Bids for construction of a new Butler County office building came in under budget Thursday.

The total of the low bids for the four-level building is nearly $11.2 million while the sum of the highest bids falls below $13 million.

The project, which includes repairing the roofs of the government center and courthouse as well as replacing three air conditioning units on the government center roof, was projected to cost $14 million.

County Commissioner Bill McCarrier, board chairman, was happy the bids came in under budget.

“I’m very pleased with it,” McCarrier said.

The lowest of six bids for general contractor was Vendrick Construction of Brookfield, Ohio, with a base bid of $5.6 million and another $1.2 million in bid alternates, which include the repair work to the existing buildings.

The next lowest bid factoring in alternates was Hudson Construction of Hermitage in Mercer County at nearly $7.3 million. The highest bid, including alternates, was $7.8 million.

The lowest of six bids for heating, ventilation and air conditioning work was $1.7 million including alternates from East West Manufacturing of Pittsburgh.

The lowest of six bids for electrical work was $1.3 million with alternates from Right Electric of Butler.

The lowest of seven bids for plumbing was $492,000 from Rabe Environmental of Erie. Including alternates, the bid drops to $474,210. The alternate involved substituting plastic pipe for cast iron piping.

The lower of two bids for fire protection, including alternates, was $204,100 from S.A. Comunale Co. Inc. of Warren, Ohio, but without the alternate the low bid was $204,935 from Allied Fire Protection Systems. The alternate involves using plastic pipe instead of steel piping.

The commissioners will discuss the bids at Monday’s meeting with possible contract approvals Wednesday.

County Controller Ben Holland said he was cautiously optimistic about the bids coming under budget.

“It is encouraging, but one thing I caution with government contracts are change orders,” Holland said about alterations that increase costs. “Until the building is built and the final invoice comes in, you hold your breath.”

All bids were due by 2:30 p.m. Thursday. McCarrier was worried when there were only a few submissions by 1 p.m.

“I was very concerned,” he said.

However, McCarrier’s fears were allayed after 2 p.m. when contractors sat in the hallway on the government center’s fifth floor finishing their proposals.

The new building, which would sit adjacent to the government center, will house county Human Services.

Under the current schedule, the government center annex would be completed in August 2015.