December 11, 2014

New California Law Facilitates Design-Build Procurement Process

By Zak Tomlinson

California has passed a new law that provides uniform provisions authorizing a wide variety of state and local entities to utilize the Design-Build process for the procurement of public works project in excess of $1 million.  California SB 785 (signed by Governor Brown on September 30, 2014) repeals a patchwork of agency and municipality-specific Design-Build laws, including those directed toward the California Department of General Services (DGS) and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). 

As a reminder, Washington State has its own Design-Build statute, found at RCW 39.10.300 among other “Alternative Public Works Contracting Procedures.”  While similarly intended, the Washington statute is different in scope and procedure than the California model.  Most notably, Washington’s Design-Build process is limited to projects in excess of $10 million, thus significantly restricting the scope of projects on which it can be used.