CAHNRS Operations liaises with WSU central offices to accomplish capital, planning, design, construction and other improvement projects to the physical facilities for the college. We track activities for over 350 structures state-wide, including dry and wet research labs, farm buildings, animal facilities, classroom spaces, and which totals over 1.7 million square feet.

The Operations team assists with the strategic use of resources, providing analysis and direction, and serves as an informational resource for continuity of operations during Dean, Director, and Chair turnover.

CAHNRS Operations actively engages in collaborative partnerships with WSU Facilities Services and central university offices. We assist CAHNRS departments in communicating effectively with these offices, streamlining processes, and clarifying confusing or contradictory information. CAHNRS Operations involvement reduces capital risk, allows for economies of scale, linking with other opportunities, and optimizing effort.

What is a project?

A project is construction of new facilities or significant, improvements to existing facilities, and revisions to space for significant equipment installation. Examples: office or lab renovations, greenhouse or other outbuilding modifications, repairs to roofing, plumbing, electrical, or other infrastructure, new construction, demolition, and potential major revisions to space for equipment installation.

Once Facilities Services has received the Work Request for something that may be a project, Facilities Services assigns a point of contact who will connect with the primary contact to develop the project scope and create a conceptual Opinion of Budget estimate and a request for funding to continue. Please note: 100% of the project funding must be in a WSU account before moving forward. 

What total costs are involved in a Capital Project?

The cost of a project is more than design, construction or installation of equipment:

1. Pre-Design (if needed)
2. Design
   • Architecture and Engineering (A&E) Fees
3. Construction
   • includes any site improvements/earthwork
   • may or may not include A&E Fees, permits
   • traditional construction work
4. Contingencies range between 10-20%
   • Owner (WSU)
   • Designer
   • Construction
5. WSU Facilities Management Fees(Administrative Fee 4.5%, Project Manager 1.97-9.5% & Construction Manager – 4.5%)
6. Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment (FFE)
7. Sales Tax
8. Other – Insurance, travel, etc.

What are the project fees and contingencies?

A construction contingency is an amount of money set aside to cover any unexpected costs throughout a construction project. This money is on reserve and is not allocated to any specific area of work. The contingency acts as insurance against other unforeseen costs and goes back into the project. Contingencies are estimated at different percentages of the project as it moves through the design and construction process.

A Note on Risk Management

What does it mean when you hear that the University is self-insured? It means your department is responsible to cover the cost of the property loss, unless your department has pre-purchased property insurance. Property insurance premiums are reasonable, the deductible for buildings and equipment is $100K. For equipment only, the deductible can be bought down to $10K.

Short-term insurance can be purchased to cover the moving of expensive or sensitive equipment from one building to another.

Best Practice: If the loss of the equipment would cripple your program, you may want to insure it.

Who Should I Contact?

Kimi Lucas, Director kimi.lucas@wsu.edu

Kat Odell, Land & Administrative Manager odell@wsu.edu

Isabella Ludwig, Program Coordinator isabella.ludwig@wsu.edu