Fort Fremont Stairs and Rails Design/Build

Beaufort County, South Carolina is soliciting sealed Design-Build proposals for the Fort Fremont Stairs and Rails project at Fort Fremont Preserve on St. Helena Island, with proposals due July 2, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. EST and a non-mandatory site visit on June 16, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

The scope encompasses design, engineering, fabrication, and installation of four stair systems (ranging from 15.5 to 104 feet in length and 4 to 6 feet wide), one 98-foot landing railing section, three metal security window bar assemblies (approximately 42" x 42"), and two metal security doors (approximately 48" x 84"), all to be painted black or weather-treated as appropriate. The contractor must provide all labor, supervision, materials, equipment, transportation, permitting assistance, site protection, demolition, and incidentals necessary for completion in accordance with applicable codes and standards. The project objectives include improving public safety and pedestrian circulation, enhancing accessibility along the fort battery, protecting historic structures, providing secure exhibit room enclosures, and maintaining the historic and visual character of the preserve.

The County will select the proposal offering best overall value. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: Experience & Qualifications (25 points), Design & Technical Approach (25 points), References & Similar Project Performance (25 points), Project Schedule & Capacity (15 points), and Price Proposal (10 points). Proposals must be submitted as a not-to-exceed amount with design and construction portions itemized separately across twelve line items. Maximum proposal length is 15 double-sided pages.

Required insurance includes Worker's Compensation, Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), Comprehensive Automobile Liability ($500,000 combined single limit), Umbrella Liability ($2 million), and Professional Liability ($1 million). Questions are due June 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST.