SECTION 00100
INVITATION TO BID
Notice is hereby given that the Board of County Commissioners of Flathead County, Montana, will receive bids for the construction of a new Salt/Sand Storage Building located in Bigfork, Montana. All sealed bids, plainly marked “Fox Pit Salt Sand Building” must be in the hands of the Board of County Commissioners, Flathead County, 800 South Main, Room 302, Kalispell, Montana 59901, before 4 o’clock p.m., on April 6, 2026. Bids will be opened and read aloud at 9:30 a.m. on April 7, 2026 in the Commissioner’s Chambers, Third Floor, County Courthouse at 800 South Main, Kalispell, Montana. A recommendation based on the bids received will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for review and approval at the April 9, 2026 board meeting.
There will be a pre-bid conference at the Fox Pit in Bigfork, Montana at 11:00 a.m. local time on March 31, 2026. Interested contractors are encouraged to attend. This Pre-Bid conference is not mandatory; however, will be an opportunity for introductions, summary of the project, a brief question and answer session, and reviewing the site.
The project generally consists of the construction of one salt/sand storage building located at 6565 MT Highway 35, Bigfork MT 59911. The building will be nominal 75’x50’ Pole Barn structure, with a metal roof on 2x purlins with partially sheathed walls on the two (2) side walls and the back wall. Below the partially sheathed walls there will be 6 ft high Eco Block “retaining” walls. There will be a concrete slab around sono-tube column footings under the Eco Block.
The contract documents, consisting of drawings and the project manual, may be examined or obtained at the office of Jackola Engineering and Architecture, PC, 2250 Hwy 93 South, Kalispell MT 59901 or from the Montana plans exchange. An additional non-refundable payment of $50.00 is required for documents sent by express mail. Hard copies may be purchased for the non-refundable amount of $100.00 at Jackola’s office.
Each bidder should submit bids for and produce a schedule showing when the work can be started and completed. Warranties and schedules will be considered when determining the bid that is in the best interest of Flathead County and will be included in the contract.
Each bidder must deposit with his/her bid, a bid security in the amount of ten percent (10%) of the bid. Bid security shall be payable to Flathead County and shall be in the form of lawful money of the United States, a cashier’s check, certified check, bank money order, or bank draft issued by a banking corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Montana, or bid bond executed by a surety corporation authorized to do business in Montana.
No bidder may withdraw a bid after the actual date of the opening thereof.
The selected bidder will, within 15 days, enter into a formal contract for the completion of the project. A Performance Bond and Labor and Materials Payment Bond each in the amount of One Hundred percent (100%) of the contract sum will be required of the successful bidder, to secure the contractor’s covenant to faithfully perform all of the conditions of the contract in accordance with the law and that contract. The successful bidder will also be required to provide current proof of Worker’s Compensation insurance, an independent contractor certification from the State General Liability and Automobile insurance policies and Builders Risk Insurance with Flathead County as an additional insured as listed in the documents.
The successful bidder must contract to pay prevailing wage rates, set by the Montana Department of Labor, and will be subject to withholding of 1% of all payments for transmittal to the Department of Revenue to pay the public contract tax. The Contractor and all subcontractors will be required to have a certificate of registration from the Montana Department of Labor and Industry in the proper classification prior to bidding this project. Forms for registration are available from the Department of Labor and Industry, P.O. Box 8011, 1805 Prospect, Helena, Montana 59604-8011. The successful bidder must contract to give preference to the employment of bona fide residents of Montana in the performance of the work pursuant to MCA Section 18-1-102. A resident bidder will be allowed a preference against the bid of any nonresident bidder from any state or country that enforces a preference for resident bidders equal to the preference given in the other state or country.
Flathead County reserves the right to accept or reject any bid and to waive any irregularities which are deemed to be in the best interest of the County.
The award of bid will be made solely by the issuance of a letter of award to the successful bidder by the Office of the Flathead County Board of Commissioners.
Dated this 10th day of March, 2026.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Flathead County, Montana
By: _/s/Brad W. Abell____________
Brad W. Abell, Chairman
ATTEST:
By:_/s/Dori Magar_____________
Dori Magar, Clerk of the Board
Publish on March 15 and 22, 2026