Standards and Contracts

The purpose of this document was to establish, define and clarify the requirements for preparing all project drawings for the City of Corpus Christi, including private developer plans, as applicable.

The City of Corpus Christi Engineering Services Department issued the original Plan Preparation Standards and Contract Format document on January 30, 2001.  Addendum No. 1 was issued on June 23, 2005, and Addendum No. 2 was released on July 12, 2007. Some references and terms are dated since 2007 (to be addressed in future updates), but essential elements are still applicable. Please check with the City Project Manager for any questions. 

Some departments assume a greater role in some aspects of construction projects due to specialized expertise or resource availability, i.e. Airport, Water and Wastewater.

In addition, construction contracts are reviewed by the City Attorney's Office prior to award.

Construction projects require the contractor to provide all labor, equipment, and materials to complete an item of work. Major maintenance such as replacement of a plumbing system, installation of new electrical or computer conduit/conductors, replacement of an air conditioning system, and roof repair/replacement are also considered to be construction projects.

Construction contracts for more than $50,000 are governed by Chapter 252 of the Local Government Code for purposes of advertising, bidding, and award.

Small construction contracts of $50,000 or less are generally administered under City Policies with the exception of federally-funded projects and HUB (Historically Underutilized Businesses) projects. HUBs have statutory controls based on contract amount ($3,000 - $50,000).

Minor maintenance work or service calls are handled by individual departments and governed by Purchasing Department policies and procedures. Examples of minor maintenance work and service calls include such work as repairing a faucet, servicing an air conditioner, or repairing a door lock.

If the design professional decides that their design requires a change from the standards, they must contact Engineering Services. They will need to discuss the proposed changes with the Director of Engineering Services or his authorized representative before making the proposed change.

Please note that those specifications which are identified by an asterisk in the Specifications Index are older specs which have not been approved for use and may contain obsolete information. Specifications with an asterisk are included for general reference only. They should not be used without thorough review by the design professional to confirm applicability to the current project and only with authorization by the City.