09/28/2026
GRAHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Board of County Commissioners 12 North Main Street | Robbinsville, NC 28771 | 828-479-7961 | Fax 828-479-7988
BOARD: Meggan Smith, Chair | Lynn Cody, Vice-Chairman
Jacob Nelms, Member | Natasha Williams, Member | Connie Orr, Member
ADMINISTRATION: Brady Cody, County Manager | Kim Crisp, Clerk to the Board
Memorandum To: Interested Qualified Firms From: Brady Cody
County Manager
Subject: Request for Qualifications (RFQ):
Construction Manager at Risk for the
Graham County Justice Center – Phase 1: Courts Facility
Robbinsville, NC
Date Issued: September 28, 2026
RFQ: Construction Manager at Risk
Graham County is soliciting services from qualified Construction Managers, to provide services for a new construction project, for the Graham County Justice Center – Phase 1: Courts Facility, located in Robbinsville, NC. Interested qualified firms should submit sealed proposals, with 6 hard copies, for Construction Manager at Risk, to the following address as detailed below, no later than 2:00pm Eastern on October 23, 2026
Brady Cody
Graham County Manager
12 North Main Street
Robbinsville, NC, 28771
**Note** - It is the submitting firm’s responsibility to make sure the submittal reaches the owner, by the date and time mentioned above. Graham County is not responsible for any courier service.
Electronic (email) or facsimile submissions will not be accepted.
PROCUREMENT CONTACT PERSON:
Brady Cody
Graham County Manager
[email protected]
(828) 479-7983
Proposed Scope of Service:
The selected CMR firm will work with Graham County’s Project Management team, and the County’s architect/design firm, Cope Architecture, to complete the project. The services requested must be by a firm with CMR experience and will be inclusive of both pre-construction and construction services.
Project Overview:
The overall project scope will include the new construction of a two story Courts Facility building, along with all necessary installation of all building systems components, including but not limited to HVAC, plumbing, electrical, structural, electronic security, AV equipment, data, interior, and exterior finishes, envelope/enclosure, and parking, associated with a yet to be finalized design criteria and scope, are to be included in the project scope. A part of the CMR’s scope will be the necessary programming with Graham County in order to provide cost estimates and schedules for project approval. Additionally, the CMR’s services will be to provide the necessary Pre-Construction and Bid Administration for the bidding process and awarding of the trades, to ensure project success.
**Although the exact cost for this project is yet to be determined, the estimated construction cost is 9-11 million dollars.
Format for Statements of Qualifications:
Each proposal submitted (6 hard copies), in response to this solicitation should address the following elements.
Profile of Proposer:
1. Give corporate history of the company including organizational structure, years in business and evidence of authority to do business in North Carolina.
2. Provide annual workload for each of the last five (5) years; number of projects and total dollar value.
3. List projects for which the company is currently committed including name & location of each project, time frame to complete & dollar volume of each project.
4. Financials – Attach latest balance sheet and income statement if available, based on company type. Audited statements preferred. If not available, attach a copy of the latest annual renewal submission to the relevant licensing board. Indicate Dun & Bradstreet rating if one exists. (Firms must submit financial data and may clearly indicate a request for confidentiality to avoid this item becoming part of a public record.)
5. Attach letter from Surety Company or its agent licensed to do business in North Carolina verifying proposer’s capability of providing adequate performance and payment bonds for this project.
6. List all construction projects performed by the proposer for agencies and institutions of the State of North Carolina including state universities/colleges and local school districts during the past 7 years.
7. Litigation/Claims. If yes to any of the questions below, list the project(s), dollar value, contact information for owner and designer and provide a full explanation with relevant documentation.
A. Has your company ever failed to complete work awarded to it? ____Yes __No
B. Has your company ever failed to substantially complete a project in a timely manner (i.e. more than 20% beyond the original contracted, scheduled completion date)? Yes No
C. Has your company filed any claims with the North Carolina State Construction Office within the last five years? Yes No
D. Has your company been involved in any suits or arbitration within the last five years? ___Yes No
E. Are there currently any judgments, claims, arbitration proceedings or suits pending or outstanding against your company, its officers, owners, or agents? ____Yes ___No
F. Has your present company, its officers, owners, or agents ever been convicted of charges relating to conflicts of interest, bribery, or bid-rigging? __Yes __No
7. Has your present company, its officers, owners, or agents ever been barred from bidding public work in North Carolina? __Yes __No
Project Experience:
1. List five projects of similar size, scope and complexity performed by the proposer.
2. For each of the five projects, include specific details on the extent to which pre-construction & construction phase services were provided.
3. For the five projects listed above where CM services were provided, list the Guaranteed Maximum Price (if given), or if not given, the estimated cost provided by you, and the total cost of the project at completion.
4. For each of the five projects above where CM services were provided, compare the number of days in the original schedule with the number of days taken for actual completion.
5. For each of the five projects listed above, attach project owner references including the name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the project owner representative.
Key Personnel
1. List of key personnel who will be assigned to the project.
2. For each person listed above, list what aspects of pre-construction or construction the person will handle. For those persons who will divide their time between pre- construction and construction phases, indicate what percentage of their time will be devoted to each phase.
3. For each person listed in response to 1 & 2 above, list his/her experience with firm, other prior and relevant experience with projects of similar size and scope in construction/design, and the person’s location. Attach the resumes and references for each person listed.
4. Attach project organizational chart indicating the placement of each of the persons listed in response to 1 & 2 above
5. Indicate and identify the depth of personnel that would be available for this project should the above-named key personnel becomes injured, or otherwise unavailable to staff the project.
Project Planning
1. Provide a brief, overall description of how the project will be organized and managed, and how the services will be performed in both Pre-Construction and Construction Phases. Project planning that offers the same project manager for pre-construction and construction phases shall be given preference.
a. Value Engineering
b. Constructability Issues
c. Cost Model/Estimates
d. Project Tracking/Reporting
e. Request for Information (RFI) and Shop Drawings
f. Quality Control
g. Schedule and Staffing Plan
B. Minority Participation: Describe the program (plan) that your company has developed to encourage participation by Minority and other HUB firms. Attach a copy of that plan to this proposal. Provide documentation of the Minority and other HUB participation that you have achieved over the past two years on both public and private construction projects. Outline specific efforts that your company takes to notify Minority and other HUB firms of opportunities for participation. Indicate the minority participation goal that you expect to achieve on this project.
Please note, firms may submit prior work product that shows their competence as it relates to this RFQ. However, firms may NOT submit work products or designs for the project described in this RFQ. Firms can NOT submit an estimated total fee, total contract price, or an estimation of hours involved in completing the project in response to this RFQ.
Selection Process:
Proposals submitted by the deadline will be evaluated by a County-appointed selection committee, comprised of staff from Graham County. Each firm will be evaluated based upon the following criteria.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the solicitations:
Criteria: Weight
Experience and Structure of Business 30
Construction Manager at Risk Experience and Qualifications 25
Project Team and Availability of Resources 25
Overall Project Approach 20
Standard of Award:
The standard of award for this Request for Qualifications will be based on the demonstrated competence and qualifications of firms to provide Construction Manager at Risk services for the new construction of the Graham County Justice Center – Phase 1: Courts Facility. Proposals will be reviewed after opening and will be ranked in order of choice based on selection criteria, at which point, contract negotiations will begin with the most qualified firm. The County reserves the right to interview any or all firms, as it deems necessary. Should negotiations fail with the initial qualified firm, the County may, at its discretion, terminate negotiations with the first-ranked firm and begin negotiations with lower ranked qualified firms. The County shall not be bound or in any way obligated until both parties have executed a contract. The County reserves the right to delay the award of a contract or to not award a contract.
Graham County reserves the unqualified right to reject any and/or all statements of qualifications, and to waive any informalities in so far as it is authorized to do so and further specifically reserves the right to make the award in the best interest of the County. Qualified firms interested in providing qualification statements or having questions for this project may contact Brady Cody @ [email protected]
CMR Requirements
The CMR shall contract directly with the County for all construction; shall publicly advertise as prescribed in NCGS 143-129; and shall prequalify and accept bids from first tier sub-contractors for all construction work under this section. The CMR shall use the prequalification process determined by the County in accordance with NCGS 143-135.8, provided that the County and the CMR shall jointly develop the assessment tool and criteria for the specific project, which include the prequalification scoring and minimum required score for prequalification on the project. The County shall require the CMR to submit its plan for compliance with NCGS 143-128.2 for approval by the County prior to soliciting bids for the project’s first-tier subcontractors. The CMR and first tier contractors shall make a good faith effort to comply with NCGS 143-128.2, NCGS 143-128.4, and tto recruit small business entities. The CMR shall act as Graham County’s fiduciary in handling and opening the bids.
Payment and Performance Bonds
The CMR shall provide Performance and Payment Bond issued and guaranteed by a North Carolina-licensed insurer in the amount of 100% of the construction contract amount and the bond shall continue throughout the contract ex*****on period, from when the County issues a Notice to Proceed and Purchase or Contract Order, until such time as the scope of work contained in the contract is completed as determined by the County.
Bonds shall remain in effect until final acceptance of the project by the County or when final payment becomes due for a County Purchase Order initiated project or until the County determines the bond may be reduced or is no longer required. The Performance Bond and the Payment Bond shall be executed by one or more surety companies legally authorized to do business in the State of North Carolina and shall become effective upon the ex*****on of the Purchase Order
The surety bonds must be in the form as provided by Surety Association of America, the American Institute of Architects (AIA-A312), Associated General Contractors of America, Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee, American Consulting Engineers Council, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Construction Specification Institute without any variations in the standard forms, or in any other forms authorized by North Carolina General Statute.
Licensure
The CMR shall be a Licensed General Contractor in the State of North Carolina.
Compliance with Legal Requirements
This Procurement will be in accordance with N.C.G.S. 143-128.1 and all applicable state and local laws, and Owner policies and procedures.
Minority and Disadvantaged Businesses:
Pursuant to General Statutes of North Carolina Sections 143-128 and 143-131, the County encourages and provides equal opportunity for Certified Minority and Women- Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) businesses to participate in all aspects of the County’s contracting and procurement programs.
General Terms and Conditions:
Respondents are requested to refrain from contact with the committee members or county employees regarding this solicitation, with the exception of written communication described in this RFQ.
All documentation and submittals provided to the Owner may be considered public documents under applicable laws and may be subject to disclosure. Offerors recognize and agree that the Owner will not be responsible or liable in any way for any losses that the Offeror may suffer from the lawful disclosure of information or materials to third parties. Any materials requested to be treated as confidential documents, proprietary information, or trade secrets must be clearly identified and readily separable from the balance of the submittal. Such designations will not necessarily be conclusive, and Offeror may be required to justify why such material should not, upon written request, be disclosed by the Owner under the applicable public records act. The Owner will endeavor to provide at least two (2) Business Days’ notice of a public records request for material submitted pursuant to this Procurement. Offerors must respond to the notice in writing with any objection to the production of the documents within two (2) Business days of receipt of the notice. All costs incurred by Offeror associated with any public records request are the responsibility of the Offerors.
Graham County reserves the right to reject any or all submittals, to waive technicalities and to make such selection deemed in its best interest. With limited response, Graham County reserves the right to extend the solicitation opening date as appropriate in order to assure a competitive procurement process.
Responding firms are required to comply with the NC non-collusion requirements. Graham County reserves the right to reject and/or all bids.
E-Verify is the federal program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies, or any successor or equivalent program, used to verify the work authorization of newly hired employees pursuant to federal law. Contractor shall ensure that Contractor and any Subcontractor performing work under this contract: (i) uses E-Verify if required to do so; and (ii) otherwise complies with applicable law.
All Firms will be required to follow Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies. Graham County will affirmatively assure that on any project constructed pursuant to this advertisement, equal employment opportunity will be offered to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, s*x, and marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local commission, disability, s*xual orientation, or age. All submittals submitted in response to this request shall become the property of Graham County and as such, may be subject to public review. All payroll taxes, liability and worker’s compensation are the sole responsibility of the Contractor. The Contractor understands that an employer/employee relationship does not exist under this contract.
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