The low bid syndrome and its resulting problems, exposure of hidden costs, etc., has been the bane of project managers for many yeare. What is being presented in this paper can save the client from falling
into this insidious trap or, as the old saying goes, “pay me now or pay me later. The coating of concrete particularly for corrosion protection, presents many unique challenges to the contractor and, as a result,
requires the contractor to be knowledgeable both of coatings as well as the properties of concrete. He must be experienced, financially stable and have the work ethic to do the job correctly the first time. This paper assumes that the client has selected the appropriate coating system for the concrete and has prepared a detailed succinct specification that lays the appropriate ground work for the coating contractor to prepare his proposal. By implementing criteria for prequaliffcation of the coating contractor that will be allowed to bid the project, the client will be able to award a contract with the piece of mind that he has a quality contrector
that will do a quality job at the most competitive pricing.