Boyertown Elementary HVAC, roof and electrical bids come in under budget; administration to seek awards

CHA consultant Jamie Lynch told the Boyertown Area School District board that three prime contracts for the Boyertown Elementary School HVAC, roof and electrical project produced competitive bids and that the project as bid is below the district’s budget.

Lynch identified the apparent low bidders as EA Roofing (roof, roughly $2.4 million), JBM Mechanical (mechanical, about $3.9 million) and Phillips Brothers (electrical, about $2.0 million), and outlined alternates Lynch recommended including. "Because the project is on budget, we don't suggest taking the deduct alternates," Lynch said, and recommended retaining the specified 30‑year roof product rather than a lower‑warranty alternative.

Lynch summarized recommended mechanical alternates that would be added to the mechanical prime: replacement of the administrative‑suite HVAC ($125,000), replacement of the building water heater with a gas‑fired unit ($109,000), and rooftop equipment openings and steel support curbs ($10,000). He also described electrical alternates that would improve system quality (canopy lighting, power wiring to new HVAC units, fire‑alarm manufacturer consistency and new switchgear selection).

Board members asked about contractor qualifications and schedule. Lynch said EA Roofing has recent public‑sector references and that the roofing owner previously led a larger firm his team has worked with. "I've collected the references," Lynch said. On phasing, Lynch explained that the contractor offered an option to complete the entire roof in summer 2026 at no additional cost; he said long lead times for switchgear and equipment mean some electrical work still may occur in a second summer.

Administration stated it will present motions at the next legislative meeting to award the prime contracts with the recommended alternates, associated soft costs, contingency and updated figures. No contract was awarded at this meeting; award is expected to return to the board for formal vote.