Massachusetts public works bidding requirements
Summary of record
- Competitive bidding threshold (public work)
- More than $50,000
- Governing statute
- MGL Ch. 30 §39M · Ch. 149 §44A
- Award standard
- Lowest eligible and responsible bidder
- Multiple-prime required?
- Yes — filed sub-bids
- Prevailing wage
- MGL c.149 §§26–27
- Addenda distribution
- To all bidders
Competitive bidding threshold
Massachusetts runs a two-track system. Public works and horizontal projects over $50,000 are formally competitively bid under MGL Ch. 30 §39M; vertical building projects over $150,000 use the full Ch. 149 §44A filed-sub-bid process.1 Work from $10,000 to $50,000 needs three written quotes; below $10,000, sound business practices apply.
Threshold updates took effect September 6, 2024. Confirm the current figures with DCAMM.
Award standard
Contracts go to the lowest eligible and responsible bidder.1
Multiple-prime contracts (filed sub-bids)
On Ch. 149 building projects over $150,000, designated trades over $25,000 must be procured through filed sub-bids — a form of multiple-prime procurement — with contractor certification by DCAMM.2
Prevailing wage
Prevailing wage applies to all public work under the Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law (MGL c.149 §§26–27) — there is no dollar threshold.3
Document distribution & addenda
MassDOT Section 2 requires all proposal-document modifications to be issued as addenda posted on bidx.com and CommBuys, with each bidder providing an email for addenda notification and downloading and acknowledging every addendum.4
Record of change
Massachusetts uses two procurement tracks — Ch. 30 §39M for public works and Ch. 149 §44A for buildings, the latter requiring filed sub-bids for designated trades. Prevailing wage applies to all public work, with no dollar floor. Threshold figures were last updated September 6, 2024.
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Verified
Added document-distribution source: Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, Section 2 (2.01, 2.04).
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Verified
Page created and verified against MGL Ch. 30 §39M, Ch. 149 §44A, and the Prevailing Wage Law.
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Threshold
Competitive-bidding threshold figures updated under Ch. 30 §39M and Ch. 149.
Sources
- 1. Massachusetts Legislature — MGL Ch. 30 §39M (public works bidding). malegislature.gov
- 2. Massachusetts Legislature — MGL Ch. 149 §44A (building construction; filed sub-bids). malegislature.gov
- 3. Massachusetts Legislature — MGL c.149 §§26–27 (prevailing wage). malegislature.gov
- 4. Massachusetts DOT — Highway Division (MassDOT) — Standard Specifications for Highways and Bridges, Section 2 (2.01, 2.04). www.mass.gov
Frequently asked
- What is the competitive bidding threshold for public works in Massachusetts?
- More than $50,000 for public works under Ch. 30 §39M, and more than $150,000 for building projects under the Ch. 149 §44A filed-sub-bid process. Work from $10,000 to $50,000 needs three written quotes.
- What are filed sub-bids?
- On Massachusetts building projects over $150,000, designated trades over $25,000 must be bid separately as filed sub-bids — a form of multiple-prime procurement — with DCAMM certification.
- Does Massachusetts require prevailing wages on public works?
- Yes, on all public work — the Massachusetts Prevailing Wage Law (MGL c.149 §§26–27) has no dollar threshold.
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