Minor Projects
A minor (small) project at a location is a single construction, repair or renovation project that will cost $30,000 or less in total for parishes and parish schools and $20,000 or less for non-parish high schools. The cost of a project may not be broken into smaller amounts to circumvent these limits.
Pastors and non-parish high school principals should consult with and have the professional assistance of the Construction Department even for small projects.
Any project or improvement involving asbestos or mold remediation, lead-based paint, structural change to existing buildings, conditional use permits, and modifications to conditional use permits must be reviewed and approved by the Construction Department before proceeding with any work.
Approvals:
- Pastors at parishes are authorized to proceed under their own authority in obtaining and signing construction contracts that are $30,000 or less.
- Non-parish high school projects require approval from the Department of Catholic Schools. Non-parish high schools are authorized to sign construction contracts that are $20,000 or less after approval from DCS.
- Office of Worship: Projects that affect the worship space such as the assembly seating arrangement, placement, location and design of the chapel for eucharistic reservation, reconciliation rooms or music area, and changes to, purchase of and relocation of the altar, tabernacle, ambo, presider's chair, or baptismal font require the approval from the Office of Divine Worship. See Office for Divine Worship Protocol for Building and Renovation.
Scope of Work: The scope of work is a description of the work required to reach the project goal/objective and should be clearly stipulated in writing when soliciting proposals. See Project Planning Guide
Funding: Locations should have 100% of the project costs plus the appropriate additional contingency before starting a project. See Project Budget and Funding Guide
Contractors: Locations should use pre-qualified vendors from the Construction Department database whenever possible. If a location chooses to use its own vendor, the location should make sure the contractor has a valid State of California Contractor's License, general liability insurance and worker's compensation insurance in accordance with the ACC standard Construction Contract Under $50K. Licenses can be checked on the State of California Contractor's State License Board Web Site at http://www.cslb.ca.gov.
Proposals / Bidding: Locations should solicit at least three proposals/bids whenever possible.
Schedule: Contracts should stipulate a clear start and completion date.
Contracts: Locations are strongly discouraged from using a vendor's contract without prior review and approval from the Construction and Legal Departments.Locations should use the ACC standard Construction Contract Under $50K.
Payments: Locations should NOT pay cash or the full amount up front. It is recommended that locations withhold 10% of the total contract amount until the work is fully complete. A signed Investment Pool Withdrawal Form is required for any withdrawals from the location's investment pool account. For Called to Renew Case Statement Project Payments, a signed DGT Withdrawal Form is required. Requests for reimbursement or payment should be submitted to the Construction Department for processing.
Lien Releases: Locations should request an unconditional lien release which acts as a receipt of payment.
Warranties: Warranties and operations manuals should be received before final payment to the contractor or vendor.
5-14-2021; 8-26-2025