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All renovation projects are subject to review and approval, and must comply with University Policy 5405: Non-Capital Construction, Renovation, Maintenance and Repair of University-Owned Facilities. Campus Renovation Services (Renovation) supports the requirements of this policy by providing architectural and engineering design services to the university community, providing estimates of construction costs, and overseeing the performance of the work by licensed and pre-qualified contractors.

Located within the Sterrett Facility Complex, Renovation is composed of a small contingent of engineers, architects, designers and project coordinators. Renovation reports to the Director of Contracts and Campus Renovation Services and is responsible for annually completing more than 600 non-capital projects with an estimated construction value of $17 million.

Typical Design Process Phases

Initiating Your Project

The first step in every renovation request is to mail or fax* a Facilities Service Request Form (FSR) to the Facilities Business Office.

Facilities Business Office
Campus mail code 0529
Fax: 231-9344

* If you fax the FSR, you must mail the signed original to the Facilities Business Office.

Upon receipt of your FSR, the Facilities Business Office assigns your project a FSR number, then forwards the FSR to Renovation. The FSR number becomes the project's identification number, which allows us to track the project at every phase. (Note: If you are still using the 3-part ISRs with the pre-printed numbers, your project will not retain this number. It will be reassigned an FSR number.)

The following information is needed when submitting a FSR:

• Building (Where work is to be done)
• Contact (Person who knows what needs to be done. If possible, also provide the name of the financial person for the department.)
• Description of work to be done
• Valid fund and organization number
• Authorized signature (please print name also)
• Indication if the work is Federally funded
• Date
• College and Department names

Renovation will arrange a site visit or telephone call to discuss the following:

• Scope of the work requested
• Desired time to completion
• Proposed method of design
  • In-House Planning: Small projects (30-90 days)
  • Contracted Architectural-Engineer: Usually for larger projects
• Proposed customer budget and availability of funds

Initiating Your Project

The completed design and, if requested, an estimate are submitted for review. Each project is reviewed for safety, code and accessibility compliance by the following agencies.

• Division of Engineering and Buildings (DEB) (An Annual Permit is issued by the Director of Contracts and Campus Renovation Services.)
• Office of the University Architect
• Renovations Building Code Engineer
• Facilities Energy Manager
• Facilities Safety Office
• Environmental Health and Safety Services (EHSS)
• Electro-Mechanical Services (Physical Plant)
• Communication Network Services (CNS)
• Police Department
• Physical Access (Key) Control (Physical Plant)

Construction Phase

In an effort to provide the best service possible, our clients are offered three methods for project construction: Term Contracts, On-Demand Contracts and Invitation for Bids. All projects completed through Renovation are performed on a fully reimbursable basis (i.e., fees for service) meaning that the client will be charged the actual cost of the ongoing work and support needs for the project. The pros and cons of each method of work are detailed below.

1. Term Contracts

   Term contracts are contracts for goods and services established by the University normally for a term of five years. These contracts allow the Facilities to procure the services of skilled, licensed tradesmen in every discipline at a contract hourly or unit cost rate. Renovation supervises this work force to accomplish projects. Although you can request to be provided a budgetary estimated of the anticipated costs, Renovation makes no guarantee that your project might not exceed the original estimate, because of unanticipated problems during construction, etc. The advantage of the term contract is the ability to fast-track a small to medium size project after performing only a minimal design. A term contract project is considered "cost-plus."

2. On-Demand Construction

   Renovation, in conjunction with University Purchasing, established contracts with 12 Class "A" Contractors in order to quickly and competitively bid projects estimated to cost less than $100,000. Once the project has been designed, a budgetary estimate provided, review provided by agencies, and approval obtained from the client, it can normally be bid within two weeks. Projects of this type do require extra effort in the project definition phase since changes made after the contract has been awarded will require approved change orders; however, a complete design is not typically required. The advantage of this method is that the project cost is fixed and change orders are priced and approved by the client prior to proceeding with changes.

3. Invitation for Bids (IFB)

   IFB's are a more formalized method of project construction procurement and are usually required to be used for projects costing $100,000 to $1,000,000. The disadvantage of this method is that a complete design is required and a formal procurement process is necessary. The advantage of this method is that the project is opened up for competitive bid to a larger commercial market by advertisement in the newspaper and e-Va. The average turn-around time from issuance of an IFB (after design approval) to award of the contract for construction is approximately 60 days.

Change Orders

In the course of renovation, it is not unusual to discover conditions that were not anticipated during the design phase. Pre-existing code violations that are discovered during the design or construction of the project remain the responsibility of the client and thus must be corrected at the client's expense.

If the project's scope is changed after the final approval of the design, a review for building code compliance and approval of the changed design is required prior to construction of the changed item. Changes and/or modifications in the scope of work may result in additional time and charges to the client. (Note: A change in the project’s scope could be as simple as adding an additional filing cabinet.)

Project Management

Regardless of the method of project procurement chosen by the client, Renovation personnel manage all projects. There will be a project manager and/or a project coordinator assigned to every project to keep project activities coordinated and the client informed. All questions or concerns a client might have should be directed to their assigned project manager and/or the project coordinator. Discussing project issues directly with the contractor is discouraged as it often leads to confusion and misunderstanding.

Fees

Cancelled Projects

Fees will still be charged on projects cancelled after work has started on the project.

Design

Generally, design fees increase proportionately with design complexity. Except in emergencies, Renovation will not commit to spending the department's funds without prior approval. Design fees typically average 12%-15% of the total project construction cost.

Hazardous Materials

If hazardous materials are suspected (such as asbestos or lead), then testing would be required for an accurate assessment of required abatement in the project scope. Testing fees are normally less than $100 and require the client's approval.

Warranty

The Renovation Department and its Contractors will warrant all renovation work for a period of one year.

Extended warranties for particular work elements or equipment may also be provided.

Billing Process

After a Facilities Service Request (FSR) form is received by Renovation, Work Orders are issued to facilitate work initiation.

All project costs are recorded on an on-going basis. As soon as invoices are received, they are processed for payment and posted to the Facilities' accounting system (DEPART). Renovation fee for services will be posted weekly.

Once projects are completed and inspected, the client will usually receive a final billing within 90 days. However, in the event that a Contractor or supplier does not invoice the Renovation within this time frame, clients will still be responsible for all payments of invoices received for up to 7 years after project accomplishment.

Larger renovation projects (eg; $50,000 or greater) are billed periodically during project accomplishment. They are also final billed at 90 days once the project has been competed and inspected. At the end of each fiscal year, all outstanding charges will be partially billed regardless of the amount. Partial billing can also be arranged at any time upon the request of the customer.

The Facilities Business Office is not allowed to bill for work that has not yet been performed or work for which no invoice has been received. FSR's are billed charging the fund (account) number listed on the FSR. Charges can also be posted against multiple funds. It is the department’s responsibility to make arrangements with the University Budget Office to allow for carry over of funds that are assigned to pay for work-in-progress for any projects that cannot be billed before FY-End.