Apr 11, 2024 By Amy Fauth 3 min read

A disparity of nearly $300,000 in bids received for the roof replacement at Uniontown City Hall led council to table a decision on which contractor to hire.

Bids were opened at the city council’s regular meeting last week. The decision to table it was unanimous.

There were just two bids: one from Redwood Construction in Washington for $92,216 and one from TMR Roofing in Saltsburg for $390,500.

Councilman Jared Billy made the motion to table the decision because the bids were so different.

“It’s not always best for a municipality to go with the lowest bidder just because it’s the lowest bidder,” said Billy. “I would like to further review the bid specs on this because it’s so far out.”

Billy went on to say that sometimes it’s hard to foresee what the extra costs might be, and after several change orders, the better decision might have been to go with another bid.

He suggested council look at the bid specifications and both bid packages before making a decision.

“One thing I don’t want to do is be on the line for $100,000 of the city’s coffers and then not have exactly what we need,” he said.

The one thing that isn’t up for debate is that the roof needs attention.

“This roof is a very old roof,” said Billy.

The project for the roof replacement is the product of an insurance audit, according to Billy. Two roofs were flagged for replacement – those at city hall and the sewage department.

“This affects our liability insurance for the city. We’ve been kicking it down the road,” said Billy. “We have to do something now with city hall.”

In addition, Billy said there are other projects on the city’s radar that need done.The fire department’s roof is also going to be in need of replacement soon.

For all of these reasons, Billy said they need to dig into why there is such a big difference in the bids and make a decision.

Solicitor Tim Witt said with a project of this scope, tabling awarding the project “is not inappropriate.” City code also allows for bids to be held for 60 days so that council can take time to review them.

A representative from the roof manufacturer that works with one of the bidders tried to address council during public comment, but he was halted to keep the integrity of the bid opening intact. He said that his company has recently completed work in Fayette County, including the courthouse and work at both Laurel Highlands and Albert Gallatin Area school districts.

Billy said after council has a chance to review the bids, they would reach out with any questions.