FAR 36.701—Standard and optional forms for use in contracting for construction or dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 36.701 tells contracting officers which standard and optional forms to use when buying construction, alteration, repair, or dismantling/demolition/removal of improvements work. It covers three main topics: use of Standard Form 1442 for solicitations, offers, and awards; use of Optional Form 347 for smaller construction-related buys at or below the simplified acquisition threshold; and use of Optional Forms 1419 and 1419A, or an automated equivalent, to record offers in sealed bid and negotiated procurements. The section matters because the form chosen affects how the solicitation is issued, how offers are submitted and accepted, what clauses must be included, and how the contracting file documents competition and award. In practice, it helps ensure construction procurements are processed consistently, that offer acceptance periods are clearly stated when needed, and that simplified acquisitions still include the construction clauses required by FAR subpart 36.5. It also gives contracting officers a standard way to create an abstract of offers for bid opening and source selection records.
Key Rules
Use SF 1442 for construction awards
Standard Form 1442 must be used to solicit, receive offers for, and award construction or dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements contracts expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold. It may also be used for contracts at or below that threshold.
State offer acceptance period in sealed bids
For all sealed bid solicitations, or whenever the Government requires a noncancellable offer acceptance period, the contracting officer must enter the number of calendar days in Block 13D during which the offer must remain available for acceptance after the due date.
OF 347 allowed for smaller buys
Optional Form 347 may be used for construction or demolition-related contracts at or below the simplified acquisition threshold, but only if the contracting officer includes the clauses required by FAR subpart 36.5 for simplified acquisitions.
Include required construction clauses
When OF 347 is used in a simplified acquisition, the solicitation or order must still contain the construction clauses required by FAR subpart 36.5. The form choice does not eliminate mandatory clause requirements.
Use OF 1419 to record offers
Contracting officers may use Optional Form 1419, and OF 1419A as a continuation sheet, or an automated equivalent, to record offers received in response to sealed bid solicitations and may also use them for negotiated solicitations.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Select the proper form for the procurement, ensure SF 1442 is used when required, decide whether OF 347 is appropriate for simplified acquisitions, insert the required offer acceptance period in Block 13D when applicable, include all clauses required by FAR subpart 36.5, and use OF 1419/1419A or an automated equivalent to document offers when desired.
Offerors/Bidders
Submit offers on the form required by the solicitation, comply with the stated acceptance period when the Government requires one, and provide pricing and other required information in the format requested.
Agency/Contracting Activity
Maintain procurement procedures and templates that support proper use of the prescribed forms and ensure personnel understand when each form is mandatory, optional, or conditioned on inclusion of required clauses.
Practical Implications
Using the wrong form can create avoidable administrative problems, especially in construction buys where the solicitation and award document must clearly capture the offer, acceptance, and contract terms.
SF 1442 is the default for larger construction actions, so contracting officers should not substitute a general-purpose form without checking the threshold and the nature of the work.
If OF 347 is used for a simplified acquisition, the file must still show that all required construction clauses were included; omitting them is a common compliance mistake.
The Block 13D entry on SF 1442 is important in sealed bidding because it controls how long bids remain open for acceptance; leaving it blank when a noncancellable period is required can undermine the procurement.
OF 1419 and 1419A are primarily documentation tools, but they are useful for keeping a clear record of offers received, especially where bid abstracts or offer summaries are needed for the file.
Official Regulatory Text
(a) Standard Form 1442 , Solicitation, Offer, and Award (Construction, Alteration, or Repair), shall be used to solicit and submit offers, and award construction or dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements contracts expected to exceed the simplified acquisition thresholds, and may be used for contracts at or below the simplified acquisition threshold. In all sealed bid solicitations, or when the Government otherwise requires a noncancellable offer acceptance period, the contracting officer shall insert in the blank provided in Block 13D the number of calendar days that the offer must be available for acceptance after the date offers are due. (b) Optional Form 347 , Order for Supplies or Services, may be used for construction or dismantling, demolition, or removal of improvements contracts that are at or below the simplified acquisition threshold; provided, that the contracting officer includes the clauses required (see subpart 36.5 ) in the simplified acquisitions (see part 13 ). (c) Contracting officers may use Optional Form 1419 , Abstract of Offers-Construction, and Optional Form 1419A , Abstract of Offers-Construction, Continuation Sheet, or the automated equivalent, to record offers submitted in response to a sealed bid solicitation (see 14.403 ) and may also use it to record offers submitted in response to negotiated solicitations.