Tuolumne County awards $1.89 million wildfire debris-removal contract to Anvil Builders; rejects bid protest

Tuolumne County’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Nov. 12, 2025 to award a $1,893,350 contract to Anvil Builders for Phase 2 lightning-complex disaster debris and hazard-tree removal and to approve related budget and contracting actions.

Blossom Scott Heim, director of public works, told the board that the county received eight bids for the DDHTR (disaster debris and hazard tree removal) contract and that county counsel and staff had reviewed the low bid from Anvil Builders and found it “in substantial compliance with our call for bids.” Heim said the county received a protest from Sierra Mountain Construction Inc. (SMCI) alleging an incomplete or unbalanced bid, but staff concluded the alleged issues were not material and recommended rejecting the protest and waiving the irregularities so the county could award to Anvil.

The motion read into the record by staff directed the board to: find the SMCI bid protest had “insufficient merit” and reject it; waive irregularities in Anvil…