Prairie View A&M University

Jamail & Smith Construction has been working as a JOC for Prairie View A&M for three years through our BuyBoard contract. Just like any JOC program, we do a variety of renovation and repair projects with a few significant projects thrown in the mix. In 2012, our Houston office did some pretty interesting work for PVAMU, including constructing a new state-of-the-art goat laboratory.

Goat Laboratory
We provided metal cabinetry with epoxy countertops, new flooring, ceilings, electrical work and plumbing for the new goat laboratory at Prairie View A&M University. The lab will be used for experiments on goats and goat embryos. This facility features state-of-the-art equipment and maintains more than 1000 acres of goat farm land for these experiments.

Carden Waller Roof
We were selected to work on the Carden Waller roofing project, which entailed removing the existing foam roof and providing a modified bitumen roofing system. We installed new parapet walls and changed out the exterior windows in the high roof. The main challenge for this project was working in an occupied facility, but our team is highly experienced with such circumstances and worked with the client determine an appropriate and efficient work schedule that allowed us to complete the project within 60 days.

Agricultural Research Building Plumbing
J&S completed a large plumbing project in the agricultural research building. We removed all existing gas and air lines in the crawl space under the building, provided all new piping and pipe supports, and created a 27,000-sq-ft mud slab in the crawl space. The challenge with this project was cramped working conditions; our team had only 3-5 feet of standing space, but we were able to overcome this issue and finish the project to the complete satisfaction of PVAMU.

Jamail & Smith Construction Contributes to Changes in JOC Legislation to Benefit Public Entities

Greg Smith, PE, Executive VP
Jamail & Smith Construction

During the last legislative session, Jamail & Smith Construction, and a consortium of Job Order Contractors worked collaboratively with the Associated General Contractors (ABC) and Texas Society of Architects (TSA) to make improvements to the laws affecting Job Order Contracting (JOC).  The original law, which had been drawn directly from the Federal Government, included provisions which were both undefined and ambiguous in the context of Texas Statute, leaving customers and contractors with questions on when and where JOC brought best value to Public Agencies.

Job Order Contracting

JOC has been used for decades by public entities to complete renovation and repair projects. JOC involves multi-year contracts that allow organizations to easily call on their chosen contractor when they need construction services. This delivery method increases response time and helps expedite the construction schedule, while saving owners time and money without compromising quality. JOC is fairly simple and straightforward, but it has often been misunderstood due to the ambiguity surrounding what exactly qualified as a JOC project and who could utilize the delivery method. On September 1, 2011, a law was codified that clarified the meaning of JOC, which helped to move the industry forward as a leading construction process.

Improvements in Legislation

1.      The first substantive improvement to come from House Bill 628 (HB 628) is a change in the verbiage to clearly authorize job order contracting for "maintenance, repair, alteration, renovation, remediation, or minor construction."  This new bill gives ALL public agencies the ability to confidently utilize job order contracting and minimizes the ambiguity that previously surrounded the definition of JOC work. 

2.      Second, HB 628 increases public transparency in the utilization of JOC, while preserving a public entity’s right to access JOC services through interlocal agreements and purchasing cooperatives.

3.  The third change is the establishment of an approval requirement of $500,000 for individual job orders. This approval requirement means an agency may use JOC for a job of any size, but if it costs more than $500,000, the public agency would have to approve the project in an open meeting with its governing board.  This approval threshold is substantially higher than any other procurement method.  Additionally, if an entity decided to use an interlocal agreement or purchasing cooperative to obtain JOC services, the interlocal agreement would require governing body approval, as well. 

Benefits for Public Entities

Overall, the changes in JOC legislation have streamlined the laws for local, state and education codes, making them consistent across the spectrum. HB 628 provides significant enhancements in the JOC law that allows for greater confidence of application by public agencies and improved transparency for taxpayers, while increasing the acceptance of a reliable service in the public market.

Jamail & Smith Construction is committed to helping our customers obtain greater value and improve the way they build.    Our efforts to improve the law, the techniques, and results of the construction process helps customers continue to get more, for less, more quickly.

Greg Smith, PE, Executive Vice President, Jamail & Smith Construction