Additional Contractor Requirements (Construction Only)

Information
Construction contractors seeking to grow their businesses through public contracting must meet general contractor requirements and added construction criteria. Learn about those requirements, opportunities to increase workforce diversity, and how do find and compete for construction contracts.
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Information and data about City construction can be found on the City Construction list. Projects can be filtered by construction type (i.e., Parks, Sewer, Transportation, Water) or neighborhood. Information includes project status and dates.  

Construction and Landscape Contractors Boards Licenses 

Construction contractors must be licensed with the State of Oregon Construction Contractors Board prior to submitting a bid/proposal to the City.  A State of Oregon Landscape Contractors Board license is required for bids that include landscape work as defined by ORS 671.510. 

Oregon State First Tier Subcontractor Disclosure 

Contractors are required to submit the Oregon State First Tier Subcontractors Disclosure form within two working hours after the date and time of the deadline when the bids are due as required by ORS 279C.370. 

Download the Oregon State First Tier Subcontractors Disclosure form

Owner Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) Safety Provisions 

The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) are committed to safe construction work sites and public safety. All Owner Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) projects have to follow safety provisions laid out in the OCIP General Construction Safety Provisions Manual, with more exact safety requirements being defined in the contract. For more information, review the provisions manual in the PDF below.  

Review the OCIP General Construction Safety Provisions 2011

Permits 

Prime contractors are required to comply with all construction code regulations, which apply to all construction and most site development activity. For more information visit the City’s Development Services permit website.  

Visit the City's Development Services permit website

Prequalification 

Prequalification with the City of Portland is required of all prime contractors bidding on public improvement projects with an engineer’s estimate of $250,000 or greater, as specified in Portland City Code 5.34.510(A). Prequalification is guided by Administrative Rule 1.22.  

Contractors interested in bidding as a prime on a City construction project that are not currently prequalified may use the new online prequalification application process on the Contract Compliance Reporting System

Portland City Code states that contractors must demonstrate to the City’s satisfaction that they are a responsible offeror prior to bidding on public improvement projects. The City makes this determination through the Prequalification process, where contractors demonstrate that they meet the Standards of Responsibility pursuant to City Code 5.34.500. 

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GeneralPrequalification 

A contractor may submit a request for Prequalification at any time by visiting the City of Portland Contract Compliance Reporting System to complete and submit the Prequalification Program Prime Contractor Application. The date on which all required information has been received by Procurement Services will be considered the receipt date of your prequalification application. 

All applications will be evaluated and bidding limits will be determined by a prequalification board that meets approximately every two weeks. The application review and approval process can take up to 30 days to complete. Once prequalified, a contractor’s bidding limits are in effect for two years. 

BidSpecificPrequalificationor IncreaseRequest 

If you are currently prequalified with the City of Portland in one or more classes of work, and you are seeking prequalification to meet the requirements of a specific Invitation to Bid (ITB), visit the City of Portland's Contract Compliance Reporting System to complete the application. Please mark the box labeled "Bid Specific Request." 

The deadline for receipt by the City is usually 10 calendar days prior to bid opening; however, it is important to review each set of bid documents to determine the specific requirement for that project. 

SpecialPrequalification 

Construction projects that require specific expertise, prior experience, special equipment, or are of high risk and are outside of the criteria necessary for prequalification in one of the City’s general classes of work require a special prequalification application. This application will be included in the bid documents. Contractors that wish to be specially prequalified to bid on that project must complete the special prequalification application and submit it by the date and time stated within the solicitation. 

Construction Classes of Work Descriptions 

When writing the description of a project in SECTION 6, the reviewers are looking for this type of detail: 

1 - Concrete Street Paving 

May include: grading, aggregate base placement, (inlets and leads), placement of PCC and/or reinforcement steel in roadway, walks, curbs and other related transit facilities.  May also include demolition of streets and curbs.

2 - Street Improvements 

May include: excavation and grading, drainage such as perf-pipe, inlets and leads, placement of fabric and rock, construction of curbs, sidewalks, driveways, and other related flat-work facilities, AC paving  and pavement striping.  May also include various types of structures such as segmental retaining walls, light and signal pole foundations, vaults and electrical work related to lights and signals, irrigation, landscaping, multi-use paved trails and water quality as related to green street construction in the right of way.  May encompass other aspects and work items related to Street Improvements. 

3 - Concrete Flatwork 

May include: curbs, sidewalks, driveways, paths and walkways cast on-grade. 

4 - Reinforced Concrete Construction 

May include: retaining walls; stairways; sign or pole foundations; machinery foundations; structural sidewalk or driveways. 

5 - Bridge & Overcrossing Construction 

May include:  timber, concrete or metal structures for vehicular and/or pedestrian usage, including tunnels (excludes buildings – see Class 19). 

6 - Dredging & Piledriving 

May include: Dredging - removal of underwater materials.  Piledriving - driving concrete, steel, or timber piles and drilled shaft foundations. 

7 - Excavation & Grading 

May include: earthwork, clearing, grubbing, grading, erosion control measures, structural fills and treated soils. 

8 - Sewer Construction 

May include: sewer or storm projects related to construction in a right of way, trenchless techniques, installation of small and large diameter sewer pipes, manholes and structures, sewer bypass systems, traffic control safety, restoration of streets, erosion control, shoring techniques which meet OSHA requirements. Knowledge of survey and use of lasers for pipe installations. Protection of all existing utilities impacted during construction. 

9 - Sewage Treatment Plants   

May include: construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or renovation of facilities within an active sewage treatment plant.  Also, major sewage bypass systems, lock out and tag out of facilities, coordination with plant operations, ability to develop technical submittals, knowledge of special inspection requirements for permitted facilities, earthwork and structural foundation, structural reinforcement and concrete, mechanical piping and fittings, plumbing, HVAC, electrical instrumentation and controls, start up testing including developing operational manuals. 

10 - Sewage Pumping Stations and Odor Control Facilities 

May include: construction, reconstruction, structural reinforcement and concrete, rehabilitation or renovation of an active sewage pumping station or newly constructed pump station. May also include coordination with station operations, develop technical submittals, knowledge of special inspection requirements for permitted facilities, sewage bypass, temporary power systems, demolition of existing facilities, mechanical piping, plumbing, HVAC, sewage pump installation, dewatering, constructing and excavating using caissons, electrical instrumentation and controls and start up testing including developing operational manuals.  Work may exist on private property or in the public right of way.    

11 - Water Line Construction 

May include: water main projects related construction in the public right-of-way, waterline installation in an existing street, public works water projects, typically, small diameter (under 24 inches), ductile iron pipe, copper and ductile iron services, valves, hydrants, and other appurtenances, cathodic protection, utility protections, OAR 333 compliance, in addition to traffic control, erosion control, earthwork and surface restorations. 

12 - Water Pumping Stations 

May include: construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or  renovation of potable water pump stations, instrumentation and electrical work associated with pump stations, water main work on private property and in the public right-of-way to connect to pump stations, which may include steel pipe or ductile iron pipe, valves, hydrants, and other appurtenances, cathodic protection, utility protections, OAR 333 compliance, in addition to traffic control, erosion control, earthwork, landscaping and surface restorations. 

13 - Water Reservoirs 

May include: construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or renovation of potable water reservoirs, instrumentation and electrical work associated with the reservoirs, most work is on public property but may include water main work on private property and in the public right-of-way to connect to reservoirs, may include steel pipe or ductile iron pipe, valves, hydrants, and other appurtenances, cathodic protection, utility protections, OAR 333 compliance, in addition to traffic control, erosion control, earthwork, landscaping and surface restorations. 

14 - Water Tanks – Steel 

May include: construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or renovation of potable water steel tanks, instrumentation and electrical work associated with the reservoirs, most work is on private property but may include water main work on private property and in the public right-of-way to connect to tanks, may include steel pipe or ductile iron pipe, steel fabrication, erection and demolition, valves, hydrants, and other appurtenances, cathodic protection, utility protections, OAR 333 compliance, in addition to traffic control, erosion control, earthwork, landscaping and surface restorations. May include tank cleaning and painting interior and exterior surfaces. 

15 - Water Tanks – Concrete 

May include: construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or  renovation of potable water concrete tanks, (buried and above ground), instrumentation and electrical work associated with the reservoirs, most work is public property but may include water main work on private property and in the public right-of-way to connect to tanks, may include steel pipe or ductile iron pipe, steel fabrication, erection and demolition, valves, hydrants, and other appurtenances, cathodic protection, utility protections, OAR 333 compliance, in addition to traffic control, erosion control, earthwork, landscaping and surface restorations. May include tank cleaning and painting interior and exterior surfaces. 

16 - Electrical Wiring 

May include: installation, renovation, repair and maintenance of electrical wiring, circuits, panel boards, junction boxes, fixtures and equipment within a building, including such incidental or related work as is customarily performed by those in the electricians' trade. 

State of Oregon Class C Electrical License Required

17 - Traffic Signalization 

May include: installation of traffic signals and control systems 

State of Oregon Class C Electrical License Required

18 - Outdoor Illumination 

May include: installation of outdoor athletic field lighting, outdoor street lighting using metal poles 15-40 feet in length on concrete reinforced foundations with buried conduit.  Use of panels with ratings from 120volt to 480 volt, multiple circuits, poles with j-boxes adjacent to pole locations. 

State of Oregon Class C Electrical License Required

19 - Building Construction 

May include: building new structures or new buildings. 

20 - Building Alteration & Repair 

May include: altering, repairing, improving any building structure or building. 

21 - Structural Demolition & Related Excavation and Clearing 

May include:  ability to safely demolish a structure, typically a building that has a higher likelihood of personal or property damage during demolition.  May also include removal or demolition of footings, pilings, foundations, slabs and walls. 

22 - Painting of Buildings & Structures 

May include: application of paint to interior and exterior surfaces of buildings, bridges and other structures and preparation of such surfaces for the purpose of receiving a finish coat of paint. 

23 - Plumbing 

May include: installation, renovation repair and maintenance of pipes, fixtures and other apparatus in buildings for bringing in and distributing the water supply and removing liquid and water-borne wastes, including such incidental or related work as is customarily performed by those in the plumbers trade. 

State of Oregon Plumbing License Required 

24 - HVAC 

May include: installation, renovation repair and maintenance of the systems and apparatus required, collectively or individually, to provide comfort heating, ventilation and/or cooling within or associated with a building, including such incidental or related work as is customarily performed by those in the HVAC trade. 

25 - Roofing 

May include: includes installation of various types of roofing materials to a building, including shingles, slate, rubber, PVC and related flashing and drainage systems. 

29 – Landscaping and Irrigation 

May include: installation or repair of irrigation systems, planting, sodding, seeding, fertilizing, mulching, herbicide application, insecticide application, weed control, mowing, liming, soil binder, topsoil.  

State of Oregon Landscape Contractors Board License Required (Must have All Phase, Standard or Irrigation plus Backflow licenses for specific type of work.) 

30 - Park Improvements 

May include: excavation, grading, irrigation and landscaping, electrical, storm drainage, installation of playground equipment, surveying, plumbing, sewer, water features, stonework, soft-surface paths, site amenities, retaining walls, concrete and asphalt work, right of way improvements. 

State of Oregon General Contractors Board License Required 

41 - Wetland, Stream and Storm Water Outfall Enhancement Facilities 

May include: wetland and stream enhancement, shoreline regrading, stream channel realignment, use of natural plants for erosion control,  invasive species removal, riverbank stabilization,  water filtration, aquatic habitat, excavation, grading, pollution reduction facilities (PRFs).  Project history must indicate type of bioengineering techniques used on project.   

42 - Asphalt Paving 

May include:  paving of sidewalks, pathways, parking lots and subdivision streets, pavement grinding and milling. To meet the minimum requirement for prequalification, contractors must own a paving machine, as well as rollers.

43 - Cured-in-Place Pipe 0 to 24" 

May include: previous experience in this work, developing technical submittals for liner materials and cure processes, sewer bypass systems, development of installation plans and schedules, providing test samples, coordination with public and reinstating impacted sewers. 

45 - Cured-in-Place Pipe 24” and Larger 

May include: previous experience in this work, developing technical submittals for liner materials and cure processes, inspections of the wet out process, sewer bypass systems, development of installation plans and schedules, providing test samples, coordination with public and reinstating impacted sewers. 

Prevailing Wage 

Vendors are also required to pay a competitive wage on public works projects, as shown on the BOLI Prevailing Wage website. 

Subcontractor Equity Program (SEP) 

The Subcontractor Equity Plan (SEP) applies to construction contracts valued at $150,000 or more. The goal is for 20% of hard construction costs to go toward COBID subcontractors. Of the 20%, 14% should go to Disadvantaged, Minority or Women-owned Business Enterprises. The SEP requires prime contractors to report on COBID use for the life of the contract.

Prime contractors can find SEP specification forms in the solicitation packages. Pre-bid meetings also discuss SEP requirements and forms. Prime contractors can use the State Directory of Certified Firms to find COBID subcontractors.

Download Subcontractor Equity Program Details  

Workforce Training &Hiring Program (WTHP) 

The Workforce Training & Hiring Program (WTHP) aims to increase women and minority participation in the construction trades. The program accomplishes this through apprenticeship opportunities on City projects.

The WTHP applies on:

  • Low-bid construction prime contracts estimated at $200,000 and above.
  • Low-bid construction subcontracts estimated at $100,000 and above.

WTHP Requirements:

  • State registered apprentices work at least 20% of labor hours per trade.
  • Minorities work at least 18% of labor hours per trade.
  • Women work at least 9% of labor hours per trade.

Bid documents for each project include details of the program. The WTHP adheres to Administrative Rule 1.20.