You’re the authorized agent of a North Carolina county that has entered into an $8 million contract with a general contractor for the construction of a new administrative building. The performance bond issued on behalf of the GC is in the statutory form, and therefore applies not only to base scope, but also to “any and all duly authorized modifications of said contract…notice of which modifications to the Surety being hereby waived[.]” N.C. Gen. Stat. § 44A-33(a). The penal sum of the bond corresponds to the contract’s original value — i.e., $8 million.
As the GC begins mobilization, you’re informed that the county has obtained the funding necessary to build an additional wing to the building. That work had been an alternate in the bidding process, but was rejected by the county when the bids came in higher than the architect’s estimate, leading the county to award a contract to the GC for base bid work only. Now that the additional funding has been appropriated to the project, the $500,000 additional wing can be added to the GC’s scope of work by change order.
You discuss the scope change with the GC, who’s excited about the additional work. A change order is executed, and requires the GC to provide notice of the change to the surety. You’re told such notice has been given. The County now has $8.5 million in protection under the performance bond, right?
Not so fast, Sparky.
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