Wide bid gap delays re-roofing of jail

Whitman County will wait to award the contract to re-roof the jail, after two bids on the project came with a $41,000 difference Monday.

Cobra Roofing Services, Inc., Spokane, was the low bidder after quoting a $99,765 price on the project. All Surface Roofing and Waterproofing, Spokane, was the only other bidder with a price of $140,719.

Award of the contract was scheduled for Monday afternoon, but Bob Reynolds, county facilities manager, wanted more time to review the bids to find out the reasons for the price difference.

A contract on the project could be awarded as soon as next Monday.

The plan calls for a total replacement of the roof over the county jail. The current roof is the original, put on during jail construction in 1983. It has been patched several times over the past decades to stop leaks which have cracked the plaster on the ceiling.