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Design and Construction

Public Works | Engineering Division

The Design and Construction Section focuses on delivering county road projects and capital improvement projects such as replacing aging infrastructure, improving fish passage, and addressing mobility needs by doing large projects that address traffic calming and improved capacity.

This section is responsible for project phases from concept to completion which includes managing consultant teams, requisitioning and reviewing reports, progression of design and review, overseeing construction and construction inspection, documentation and closeout, and communication with WSDOT and other funding agencies. These projects are funded by Federal, State, and Local Grants, the County Road Fund or they may be funded by the Road Operations, Natural Resources, including the County’s drainage utility, and Parks.

Besides their main project focus, they work cooperatively with other divisions to problem solve issues throughout the county. They also are working on updating CAD and design standards.

Skagit County’s Capital projects typically experience  several phases of design before the project is approved for construction:

  • 30% (Geometric Layout)
  • 60% (General Plan Set)
  • 90% (Complete Plans, Specifications,  & Estimate of Construction Cost (PS&E))
  • 100% (Ad-Ready PS&E)

Internal review of the design is performed after each stage has been completed.

The PS&E Contract Documents are then signed by the County Engineer and routed to the Board of County Commissioners for approval to advertise for competitive bidding.

Any project that is funded in whole or part with federal funds must adhere to the current WSDOT Local Agency Guidelines (LAG) manual.

All projects must adhere to the most current version of the Skagit County Road Standards as well as applicable AASHTO and WSDOT manual requirements for roadway design.

Skagit County has developed an example Cover Sheet, Plan Sheet, and Plan over Profile sheet for use by the Consultant Community as a stylistic outline.

Additionally, an AutoCAD drawing file (*.dwg) containing the Cover Sheet and Plan Sheet will be provided. 

The Consultant is to follow standards as outlined in the American Public Works Association CAD Standards, United States National CAD Standards, or other standards as may be adopted by the Consultant.

Once the contract documents have been completed and approved for construction, the project is advertised for bidding. This procedure follows state and federal guidelines to ensure fair and competitive bidding of the project. Depending on the funding source, the project is either advertised for a minimum of 14 (locally funded and small projects) or 21 days (for federally funded and larger locally funded projects).

A public bid opening broadcast on Skagit 21, as well as in-person here at 1800 Continental Place, will occur on the first Monday following the minimum advertisement.

After the bids have been reviewed for any errors and irregularities, the project is awarded by the Board of County Commissioners to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. After the bid has been awarded, the contract documents are sent to the Contractor for their review and signature.

After the County has received all the required documentation from the Contractor, the contract is presented to the Board of County Commissioners for execution.

After the contract has been signed by both the Contractor and the Board of County Commissioners, the real construction work begins. This involves many tasks and is the most visible portion of the project.

Some of the tasks that are performed by county staff during a project are:

  • Pre-Construction Meeting between the County, Contractor, and other stakeholders
  • Materials inspection and approval
  • Utility coordination
  • Monitoring the construction budget and schedule
  • Construction inspection
  • Site Meetings
  • Dispute resolution
  • Addressing public concerns/public outreach

During the construction phase of a project, there are a number of tasks associated with the administration of the contract, some of those tasks are:

  • Ensuring that the proper wage rates are paid.
  • Managing state and federal grants.
  • Preparing payment to the contractor.

Current Construction Projects

Contact Us

Design and Construction
Section Manager
David Walde

1800 Continental Place 
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 416-1437

davidw@skagitcountywa.gov