DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Award Contract 25-16-M Bituminous Seal Coats
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt specifications for Contract 25-16-M Bituminous Seal Coats and award the base bid and additive bids 1, 2, and 3 to the lowest bidder, Pavement Coatings Co., 2150 Bell Ave 125 Sacramento, CA 95838, in the total amount of $1,532,205.22.
REPORT
There is no increase in Net County Cost. Approval of the recommended action will authorize the award of a SB-1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) funded road improvement project, with a portion of the project funded by County Service Area 35B - Cal Sierra & Sierra Highlands (CSA 35B) for work on CSA roads. This item pertains to locations in Districts 1, 4, and 5.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may award only the base bid, award the base bid and some or all of the additive bids, or reject all bids. If the recommended action is not approved, the project will be delayed or will not be constructed.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. The base bid and additives bids 1 and 2 include work along county-maintained roadways and will be funded with the County’s SB-1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account. Additive bid 3 includes work on CSA roads, which are not part of the County’s system of maintained roadways, and will be funded by CSA 35B. The maximum permitted for the Director’s allowance for change orders pursuant to Public Contract Code section 20142 is $89,110, which is approximately 5.8% of the total compensation payable under Contract 25-16-M. The anticipated construction cost for the project, based on the low bid and Director’s allowance for change orders, is $1,621,315. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department of Public Works and Planning - Org 4510 FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget for the base bid and additive bids 1 and 2. Sufficient appropriations are included in CSA 35B - Org 9155 FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget for additive bid 3.
DISCUSSION:
This is a public project of more than $220,000. Public Contract Code section 22032, subd. (c) requires public projects of more than $220,000 be let to contract by formal bidding procedure.
The work to be done consists, in general, of furnishing and placing screenings over asphaltic emulsion at various existing roads in Fresno County. The chip seal coats will be constructed on 15.56 miles of roadway on County roads. County forces will repair, trim, and blade heavy dirt deposits and vegetation from the existing surfacing in advance of construction. An additional 11.02 miles of road of chip seal coats are included as additive bids.
The project was advertised on March 13, 2026, and a bid opening was held on April 2, 2026. Five bids were received. The low bid of $1,532,205.22, from Pavement Coatings Co., was approximately $255,596, or 14.3% lower than the engineer’s estimate of $1,787,801. The basis of award for the contract is the total of the base bid and all additive bids. A list of bidders and their respective bid amounts are shown below:
Bidder Bid Amount (Base Bid + All Additives)
Pavement Coatings Co. $1,532,205.22
American Pavement Systems, Inc. $1,686,974.10
VSS International, Inc. $1,814,211.00
Sierra Nevada Construction, Inc. $1,844,007.00
Doolittle Construction, LLC $1,851,000.00
The low bidder’s bid amounts for the additive bid locations are shown below:
Location Low Bidder Amounts
Additive 1 - Location 1A - Olive Ave. $163,238.12
Additive 2 - Location 2A - Lassen from Clinton to SSR 180 $143,606.82
Additive 3 - Location 3A - CSA 35B $280,635.00
Specifications were prepared by the Department’s Design Division and are on file with the Department. Department staff has determined that this project is categorically exempt from the provisions of CEQA under Section 15301(c) - Existing Facilities. The work is expected to begin and be completed in Summer 2026.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Location Map
Bid Summary
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia