(a) To support all invitations for bids, plans and specifications will be available on request to all prospective bidders, including general contractors, subcontractors, and material and equipment suppliers. Where the cost of reproduction is $10 or more, the charge shall be a minimum of $10 and subject to a maximum of $500, depending upon the size of the project and the number of drawings and the volume of specifications involved. Where the cost of reproduction is less than $10, the contracting officer has authority to make distribution at cost of reproduction, or free of charge, as a particular situation dictates.
(b) No refund for the return of plans and specifications will be made except when the invitation is canceled. Under such circumstances, refund of payments will be made upon return of the plans and specifications in good condition to the issuing office.
(c) Plans and specifications will be issued without charge to such organizations as The Associated General Contractors of America, American Road Builders' Association, Dodge Reports, Blue Reports, Brown's Letters, Inc., builders and contractors exchanges in the locality in which the project is to be constructed, and others that maintain public plan display rooms.
(d) Payments received for plans and specifications shall be handled in accordance with internal financial procedures.
(e) If the contracting officer desires to have the architect-engineer or construction manager handle the furnishing of plans and specifications and payments, the invitations for bids should so state, and the architect-engineer or construction management contract shall provide the manner in which the receipts are to be handled, generally as a credit to the contract.
(f) No charge will be made to original receivers of plans and specifications for revised sheets of drawings and revised pages of specifications which are issued by amendments to invitations.
(g) Plans and specifications may be issued in complete sets only, or in complete sets and parts of sets, as the Head of the Contracting Activity determines to be best. If less than complete sets of plans and specifications are issued, the distribution should be based on an applicant's request for specific pages and drawing sheets.
(h) When a non-refundable fee is to be charged, a provision substantially the same as 952.236-72 shall be included in the solicitation.
[49 FR 12016, Mar. 28, 1984, as amended at 60 FR 47308, Sept. 12, 1995; 74 FR 36367, July 22, 2009. Redesignated at 75 FR 29458, May 26, 2010]
