Iowa Code Title XI. Natural Resources [Chs. 455-485] § 468.35. Bids--letting of work

1. The board shall award a contract or contracts for each section of the work to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders therefor, bids to be submitted, received, and acted upon separately as to the main drain and each of the laterals, and each settling basin, if any, exercising their own discretion as to letting such work as to the main drain as a whole, or as to each lateral as a whole, or by sections as to both main drain and laterals, and reserving the right to reject any and all bids and readvertise the letting of the work.

2. A bid shall be in writing, specifying the portion of the work upon which the bid is made, and filed with the auditor. The bid shall be accompanied with a bid security. The bid security shall be in the form of a deposit of cash, a certified check on and certified by a bank in Iowa, a certified share draft drawn on a credit union in Iowa, or a bid bond with a corporate surety satisfactory to the board as provided in section 73A.20. The bid security must be payable to the auditor or the auditor's order at the auditor's office in a sum equal to five percent of the amount of the bid. However, if the maximum limit on a bid security would cause a denial of funds or services from the federal government which would otherwise be available, or if the maximum limit would otherwise be inconsistent with the requirements of federal law, the maximum limit may be suspended to the extent necessary to prevent denial of federal funds or services or to eliminate the inconsistency with federal requirements. The cash, check, or share draft of an unsuccessful bidder shall be returned, and the bid bond of an unsuccessful bidder shall be canceled. The bid security of a successful bidder shall be maintained as a guarantee that the bidder will enter into a contract in accordance with the bids.