NWSA Sitcum Substations (Public Bid Demo)
This bid set was run through DeadFront.AI's specification analyzer. Below is the auto-generated bid brief, the highest-risk provisions we flagged, and the submittal count — the same output an estimator gets inside the app.
Bid Brief
West Sitcum Main Substation Replacement — Port of Tacoma, construction of two new substations and demolition of two existing ones, budgeted $2M-$2.5M.
BID LOGISTICS
- Bid Due: 2:00 PM, Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at Front Reception Desk, Port Administration Office, One Sitcum Plaza, Tacoma, WA 98421. Must be sealed envelope marked with Project name/number and Bidder's name/address; if mailed, outer envelope marked "SEALED BID ENCLOSED." No oral, fax, electronic, or email bids accepted.
- Pre-Bid Conference/Site Visit: November 17, 2025, 11:30 AM, convening at Port's Administrative building (One Sitcum Plaza). PPE required: sturdy shoes and reflective vest; attendees sign a Release and Acknowledgement of Risks form. Documents describe it as a "pre-Bid conference and site visit" (not explicitly stated as "mandatory" in the Advertisement, though Instructions to Bidders reference attendance requirements for "mandatory meetings").
- Bid Bond: 5% of Base Bid Subtotal, via certified/cashier's check or bid bond (Section 00 43 13 form), from a surety with A.M. Best "A-, FSC(6)" or better.
- Performance/Payment Bonds: 100% of contract award amount plus WSST and Change Orders; due within 10 days of Notice of Award. On contracts ≤$150,000, Port may accept 10% retainage in lieu of bonds.
- Prevailing Wage: Washington State prevailing wages apply (RCW 39.12); effective date is December 2, 2025 (Bid Date). Apprenticeship participation of 15% required (RCW 39.04.320) since estimate exceeds $1,000,000. Public Works Training required for all bidding businesses per RCW 39.04.359/39.12 (effective since 2019).
- Bid Packet Must Include: Bid Form (00 41 00) with lump sum pricing per item, unit prices, trench safety provision (or "N.A."), Principal Subcontractors/Suppliers list (HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Structural Steel, Rebar), Non-Collusion Representation, RCW 39.04.350 Certification, Addenda acknowledgment, Bid Security (00 43 13), Apprenticeship agreement, signature block with WA Contractor's License No. and Employment Security Dept No.
- RFIs/Questions: Submitted via Procurement and Question Submission Portal; no questions accepted after 7 days prior to Bid Date. No oral responses binding.
PROJECT SCOPE Construction of two new substations, demolition of two existing substations (Substation #1 and #3), and testing/commissioning of new electrical equipment at 1002 Milwaukee Way, Tacoma, WA — an active, operating marine terminal facility (West Sitcum Terminal).
CRITICAL DEADLINES & MILESTONES
- Substantial Completion: 545 calendar days from Contract execution
- Final Completion: 90 calendar days after Substantial Completion
- Bonds/insurance/Agreement due: within 10 days of Notice of Award
- Pre-work submittals due: within 10 days of contract execution
- Baseline Project Schedule: within 10 days of NTP
- Submittal Log: within 14 days of contract execution
HIGH-RISK ITEMS & UNUSUAL TERMS
- Active operating terminal: drive lanes must stay open to terminal traffic every Wednesday/Friday — no trenching/paving demo during those windows; work restricted to Saturday-Tuesday
- Existing electrical infrastructure/crane power must remain operational until new substations are live — outage coordination required
- Landfill/refuse gas hazards (methane, H2S) and arsenic-contaminated soils on-site — HAZWOPER-trained staff required
- Liquidated damages are steep relative to a ~$2M job: $1,000/day for missed Substantial Completion
- TWIC/escort requirements for site access add scheduling friction
- Change order markup is capped (20% labor/material, 10% equipment, 10%/5% sub/service markup, 30% overall cap) — squeezes margin on changes
KEY FINANCIAL TERMS
- Retainage: 5% per RCW 60.28, releasable via fund, escrow, or bond
- Liquidated Damages: $1,000/day (Substantial Completion); $200/day (Final Completion)
- Unforeseen Conditions Contingency: $100,000 lump sum bid item (Bid Item #9), paid via negotiated unit price/lump sum or T&M
- Progress payments monthly, paid within 30 days of approved application; Port pays state/local sales tax separately with each payment
OWNER-FURNISHED vs CONTRACTOR-FURNISHED Documents do not identify Owner-Furnished Equipment (OFE). Contractor furnishes all labor, materials, and equipment per Bid Form items (switchboards, transformers, panels, power factor correction units, grounding). Coordination required with Tacoma Power/TPU for existing utility removal and new TPU-owned conduit/vault work — TPU inspects separately from NEC electrical permit inspector.
Top risk items
Highest-scored provisions flagged in the spec set. Full rationale and in-PDF citations are available in the app.
| Risk | Section | Excerpt |
|---|---|---|
| 92 | 00 21 00 — Submission of Bids | Bids received after the Bid Date and time specified shall be returned without consideration at the Port's discretion, or rejected at time of receipt. The Bidder assumes full… |
| 90 | Section 8.03 — Limitation on Damages | The Contractor shall not be entitled to damages arising from loss of efficiency, morale/fatigue/attitude/labor rhythm, constructive acceleration, home office overhead, expectant… |
| 90 | 00 21 00 — Failure to Submit Sub-Bidder List | Failure to submit required Sub-Bidder names, failure to self-name, or naming two or more Sub-Bidders for the same Work shall render the Bid non-responsive and void, per RCW… |
| 90 | 00 21 00 — Form and Style of Bids | Bids shall be submitted on forms identical to the Bid Form included with the Bidding Documents. No oral, email, or telephonic responses or modifications will be considered. |
| 90 | 00 26 00 — Post-Award Substitution Requests | Contractor's waiver of rights to additional payment or time that may subsequently become necessary because of failure of proposed substitution to produce indicated results, as… |
| 88 | Article 3 — INDEMNITY NOT LIMITED BY WORKERS COMP/INDUSTRIAL INSURANCE WAIVER | Indemnification obligation shall not be limited by workers' compensation or other employee benefit acts limitations. After mutual negotiation, the Contractor waives immunity as to… |
| 85 | Article 3 — DUTY TO DEFEND, INDEMNIFY, AND HOLD HARMLESS | To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Contractor shall defend (at its sole cost with Port-approved counsel), indemnify, and hold harmless the Port, Northwest Seaport… |
| 85 | 00 21 00 — Failure to Provide Post-Bid Information | Failure to provide required post-bid information in a timely manner constitutes an event of breach permitting forfeiture of the Bid security. |
| 85 | 00 21 00 — Bidding Mistakes | The Port will not be obligated to consider notice of claimed Bid mistakes received more than twenty-four (24) hours after the Bid Date; a low bidder claiming error and failing to… |
| 85 | 00 21 00 — Bid Protest Procedures | A written protest must be filed with the Port within two (2) business days of the event giving rise to the protest, including required content and delivery to… |
88 submittals · 6 long-lead
Auto-built from the specifications with CSI section, submittal type, and long-lead flags. The full submittal log (with Excel export) is available in the app.
Source: agency's published bid documents. View source documents
Analyzed from the bid set (v1).
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