Pennsylvania Statutes Title 53 P.S. Municipal and Quasi-Municipal Corporations § 53202. Regulation of contracts

(a) All contracts or purchases of incorporated towns in excess of the base amount of eighteen thousand five hundred dollars, subject to adjustment under section 2.1,  1 except those hereinafter mentioned, shall not be made except with and from the lowest responsible bidder, after due notice in one newspaper of general circulation published or circulated in the county in which the town is situated at least three times at intervals of not less than three days where daily newspapers of general circulation are available for such publication, and in case of weekly newspapers shall be published once a week for two successive weeks.  The first advertisement shall be published not less than ten days prior to the date fixed for the opening of bids.  The amount of the contract shall in all cases, whether of straight sale price, conditional sale, bailment lease or otherwise, be the entire amount which the town pays to the successful bidder or his assigns in order to obtain the services or property or both, and shall not be construed to mean only the amount which is paid to acquire title or to receive any other particular benefit or benefits of the whole bargain.

(b) The acceptance of bids shall only be made by public announcement at the meeting at which bids are received or at a subsequent meeting, the time and place of which shall be publicly announced when bids are received.  If for any reason one or both of the above meetings shall not be held, the same business may be transacted at any subsequent meeting if at least five days notice thereof shall be published in the newspaper aforesaid.

(c) The successful bidder, when advertising is required herein, shall be required to furnish a bond, with suitable reasonable requirements guaranteeing the work to be done with sufficient surety in the amount of fifty per centum of the amount of the liability under the contract, within twenty days after the contract has been awarded, unless council shall prescribe a shorter period of not less than ten days, and upon failure to furnish such bond within such time the previous award shall be void.  Deliveries, accomplishment and guarantees may be required in all cases of expenditures, including the exceptions herein.

(d) The contracts or purchases made by council, which shall not require advertising, bidding or price quotations as hereinbefore provided, are as follows:

(e) Every contract for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, improvement or maintenance of public works shall comply with the provisions of the act of March 3, 1978 (No. 3),  2 known as the “Steel Products Procurement Act.”