[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 48, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 48CFR36.203]

[Page 714]
 
            TITLE 48--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM
 
                CHAPTER 1--FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION
 
PART 36_CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECT-ENGINEER CONTRACTS--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart 36.2_Special Aspects of Contracting for Construction
 
Sec.  36.203  Government estimate of construction costs.

    (a) An independent Government estimate of construction costs shall 
be prepared and furnished to the contracting officer at the earliest 
practicable time for each proposed contract and for each contract 
modification anticipated to cost $100,000 or more. The contracting 
officer may require an estimate when the cost of required work is 
anticipated to be less than $100,000. The estimate shall be prepared in 
as much detail as though the Government were competing for award.
    (b) When two-step sealed bidding is used, the independent Government 
estimate shall be prepared when the contract requirements are 
definitized.
    (c) Access to information concerning the Government estimate shall 
be limited to Government personnel whose official duties require 
knowledge of the estimate. An exception to this rule may be made during 
contract negotiations to allow the contracting officer to identify a 
specialized task and disclose the associated cost breakdown figures in 
the Government estimate, but only to the extent deemed necessary to 
arrive at a fair and reasonable price. The overall amount of the 
Government's estimate shall not be disclosed except as permitted by 
agency regulations.

[48 FR 42356, Sept. 19, 1983, as amended at 50 FR 1744, Jan. 11, 1985; 
50 FR 52429, Dec. 23, 1985; 62 FR 44829, Aug. 22, 1997]