A plan designed to weed out underqualified contractors–and minimize homeowners’ headaches–in Chicago’s program to soundproof residences around O’Hare International Airport has taken a step forward.
The city’s Purchasing Department would “prequalify” companies for work before contracts are awarded under an ordinance advanced by the council’s Aviation Committee.
The new step is designed to avoid past problems, officials said.
Contractor performance on the 1,388 homes soundproofed around O’Hare under a city program begun in 1995 has ranged from “excellent to abysmal,” said Stephen Kozerowitz, managing director of Airport Owners Representatives, the firm overseeing the work for the city.
He estimated that less than 20 percent of the jobs completed so far have been in the latter category, mostly because of slow completion.
Though the city requires that soundproofing, including installation of insulation, special doors and windows, be completed on each residence within 14 calendar days, “we had some homes not done in four to five weeks,” Kozerowitz said.
A requirement that the owner must be present when work is done has contributed to delays, stretching out the length of time it has taken to complete projects. It also has created hardships for the owners when contractors have been unable to finish within the two-week timeframe.
Subpar quality, such as poor painting or caulking, has been a lesser problem and easily corrected, according to Kozerowitz.
Under proposed prequalification procedures, contractors would be screened to ensure they can comply with city requirements, including the 14-day standard and a city rule that soundproofing supplies arrive on site on a “just-in-time” basis to avoid the need to store them in the house, officials said.
Only prescreened firms will be permitted to bid on the work.
Work on the 876 homes slated for soundproofing this year is expected to begin in April, with completion by Thanksgiving.
Residences to be soundproofed this year are in Chicago, Bensenville, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Franklin Park, Norridge,
Northlake, Rosemont, Schiller Park and in unincorporated Cook and Du Page counties.
Prequalification also would be required under the ordinance for contractors soundproofing homes around Midway Airport under a sister program.
