HR-6317 report: A National Institute of Building Sciences report found GSA repair and alteration projects cost 15 to 25 percent more than for comparable projects. Image: Daniel J. Macy/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA House report in support of a bill (HR-6317) now ready for a floor vote calls for more transparency around GSA’s mandatory design standards for federal buildings, citing an analysis finding that those standards make those projects more expensive than comparable private sector building projects.
The bill focuses on the so-called P100 standards, which apply to GSA-owned facilities regardless of funding source to new construction, including lease construction, repairs and alterations; historic preservation; as well as customer-funded projects through reimbursable work authorizations.
“The P100 sets requirements for all aspects of construction and repairs and alterations, including health and safety, sustainability, security, application of building codes and building rating systems, space measurement and building efficiency, building operations and maintenance, energy usage, building systems, and materials. Therefore, the P100 not only impacts the quality of the projects but also the costs, delivery timeline, competition and sourcing of construction services and materials,” it says.
It cited a National Institute of Building Sciences report finding that GSA repair and alteration projects cost 15 to 25 percent more than for comparable private sector building projects, primarily due to design and procurement requirements in those standards.
The bill would direct GSA to revise the process for updating and changing the standards, including requiring a public comment period and publication of updates and changes in the Federal Register and on the GSA website.
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