Franklin County awards $51,996 jail water‑heater contract to Crouch & Sons after competing bids

The Franklin County Commission on Sept. 18 awarded a $51,996 contract to Crouch & Sons Plumbing to replace the jail’s tankless gas water heaters.

Sheriff Shannon Oliver asked the commission to accept the bid from Crouch & Sons, citing prior problems with an alternate vendor, MPE Services, including alleged post‑job upcharges and inconsistent pricing. The commission reviewed detailed estimates and specifications submitted by both firms and approved Crouch & Sons’ bid by motion.

MPE Services’ estimate listed work to remove 13 Rheem tankless heaters and install 13 new units at a proposed total of $47,090; their paperwork noted one previously quoted unit was a 40‑gallon electric holding tank and could be omitted. Crouch & Sons’ bid proposed removing 13 Rheem tankless units plus the electric tank, reworking recirculation lines and installing 14 Navien NPE‑2 series tankless heaters and ancillary circulators, valves and controls.

The county record includes equipment specifications (Navien NPE‑2 series) and a subcontractor warranty from Crouch & Sons offering one year on installation labor and materials; the Navien manufacturer warranty (included by the subcontractor) covers heat exchangers and parts under the producer’s stated terms.

The commission’s motion to accept Crouch & Sons’ bid was unanimous. Commissioners did not vote to adopt one vendor’s estimates as the definitive equipment list beyond the awarded contract amount and installation scope recorded in the bid documents.

Next steps: county procurement staff will finalize the contract and a project schedule with the contractor, after which install dates and any required system shutdowns will be coordinated with jail administration.