Ohio Revised Code Title LV. Roads Highways Bridges § 5575.01

(A) In the maintenance and repair of roads, the board of township trustees may proceed either by contract or force account, but, unless the exemption specified in division (C) of this section applies, if the board wishes to proceed by force account, it first shall cause the county engineer to complete the force account assessment form developed by the auditor of state under section 117.16 of the Revised Code.  Except as otherwise provided in sections 505.08 and 505.101 of the Revised Code, when the board proceeds by contract, the contract shall, if the amount involved exceeds forty-five thousand dollars, be let by the board to the lowest responsible bidder after advertisement for bids once, not later than two weeks, prior to the date fixed for the letting of the contract, in a newspaper of general circulation within the township.  If the amount involved is forty-five thousand dollars or less, a contract may be let without competitive bidding, or the work may be done by force account.  Such a contract shall be performed under the supervision of a member of the board or the township road superintendent.

(B) Before undertaking the construction or reconstruction of a township road, the board shall cause to be made by the county engineer an estimate of the cost of the work, which estimate shall include labor, material, freight, fuel, hauling, use of machinery and equipment, and all other items of cost.  If the board finds it in the best interest of the public, it may, in lieu of constructing the road by contract, proceed to construct the road by force account.  Except as otherwise provided under sections 505.08 and 505.101 of the Revised Code, where the total estimated cost of the work exceeds fifteen thousand dollars per mile, the board shall invite and receive competitive bids for furnishing all the labor, materials, and equipment and doing the work, as provided in section 5575.02 of the Revised Code, and shall consider and reject them before ordering the work done by force account.  When such bids are received, considered, and rejected, and the work is done by force account, the work shall be performed in compliance with the plans and specifications upon which the bids were based.

(C) Force account assessment forms are not required under division (A) of this section for road maintenance or repair projects of less than fifteen thousand dollars, or under division (B) of this section for road construction or reconstruction projects of less than five thousand dollars per mile.

(D) All force account work under this section shall be done under the direction of a member of the board or the township road superintendent.