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Commission questions steep bids, code costs for jail remodel and county maintenance building
Summary
Commissioners expressed concern about rising bids to renovate a former jail for maintenance use, citing shortfalls between initial $350,000 estimates and current million‑dollar bids and state code requirements that increased engineering costs.
Cheatham County commissioners spent significant time at the March 10 workshop reviewing plans, bids and code-related cost increases for a former jail renovation and a separate county maintenance building project.
Commissioners and staff said an earlier estimate of roughly $350,000 for converting parts of the old jail structure into usable maintenance space has grown substantially. One commissioner said prior bids were “over a million dollars,” and attendees attributed part of the rise to state code requirements, architect-specified changes and an unexpected need for stamped engineered plans.
County staff and one contractor in the room described specific cost drivers: a required firewall between storage and office areas and fire-marshall or code changes that added engineering and sprinkler/alarm requirements in order to meet state standards. Edwin, a county staff member who spoke during the discussion, said state-mandated engineering work had added approximately $50,000 on a past project and that changes imposed after initial planning were a recurring cost factor.
Commissioners questioned whether in-house crews could complete portions of the work to reduce costs and whether the work should be bid as a single general-contract package or separated into multiple trade contracts. Several commissioners suggested capping the project and completing only essential items now, while others argued the county should bid the project out to a general contractor who would manage subcontractors and warranty responsibilities.
The commission reviewed site conditions that staff said include standing water in lower areas of the building and unresolved plumbing and grade issues. Staff noted the metal shell of a separate building had been erected quickly, and finishing the interior—including concrete pours, plumbing roughed in to code and insulation—remains a major cost element.
No formal contract award or limit was adopted at the workshop. Commissioners asked the mayor to put the item on the agenda for the next Monday meeting to allow further review and to give the mayor authority to proceed with bidding if the commission agreed at that time.
Ending: The mayor will present revised plans and bid‑package recommendations at the next meeting; commissioners asked staff to identify potential scope-trim options and to produce clearer cost breakout for each trade.
