Purchasing and Bidding for Washington State Local Governments

Contact John Carpita, MRSC Public Works Consultant, for more information or comments: jcarpita@mrsc.org or 206-625-1300.

Hot Topics

See MRSC's 2009 Legislation Update on Public Works and Contracting. ( 251 KB)

Contents

• Purchasing and Bidding Introduction
  • Definitions
  • Exemptions
  • Auctions
• Suggested Guidelines for Purchasing, Bidding, and Contracting for Washington State Conservation Districts
• Intergovernmental Purchases and 'Piggybacking'
  • Pacific Northwest Purchasing Professionals (PNPPA) Contracts Database
• Purchasing Procedures, Policies, and Manuals
• Need for Written Procedures and Policies
• Municipal Purchasing
• Purchasing Manuals
• Services
  • Equipment, Materials and Supplies
• Public Works Contracts
  • Competitively Bid Works Contracts
  • Construction Contract Management
• Sales and Use Tax Issues
• Retainage and Bonding Issues
• Prevailing Wage Issues
• Small Public Works Roster
  • Small Public Works Contracts
  • Limited Public Works Process
• Reference Sources
  • Statutes
  • Administrative Regulations
  • Attorney General Opinions
  • Selected MRSC Library Holdings
  • Links
  • The Bidding Book for Washington Counties ( 494kb)  
  • The Bidding Book for Washington Cities and Towns ( 1.2 MB)
  • Purchasing and Bidding Chart for Local Agencies in Washington State ()
  • Flow Chart for Purchasing and Bidding in Washington Counties ( 294 Kb)
  • Washington State Model Design and Construction Manual
  • Prevailing Wages by County and Trade
  • Contractors not allowed (debarred) to bid on or work on public works projects
  • Look Up a Contractor, Electrician, or Plumber - Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
• Recent Legislation Affecting Public Works Contracting & Purchasing
• Sample Documents
  • Agreements and Contracts
  • RFP's