Massachusetts public building bids, in plain English.
Issue #2 covers every housing authority solicitation on COMMBUYS that is still open this week (pulled Fri Oct 2): 54 in all, 14 of them new since last week and marked New. I read each notice. For every job you get what it is, when it's due, and what could trip you up. Every item links to the official notice.
Kitchen and bathroom renovations. The walkthrough met at 15 Davis Rd.
Watch: The walkthrough was Sep 10. Chelmsford Housing Authority staff run this bid (contact: Sharon Smith). They're running Concord's and Groton's too, and all three open Wed Oct 7 at noon.
Driveway reconstruction. Concord's capital plan lists this project number as roadway and driveway paving at Grove Street / Walden.
Watch: The walkthrough was Sep 23 at 267 Walden St. Also run by Chelmsford HA staff, and it opens the same hour as Acton's and Groton's.
Remove and replace windows and exterior siding, plus HVAC upgrades. The walkthrough met at 19 Lowell Rd.
Watch: The walkthrough was Sep 10. Also run by Chelmsford HA staff.
Air-seal and re-insulate the building attics; seal and partly insulate the basements.
Watch: DCAMM certification and MBE/WBE/VBE requirements apply. Documents are at projectdog.com, #261874 (978-499-9014). Don't quote on COMMBUYS. The pre-bid was Sep 23.
Proposals from registered engineering or architecture firms to design a parking lot improvement at Mystic View and handle construction administration.
Watch: This one is for design firms, not contractors. The walkthrough was Sep 30.
Replace the second-floor deck and stairs with new footings and a first-floor landing. Abate the roofing under the deck and put down a rubber roof.
Watch: Site visits by appointment with Greg McGowan ([email protected]); copy [email protected]. Bids go in at biddocs.com.
Replace all of the building's roofs, install new gutters and downspouts, and cut down and cap two chimneys.
Watch: The pre-bid was Sep 30. Documents at BidDocsOnline.com; hard copies at Nashoba Blue in Hudson. Don't quote on COMMBUYS.
Flooring, cabinets, countertops, sink and faucet, appliances and backsplash, plus upgraded wiring and fixtures, in eight kitchens in Building 8.
Watch: Tenants will be living there during the work. The pre-bid was Sep 29.
Repair the exterior concrete decks: fix the cracks, seal the concrete finishes and replace the wood fascia boards.
Watch: The site visit was Sep 24. Bids go in at biddocs.com. Questions go to the designer, Eugenio Fernandez ([email protected]).
Pavement improvements to the parking areas and walkways at Rose Kennedy Lane.
Watch: The pre-bid was Fri Sep 25. Bids go in at biddocs.com.
Pre-bid walkthroughs still ahead. Some are the only chance to see the site before you price, so they fill up calendars fast.
| When | Job and meeting point | Bid due |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Oct 6 10 AM | Mashpee HA: Roof, siding, windows, doors 7 Job's Fishing Rd (HA office) | Tue Oct 27 |
| Tue Oct 6 10 AM | Walpole HA: Fire alarm testing contract (optional) 8 Diamond Pond Terrace | Fri Oct 16 |
| Tue Oct 6 11 AM | East Bridgewater HA: Bath fans + kitchen hoods Riddell Rd, community building | Thu Oct 29 |
| Tue Oct 6 11 AM | Randolph HA: Exterior doors Sunshine Ave, community building | Tue Oct 13 |
| Wed Oct 7 10 AM | Amherst HA: Fire alarms at four sites (optional) 33 Kellogg Ave | Fri Oct 23 |
| Wed Oct 7 11 AM | Brockton HA: Windows Golden Circle, center of the parking lot | Wed Oct 14 |
| Wed Oct 7 11 AM | Northampton HA: Bathroom ventilation 35 Fruit St | Wed Oct 21 |
| Thu Oct 8 10 AM | Rowley HA: Exterior doors 1 Plantation Drive | Wed Oct 21 |
| Tue Oct 13 11 AM | Randolph HA: Fire exit and entry doors One Decelle Drive, courtyard | Tue Oct 20 |
By appointment: Provincetown deck rebid, Greg McGowan.
New rear exterior doors on the apartment buildings, maintenance-room doors and the community room's main entry: frames, leaves, hardware and accessories.
Watch: Site visit Tue Oct 6, 11 AM, in front of the community building's main entrance. Bids go in at biddocs.com.
Tear out and replace kitchen cabinets, appliances and countertops. New kitchen flooring in unit 16. Duct the range hood to the outside.
Watch: The pre-bid was Sep 18. Bids go in at biddocs.com.
Remove the old windows, prep the masonry and wood-framed openings, and install new double-hung windows with interior and exterior trim.
Watch: Pre-bid Wed Oct 7, 11 AM, in the center of the Golden Circle parking lot.
Strip the asphalt roofing and vinyl siding; install a new asphalt roof and vinyl siding with PVC trim. Minor electrical fixture replacement too.
Watch: The pre-bid was Sep 29. The 5% deposit applies to general bids and sub-bids, so trade subs should check the bid documents for a sub-bid deadline. Bids go in at biddocs.com, not COMMBUYS.
Replace the furnaces and hot water heaters with electric equipment: air-source heat pumps and electric water heaters, per Hopkinton's capital plan.
Watch: The walkthrough with BLW Engineers met at Brampton Circle on Sep 23, but the capital plan lists this project number under Bisson Rue, so confirm which buildings are in scope. Chelmsford HA staff run this one too.
Replace four steel fire doors, one entrance door with its framing and large sidelight, and one garage door: tear-out, prep, and new doors, frames and hardware. The notice doesn't give the building; Randolph's capital plan lists “Replace Fire Exit & Main Entry Doors” at McCauley Murray Lewis (667-03), $89,843 total cost, which is likely this job.
Watch: Site visit Tue Oct 13, 11 AM, One Decelle Drive (meet in the courtyard in front of the office entrance). Bids go in at biddocs.com. Separate from Randolph's Sunshine Ave door job, due Oct 13.
Exterior door replacement. The notice itself says only “Doors”; the attached spec is titled “Rowley 254047 Exterior Doors.” Rowley's fiscal 2027 plan lists two door projects, “Replace Exterior Doors” at Plantation ($140,585 total development cost) and “Exterior Door/Screen Door Replacement” ($216,876, no development named), so this is likely one of them.
Watch: Pre-bid Thu Oct 8, 10 AM, 1 Plantation Drive (parking on site). Run by Chelmsford HA staff (Sharon Smith).
Groton HA wants a designer for construction administration on a project with a $1,225,000 construction cost. The notice doesn't name the project; the details are in the document attached to the notice.
Watch: For design firms, not contractors. Run by Chelmsford HA staff (Sharon Smith).
Design and construction administration for converting heating and hot water systems, and upgrading building electrical service, at five buildings of the Edwin A. Seibel Apartments, 121–125 Nonotuck St (elderly development 667-2).
Watch: For design firms, through the state's Designer Selection Network (project 137105), not COMMBUYS. Questions about the network go to the EOHLC Designer Selection Coordinator.
Replace bathroom ventilation at 35 Fruit Street and 137 High Street.
Watch: Pre-bid walkthrough Wed Oct 7, 11 AM, 35 Fruit St. Documents at biddocs.com.
The rest of a site-wide modernization: 38 units in five 8-unit buildings. New kitchens and baths, asbestos flooring removed and replaced with resilient and tile floors, and failing or out-of-code mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems replaced.
Watch: Filed sub-bids (tile, resilient flooring, painting, plumbing, HVAC, electrical) are due Wed Oct 7, 2 PM. RFIs closed Sep 29. 5% bid deposit. Participation goals: 8.6% MBE, 8.8% WBE, 3% VBE.
Replace the water service at 56–62 Pond Street (Lower Pond), plus concrete sidewalk and pad work, work in the basement, resetting granite curb and fencing, and restoration. Designed by GCG Associates.
Watch: The work has to be finished by Nov 15, 2026. RFIs close Fri Oct 16 at noon. Documents at BidDocs.com.
Fire alarm and sprinkler system upgrade at Cusack Terrace (development 667-5), designed by LIRO-Hill.
Watch: The site walk was Sep 29.
Replace two heating boilers, swap two gas-fired water heaters for three new ones, and remove the old solar hot-water pre-heat system.
Watch: The pre-bid was Sep 29.
Fire alarm and sprinkler work at Caggiano Plaza (170 South Common St), McGee House (37 Green St) and Shepard & Warren (35 Shepard St), designed by MacRitchie Engineering.
Watch: Filed sub-bids are due Fri Oct 9, 1 PM, two weeks ahead of general bids. The pre-bid was Oct 1.
Replace and modify fire alarm systems at Chestnut Court (667-1), the Jean Elder congregate house (667-3), Sunrise Ave (689-2) and Ann Whalen Apartments (667-2). Amherst's capital plan has an ARPA-funded “Complete Fire Alarm System” project (FISH 008100, $231,164) covering the first three of those developments.
Watch: General bidders need DCAMM certification in Electrical. Optional bidders' conference Wed Oct 7, 10 AM, 33 Kellogg Ave. Bids go in at biddocs.com, not COMMBUYS.
Replace apartment and utility doors and hardware, repair the metal railings, and paint the courtyard walls, decking, and the undersides of the walkways.
Watch: Filed sub-bids (miscellaneous and ornamental metals, painting) are due Fri Oct 9, 4 PM. Participation goals: 15.3% MBE, 6.9% WBE, 3% VBE. The site visit was Sep 17.
Repair the concrete parapet walls and modify the aluminum guardrails on 51 concrete balconies, then paint. The building stays occupied.
Watch: HUD procurement rules apply, with both state and Davis-Bacon wage rates. The walkthrough was Sep 29.
Exterior renovation: new roof, siding, windows and exterior doors.
Watch: Roofing and flashing filed sub-bids are due Tue Oct 20, 11 AM. Pre-bid Tue Oct 6, 10 AM, at the housing authority office, 7 Job's Fishing Rd. Participation goals: 7.5% MBE, 6.9% WBE, 3% VBE.
New bath exhaust fans with humidity and motion controls, each vented to the outside, in 96 bathrooms, plus a new kitchen hood in every apartment. Two adjoining elderly developments, 96 one-bedroom units.
Watch: Filed sub-bids (roofing and flashing, HVAC, electrical) are due Thu Oct 15, 2 PM. Site visit Tue Oct 6, 11 AM, at the community building; no need to register. Participation goals: 6.3% MBE, 9.4% WBE, 3% VBE.
On bigger state-funded building jobs, certain trades bid straight to the housing authority, before the general contractors do. If you're one of those trade subs, this is your deadline, not the general bid date.
| Sub-bids due | Job and trades | General bids |
|---|---|---|
| Wed Oct 7 2 PM | Watertown HA: McSherry Gardens Phase 2 Tile, resilient flooring, painting, plumbing, HVAC, electrical | Wed Oct 21 |
| Fri Oct 9 1 PM | Lynn HA: Fire alarms + sprinklers, three buildings See bid documents | Fri Oct 23 |
| Fri Oct 9 4 PM | Mansfield HA: Courtyard renovation Misc. and ornamental metals, painting | Fri Oct 23 |
| Thu Oct 15 2 PM | East Bridgewater HA: Bath fans + kitchen hoods Roofing and flashing, HVAC, electrical | Thu Oct 29 |
| Tue Oct 20 11 AM | Mashpee HA: Roof, siding, windows, doors Roofing and flashing | Tue Oct 27 |
These are the actual titles on COMMBUYS. If you search by trade, you'll never find them.
| Listed as | What it actually is |
|---|---|
| “FISH 067142” Concord HA | Driveway reconstruction at Grove Street / Walden |
| “FISH 139064” Hopkinton HA | Furnaces and water heaters replaced with electric heat pumps and water heaters |
| “Acton 002115” Acton HA | Kitchen and bathroom renovations |
| “Groton Upgrades” Groton HA | New windows and siding, plus HVAC upgrades |
| “Estimated Construction Cost $390,000” Brockton HA | Window replacement at Golden Circle |
| “FISH 254047” Rowley HA | Exterior door replacement |
| “Designer” Groton HA | Construction administration on a $1,225,000 project |
What's a FISH number? FISH is the Financial Information System for Housing, the state housing office's tracker for capital projects. Per the state, every project, large and small, gets a FISH number. The first three digits identify the housing authority, and the rest is the project. Match it against the authority's capital plan and you get the job, the development and the budget. That's how the Concord and Hopkinton jobs above were decoded.
Every housing authority files a capital plan with the state. I went through all 230 on the state's portal. In the 131 plans in this year's new format, 93 authorities list 453 projects for fiscal 2027 (July 2026 through June 2027), about $95 million in total project costs. Here's that work by trade:
| Trade | Projects | Budgets |
|---|---|---|
| Paving, walkways & site | 62 | $15.8M |
| Heating, boilers & HVAC | 47 | $15.8M |
| Windows & doors | 56 | $13.2M |
| Elevators | 6 | $11.4M |
| Roofing & gutters | 28 | $6.6M |
| Kitchens & baths | 40 | $6.2M |
| Siding, masonry & exterior | 36 | $4.8M |
| Fire alarm & sprinklers | 14 | $3.8M |
| Electrical & generators | 22 | $2.8M |
| Water, sewer & plumbing | 19 | $2.5M |
| Unit turnovers & renovations | 36 | $1.7M |
| Accessibility (ADA) | 5 | $1.5M |
| Security & access | 13 | $1.3M |
| Interiors, flooring & painting | 21 | $1.2M |
| Everything else | 48 | $6.1M |
A rough split by the words in each project's title. Paving and site includes a $5 million flood-resilience project in Gloucester. Work the authorities do with their own staff is left out.
The ten biggest planned projects. Gloucester and Woburn alone list about $38 million between them.
| Authority | Planned job | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Woburn HA | Elevator major upgrade (listed as a funding request) | $7,653,603 |
| Gloucester HA | Storm resilience: trimming and site flood protection, Riverdale Park | $5,047,129 |
| Gloucester HA | Mechanical and electrical systems, Riverdale Park | $4,880,995 |
| Salem HA | Windows, balconies and building envelope, Charter St | $2,765,440 |
| Salem HA | Paving, Rainbow Terrace | $2,515,377 |
| Woburn HA | Roofs, Nichols Street Extension | $2,363,920 |
| Gloucester HA | New elevator, Curtis B. Clark | $2,250,000 |
| Woburn HA | Bathroom modernization | $1,910,846 |
| Gloucester HA | Meter upgrade, Lincoln Park | $1,623,740 |
| Wakefield HA | Fire alarm and Federal Pacific panel upgrade, Harts Hill | $1,364,004 |
Each budget links to the authority's plan. These are plans, not bids. The plans themselves warn that costs often rise before construction and that projects get delayed or split into phases. Budgets are total project costs, including design. Every authority's plan, one page each.
Building jobs from towns, cities and state agencies that appeared on COMMBUYS since last week's issue. Last week's list is still in Issue #1. I cleaned up the titles but haven't read these notices yet, so check each one for scope and requirements.
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