ARTICLE 1. Construction [10500. - 10506.]

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC 1.

in effect

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10500. Section 10500.

As used in this article, “project” includes the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of any University of California structure, building, road, or other improvement that will exceed in cost, including labor and materials, a total of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10500.5. Section 10500.5.

It is the intent of the Legislature to facilitate the participation of small businesses, particularly small disadvantaged or minority business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises, in business contracting with the University of California. The Legislature intends that the Regents of the University of California adopt policies and procedures to ensure that a fair proportion of university contracts be placed with small business enterprises, particularly small disadvantaged, women, and disabled veteran business enterprises, in areas of commodity purchases, services, and construction contracts. It is further the intent of the Legislature that the regents adopt, by January 1, 1985, with respect to small business enterprises, particularly small disadvantaged and women business enterprises, and by January 1, 1992, with respect to disabled veteran business enterprises, policies and procedures that include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (a) Annual targets for utilization of small businesses, particularly disadvantaged business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises, including subcontracts for construction. (b) Annual statistical reports on the participation of small businesses, particularly disadvantaged business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises, as general contractors and subcontractors in each project. (c) Outreach programs. (d) Directories of disadvantaged business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises. (e) Monitoring by the regents of progress with respect to the utilization of disadvantaged business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the Regents of the University of California report annually to the Legislature, on or before each July 1, on the participation of small disadvantaged business enterprises, women business enterprises, and disabled veteran business enterprises in university business contracting.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10501. Section 10501.

Except as otherwise provided in this article, the Regents of the University of California shall let any contract for a project to the lowest responsible bidder or else reject all bids. However, if one or more of the bids is substantially equal to the lowest bid, and at least one of those bidders is a disadvantaged business enterprise, a women business enterprise, or a disabled veteran business enterprise, the regents may award the contract in accordance with the policies and procedures adopted pursuant to Section 10500.5. If the regents deem it to be for the best interest of the university, the regents may, on the refusal or failure of the successful bidder for a project to execute a tendered contract, award it to the second lowest responsible bidder. If the second lowest bidder fails or refuses to execute the contract, the regents may likewise award it to the third lowest responsible bidder.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10502. Section 10502.

The Regents of the University of California shall give public notice of a project to bidders by publication twice within the 60-day period preceding the day set for the receiving of bids as follows: (a) Either in one newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the major portion of the project is located and in one such trade paper circulated in the county in which the major portion of the work is to be done or electronically on the Internet Web site of the university. (b) The notices shall state the time and place for the receiving and opening of sealed bids, describe in general terms the work to be done, and describe the bidding mode by which the lowest responsible bidder will be selected.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10503. Section 10503.

Before entering into any contract for a project, the Regents of the University of California shall cause to be prepared estimates and either: (a) Complete plans and specifications setting forth such directions as will enable a competent mechanic or other builder to carry them out. (b) Documents for the solicitation of bids on a design-and-build basis, including: (1) a program setting forth the scope of the project, the size, type, and desired design character of the buildings and the site, (2) a set of performance specifications covering the quality of materials, equipment, and workmanship, (3) a maximum acceptance cost, and (4) a method and grading system for evaluating contractor proposals on the basis of a preliminary design, outline specifications, a price, and the financial condition and relevant experience of the contractor and the contractor’s architect. (c) Documents for the solicitation of bids for construction manager mode of contracting including prequalification standards, schematic plans, and outline specifications indicating the general scope of the project and the designation of those fees and other fixed commitments upon which prequalified contractors will be invited to submit competitive bids which will serve as the basis for selection. (d) Documents for the solicitation of bids on a cost-plus fee mode of contracting, including prequalification standards, outline specifications, and schematic drawings generally describing the scope of the work, a definition of reimbursable and nonreimbursable costs, and the designation of fees and other fixed costs upon which prequalified contractors will be invited to submit quotations which will provide the basis for selection. (e) Documents for the solicitation of bids under such other contracting mode as the regents determine to be in the best interest of the university, provided that such proposals be compared on a uniform basis and that award be made as determined by the published selection standards.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10504. Section 10504.

Except as otherwise provided in Section 10504.5 or 10506, work on all projects shall be performed under contract awarded in accordance with Section 10501, except that it may be done on a time and materials basis, by contract upon informal bids, by University of California employees, by day labor under the direction of the regents, or by a combination thereof, in case of emergency due to an act of God, earthquake, flood, storm, fire, landslide, public disturbance, vandalism, or failure that causes damage to a university-owned building or structure, university-owned real property, or any improvements thereon, when that work or those remedial measures are required immediately and are necessary to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10504.5. Section 10504.5.

(a) Where the nature of the work, in the opinion of the Regents of the University of California, is such that the application of all of the provisions of this chapter in connection with that work is not required, and the cost of the project does not exceed six hundred forty thousand dollars ($640,000), the regents shall solicit bids in writing and shall award the work to the lowest responsible bidder or reject all bids. (b) (1) The Regents of the University of California shall establish a procedure to qualify and rate a bidder for work to be awarded pursuant to subdivision (a) when the cost of the project exceeds three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) but does not exceed six hundred forty thousand dollars ($640,000). (2) The procedures shall require a bidder to complete and submit a qualification questionnaire. The qualification questionnaire shall cover, at a minimum, the issues covered by the Model Pre-qualification Questionnaire developed in 1999 by the Department of Industrial Relations pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 20101. The procedures shall also require a bidder to complete and submit a financial statement, unless the bidder is a contractor who has qualified as a Small Business Administration entity pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 14837 of the Government Code. A bidder who is required to complete and submit a qualification questionnaire shall include the general contractor and, if utilized, the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing subcontractor, except that the nonqualification of a subcontractor shall not disqualify an otherwise qualified contractor. (3) Each campus or facility shall adopt and apply a uniform system of rating a bidder on the basis of the completed qualification questionnaire and, if available, financial statements to determine the minimum requirements permitted for qualification to submit a bid. Each campus or facility may process qualification questionnaires and financial statements on a quarterly basis to qualify a prospective bidder for a period of one calendar year from the date of qualification. (4) Upon award to the lowest responsible bidder, each campus or facility shall publicly post on its Internet Web site a brief description of the project and the awarded amount along with the name of the contractor who is the lowest responsible bidder.

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10505. Section 10505.

(a) The Regents of the University of California may perform projects with university employees if the regents deem that the award of a contract, the acceptance of bids, or the acceptance of further bids is not in the best interests of the university, under either of the following circumstances: (1) The value of the project to be so performed shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000). (2) The project is for the erection, construction, alteration, repair, or improvement of experimental, diagnostic, or specialized research equipment. (b) This section does not apply to the painting or repainting of a structure, building, road, or improvement of any kind if the value of the painting or repainting project exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).

Cal. Public Contract Code - PCC § 10506. Section 10506.

The requirements of Sections 10501, 10502, and 10503 shall not be applicable to (1) any project of which the Regents of the University of California is only part owner, or (2) any project funded by a federal agency to the extent that requirements of Sections 10501, 10502, and 10503 are in conflict with mandatory requirements of such federal agency, or (3) projects performed pursuant to Section 10505.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026