Section 5: Project Closeout

Overview

Project Closeout is the process of collecting all of the paperwork required to be submitted over the life of the project, to support pay quantities and to support the decisions made during the life of the project. The information contained in this documentation may be needed in the future if a claim or lawsuit is filed. The project closeout is a two-step process, beginning with project record keepers in the Area Office (AO) and finished by the District Construction Office (DCO). Close out a project within 60 days from final acceptance.
A checklist is available to assist the district with project closeouts. The checklist is part of the Audit Template form and be found on the
Recordkeeper Development Program
page.
Include all files, tickets, etc. in the project files; do not retain project information in the AO.

Project Acceptance and SiteManager Diary Charges

  • Work Complete – (1 Time Entry) the contractor has completed their work and is ready for Area Office acceptance.
  • Awaiting AE Acceptance – (can be multiple entries) time charges for the time between Work Complete and AE Acceptance.
  • Work Accepted – (1 Time Entry) time charges for when the AE determines work is complete and accepted.
  • Awaiting Final Acceptance – (can be multiple entries) time charges between AE Accepted and Work Completed and Accepted. This starts the 10-day timeline for final acceptance.
  • Work Completed and Accepted (DCO) – (1 Time Entry) DCO accepts the project and starts the 60-day timeline for closeout.
  • Awaiting Final Documentation - (can be multiple entries) required to use from Work Completed and Accepted until final estimate is completed.

Final Requirements for State and Federal-Aid Projects

FHWA requires the below for reconciling of federal participating & non-participating funds.
Field Inspection:
  • DCO receives the Advance Completion Notice from the AO
  • DCO schedules a final project inspection with the AO and EOR
  • Perform the project inspection. Place inspections report/memo in FHWA file folder.
Final Inspection Documentation
  • Final Acceptance to the Contractor - When the project is accepted send the Notice of Final Acceptance to the contractor certified mail and email, include in project records. Place accepted dates (final) in critical dates in SiteManager.
    Letter Template
    is available on the Construction Division Crossroads webpage (internal access only).
  • Material Deficiencies Clearance – Required for all projects. Work closely with Area Office (AO) Record Keeper, the materials lab, and the District Construction Office (DCO) Auditor for total compliance with federal regulations.
  • Material Certification Letter per QAP for DBB (if it is specifically noted in the S&O plan) required for all federal-aid projects.
    • The Area Engineer (AE) or Director of Construction (DOC) must submit completed Material Certification Letters to MTD via email at:
      MTD_Materials_Cert@txdot.gov
      at final acceptance of the project.
    • Any material represented by an acceptance test that does not meet the criteria contained in the plans and specification is considered an exception. Exceptions must be listed in the materials certification letter.
    • Districts are no longer required to submit Material Certification Letters directly to FHWA. Instead, MTD uploads all of TxDOT's Material Certification Letters to a SharePoint site where FHWA can access the letters from a single location. In addition, MTD reports on Material Certification Letter data to FHWA as part of TxDOT’s annual FHWA Stewardship & Oversight Report.
    • Refer to Material and Test Divisions
      Quality Assurance Program (QAP)
      for Design Bid Build projects for more information. Material Certification letters are discussed in Chapter 6 of this manual.
  • Final Labor Issues Clearance – Required for all projects. Work closely with the contractor, AO Record Keeper, and the District Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) coordinator for total compliance of federal labor- related issues.
  • Final CIV Clearance – Required for all projects if there is a DBE goal.
  • Final Auditor Clearance – Required for all projects. Work closely with the DCO Auditor for total compliance of federal requirements.
  • Final Project Review – Required for all federal-aid projects. Consists of formal field inspection that covers an array of requirements. (See S&O Agreement, Attachment A.)
  • Change Orders (CO’s) – All change orders to be internally reviewed and approved by the department for federal participation.
  • Buy America – Ensure compliance with all Buy America requirements as stated in the contract. Refer to Chapter 6, Section 3 for additional information.
  • Reconciliation of Federal Participating & Non-Participating dollars. Financial Management Division uses SiteManager to reconcile Federal funds. All non-participating days and dollars need to be accounted for.
  • Final Environmental Clearance – Required for all federal-aid projects. Work closely with District environmental staff, Environmental Affairs Division (ENV), and the District Environmental Quality (DEQC) Coordinator for total compliance with federal regulations.
Refer to the FHWA
Contract Administration Core Curriculum Manual
for additional detail regarding federal requirements.

Final Plans

Upon project completion, revise the original plans to show the project as-built. Place the words “FINAL PLANS” in a conspicuous place on the title sheet with the following:
  • contractor’s name
  • letting date
  • begin date of work
  • date of DCO acceptance
  • final contract cost, and
  • AE's seal and signature.
Show a summary of all COs on the title sheet. If needed, insert a separate summary sheet immediately following the title sheet.
For projects involving bridge construction, the drilled shaft or pile foundations tip elevation must be indicated on the bridge layouts in the final (as-built) plans. A copy of all As-built Bridge Plan Sheets, Pile Driving Records (
TxPlng.xlsm
), and Drill Shaft Records (
TxDrlShft.xlsm
) are to be provided to the district bridge office to be included in the bridge file in the bridge inspection management system (currently AssetWise). Refer to
Bridge Division Field Operations
for guidance (internal access only).
Shop drawings are to be placed in the final as-built plans.
The responsible Engineer affixes the final plans statement to the title sheet and signs, seals, and dates the final as-built plans. Send As-Built drawings to
plansol@txdot.gov
. If the file is too large to email you can send it to CST via us through box.com. Be sure to indicate it is a set of “As-Built” plans.