clerk of the county commission, township board or district commissioners, as the case may be, all necessary maps, plans, specifications and profiles, and an estimate of the cost of the work. The county commission or other proper authority may approve or reject the maps, plans, specifications and profiles and order others prepared and filed.2. When the maps, plans, specifications and profiles have been approved, the county, township or district authorities shall order the engineer to advertise the letting of the contract proposed to be let by advertisement in some newspaper published in the county wherein the contract is to be executed, which said advertisement shall be published once a week for three consecutive weeks, the last insertion to be within ten days of the day of letting.3. All bids shall be in writing, accompanied by instructions to bidders which shall be furnished by the engineer upon application. All bids on road work shall state the unit prices upon which the same are based. All bids shall be sealed and filed with the clerk of the county commission, township board or special road district commissioners, and, on the day and at the hour named in the advertisement, shall be publicly opened and read in the presence of the county commission, township board or special road district commissioners, and the engineer, and shall then be recorded in detail in some suitable book. All bids shall be accompanied by a certified check equal to ten percent of the engineer's estimate of cost, payable to the county treasurer, to the use of the county, township or road district, as the case may be, or a bidder's bond executed by some surety company authorized to do business in this state or other good and sufficient surety in a like sum shall be given, as a guarantee on the part of the bidder that if his bid be accepted he will, within ten days after receipt of notice of such acceptance, enter into contract and bond to do the work advertised, and in case of default forfeit and pay sum of ten percent of the engineer's estimate of cost.4. The contract shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. The county commission may in its discretion reject any or all bids. Any bid in excess of the engineer's estimate of the cost of the work to be done shall be rejected. When it shall be decided by order of record to accept any bid, the county, township or district authorities shall order a contract to be entered into by and between the bidder and the county, township or special road district, as the case may be. The contract shall have attached to and made a part thereof the proposal sheet, instructions to bidders, and bid, maps, plans, specifications and profiles.5. Whenever the contract is executed and approved by order of record and endorsement thereon, it shall be filed and preserved as a permanent record. It shall be incorporated in the contract that the county, township or special road district shall reserve the right to make any additions to, omissions from, changes in or substitutions for the work or materials called for by the drawings and specifications, without notice to the surety on the bond given to secure the faithful performance of the terms of the contract. The bidder must agree that before the county or political subdivision shall be liable for any additional work or material, the county or political subdivision must first order the same, and the cost thereof must be agreed upon in writing and entered of record before such additional work shall apply in case of omissions, deductions or changes, and the unit prices shall be the basis of the values of such changes.6. In case of disagreement upon the cost or price of any addition, omission or change ordered or so desired, then it is expressly agreed that the decision of the state highway engineer shall be received and accepted as fixing definitely and finally the cost of such change, and when so fixed, the county commission, township board or special road district commissioners shall enter of record such change. It shall also be provided in the contract that the contractor will furnish and promptly pay for all labor employed and materials used in the performance of such contract.Prior revisions: 1929 § 7947; 1919 § 10734; 1909 § 10564