Cedar Hollow Public Schools (ISD 742), Bid No. CHPS-2026-07. Prepared for Larkspur Builders as of Mon Oct 5, 2026.
Recommendation: Go with conditions
Why in one line: Passes every gate it can check and scores 63, short of the go line of 65, but 3 conditions need an answer first.
This week: pre-bid meeting and site walk (mandatory), Thu Oct 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m. CT, in 3 days (ITB p. 3, §3).
Conditions to clear before committing:
- Score 63 is between the no-go line (45) and the go line (65). Decide on the weakest criteria: Schedule and site constraints, Risk allocation.
- Find out how long the City of Cedar Hollow Commercial Building Contractor, Class A license takes; Larkspur Builders doesn’t hold it and needs it before contract execution.
- Ask the broker whether Larkspur Builders carries pollution liability at $2,000,000.
This is advice for the go/no-go meeting. The decision is the team’s, and nothing here is legal advice.
Gates
Any failed gate means no-go. An unknown gate makes the recommendation conditional.
| Gate | Result | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| License: City of Cedar Hollow Commercial Building Contractor, Class A | Unknown | Not held. Required before contract execution, so it can be obtained in time if the issuer’s process allows. | ITB p. 4, §5 |
| Bonding capacity | Pass | Estimate $18,200,000 is 91% of the $20,000,000 single-job limit. Bonded backlog would be $56,200,000 of $60,000,000 aggregate. | ITB p. 2, §1 |
| Insurance limits | Unknown | Not in the profile: pollution liability ($2,000,000 required). | Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-2 |
| Mandatory: Pre-bid meeting and site walk | Pass | Thu Oct 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m. CT, in 3 days. Someone must attend. | ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Time to bid | Pass | 24 days to bid; the team needs 14. | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1 |
| Disqualifying terms | Pass | None of the 3 terms the company won’t accept: no damages for delay, uncapped consequential damages, payment contingent on owner funding. | company profile |
Go/no-go scorecard
Score: 63 out of 100 on the criteria that could be scored. Go at 65 or above, no-go below 45. Unknown: 20% of the weight (limit 25%).
| Criterion | Weight | Score (0 to 5) | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner and relationship | 10 | 4 | Larkspur completed the Cedar Hollow High School roof replacement for the District in 2022. | company profile (pastClients) |
| Delivery method and contract | 10 | 3 | Hard bid to the lowest responsive bidder on AIA forms. Standard, but price-only selection and the Supplementary Conditions are unread. | ITB p. 2, §2 |
| Schedule and site constraints | 15 | 2 | Occupied school, a 10-week summer window for the renovation that ends on the Substantial Completion date, and $2,500 a day in liquidated damages. | ITB p. 2, §1 |
| Scope and sector fit | 20 | 4 | K-12 addition and renovation is a core sector, with self-perform concrete and carpentry. | company profile (sectors, selfPerform) |
| Size fit | 10 | 4 | $18.2 million is inside the $5 to $25 million target range, toward the top. | company profile (sizeRange) |
| Competition | 10 | Unknown | The ITB doesn’t name invited bidders. Check the plan-holder list and who attends the pre-bid meeting. | none |
| Risk allocation | 15 | 2 | Unread Supplementary Conditions, a hazardous materials survey that wasn’t supplied, and builder’s risk on the contractor. | ITB p. 6, §9 |
| Team and capacity | 10 | Unknown | The profile doesn’t show which project manager and superintendent are free from December 2026 through September 2027. | none |
Key dates
| Milestone | When | Days from today | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-bid meeting and site walk | Thu Oct 8, 2026, 10:00 a.m. CT (mandatory) | 3 | ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Written questions due | Tue Oct 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT; was Thu Oct 15, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | 15 | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Final addendum | Fri Oct 23, 2026; was Mon Oct 19, 2026 | 18 | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Bids due | Thu Oct 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT; was Thu Oct 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | 24 | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 1 |
| Anticipated award (School Board) | Mon Nov 9, 2026 | 35 | ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Notice to Proceed | Tue Dec 1, 2026 | 57 | ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Work allowed in the existing building | Mon Jun 14, 2027 | 252 | ITB p. 2, §1 |
| Substantial Completion (also the end of the summer window) | Fri Aug 20, 2027 | 319 | ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Final Completion | Fri Sep 17, 2027 | 347 | ITB p. 3, §3 |
Project snapshot
- Owner: Cedar Hollow Public Schools (ISD 742)
- Location: 1200 Prairie View Drive, Cedar Hollow, Minnesota (ITB p. 2, §1)
- Sector: K-12 education, occupied school (ITB p. 2, §1)
- Delivery: Design-bid-build, single lump-sum prime contract to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder (ITB p. 2, §2)
- Contract: AIA A101-2017 and A201-2017, modified by the District’s Supplementary Conditions (ITB p. 2, §2)
- Owner’s estimate: $18,200,000 (ITB p. 2, §1)
Scope summary
Two-story, 22,000 SF classroom addition and renovation of 18,000 SF of the 1968 classroom wing, in an occupied school. Work in the existing building only from June 14 to August 20, 2027. Alternates: synthetic turf playfield and LED gym lighting. (ITB p. 2, §1)
Changed by addenda
| Item | Now | Was | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bid deadline | Oct 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | Oct 22, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 1 |
| Questions deadline | Oct 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | Oct 15, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Final addendum | No later than Oct 23, 2026 | No later than Oct 19, 2026 | Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1; was ITB p. 3, §3 |
| Bid security | 10% of base bid | 5% of base bid | Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-1; was ITB p. 4, §4 |
| Pollution liability | $2,000,000 each occurrence, for work next to abatement areas | new | Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-2 |
Requirements to bid
- Bonds: Bid security 10% of the base bid, about $1.82 million on the owner’s estimate (was 5%). Performance and payment bonds, 100% each, within 10 days of award, from a Minnesota-licensed surety. (Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-1)
- Insurance, CGL each occurrence: $2,000,000; Larkspur Builders carries $2,000,000 (ITB p. 5, §7)
- Insurance, CGL general aggregate, per project: $4,000,000; Larkspur Builders carries $4,000,000 (ITB p. 5, §7)
- Insurance, Automobile liability: $1,000,000; Larkspur Builders carries $1,000,000 (ITB p. 5, §7)
- Insurance, Umbrella or excess: $10,000,000; Larkspur Builders carries $10,000,000 (ITB p. 5, §7)
- Insurance, Employer’s liability: $1,000,000; Larkspur Builders carries $1,000,000 (ITB p. 5, §7)
- Insurance, Pollution liability: $2,000,000 (Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-2)
- License: City of Cedar Hollow Commercial Building Contractor, Class A, required before contract execution (ITB p. 4, §5)
- Submission: Sealed bid to the District Office, 410 Main Street, Cedar Hollow, by the deadline. Late bids are returned unopened. Grounds for rejection if missed. (ITB p. 1)
- Form: Bid Form with the base bid and both alternates, acknowledging Addenda 1 and 2. Grounds for rejection if missed. (ITB p. 7, §11)
- Form: Responsible Contractor Verification of Compliance, Minn. Stat. 16C.285, with the bid. Grounds for rejection if missed. (ITB p. 4, §5)
- Form: Signed Non-Collusion Affidavit. (ITB p. 7, §11)
- Post-bid: Apparent low bidder lists subcontractors at 5% or more of the base bid within 24 hours of bid opening. (ITB p. 7, §11)
- Wages: Minnesota prevailing wage on all work; weekly certified payroll from the contractor and every subcontractor. (ITB p. 4, §6)
Risk flags
- Bond close to the single-job limit. Estimate $18,200,000 against a $20,000,000 single-job limit (91%). A bid over the estimate, or growth through change orders, could exceed what the surety will write. Confirm with the surety before bid day. (ITB p. 2, §1)
- No float on the renovation. Work in the existing building can only happen from June 14 to August 20, 2027, the same day as Substantial Completion, and liquidated damages are $2,500 a calendar day. Any slip in the summer renovation goes straight to liquidated damages, about $75,000 a month, with no room to recover. Offsetting: The addition can start at Notice to Proceed in December 2026, so only the renovation is tied to the window. (ITB p. 2, §1)
- Hazardous materials survey not in the package. Attachment C is referenced but sits in the Project Manual, which wasn’t supplied. The District’s own abatement contractor works before the renovation, and we must stop work if unidentified materials turn up. Without the survey there is no way to judge how much abatement could eat into the 10-week summer window. Offsetting: Abatement is the District’s contract, not ours. (ITB p. 6, §9)
- Contract changes not reviewed. The AIA documents are modified by Supplementary Conditions in the Project Manual. Risk allocation (delay damages, concealed conditions, indemnity) can’t be confirmed until the Supplementary Conditions are read. (ITB p. 2, §2)
- Builder’s risk on the contractor. The contractor insures the full replacement value of the work. Add the premium to the estimate and confirm the broker will cover renovation inside an occupied 1968 building. (ITB p. 5, §7)
Open questions
For the owner
Submit before Tue Oct 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. CT (Addendum 1 p. 1, Item 1-1).
- Please issue Attachment C (Hazardous Materials Survey) with the bid documents, and confirm that abatement will be complete before June 14, 2027. (ITB p. 6, §9)
- Can renovation start before June 14 in areas the school isn’t using, or can the renovation have a separate Substantial Completion date after August 20? (ITB p. 2, §1)
- Does the District carry an allowance or contingency for suspect materials found after abatement? (ITB p. 6, §9)
- Can the new pollution liability requirement be met by a contractor’s pollution policy, or must it be a separate occurrence policy? (Addendum 2 p. 1, Item 2-2)
For the team
- Find out how long the City of Cedar Hollow Commercial Building Contractor, Class A license takes; Larkspur Builders doesn’t hold it and needs it before contract execution.
- Ask the broker whether Larkspur Builders carries pollution liability at $2,000,000.
- Competition: The ITB doesn’t name invited bidders. Check the plan-holder list and who attends the pre-bid meeting.
- Team and capacity: The profile doesn’t show which project manager and superintendent are free from December 2026 through September 2027.
- Who attends the mandatory pre-bid meeting on October 8? Bids from firms that miss it are rejected.
Sources
- Invitation to Bid CHPS-2026-07 (CHPS-2026-07-invitation-to-bid.pdf): 8 pages, reviewed
- Addendum No. 1, September 30, 2026 (CHPS-2026-07-addendum-1.pdf): 1 page, reviewed
- Addendum No. 2, October 2, 2026 (CHPS-2026-07-addendum-2.pdf): 1 page, reviewed
- Project Manual, Divisions 00 to 33: not supplied, not reviewed. Holds the Supplementary Conditions, Attachment C (Hazardous Materials Survey), and the geotechnical report, all referenced in the ITB
- Drawings, 186 sheets dated September 14, 2026: not supplied, not reviewed
- Company profile for Larkspur Builders (as of Tue Sep 1, 2026)
No estimate or pricing has been prepared. Pricing belongs to a separate estimating pass.