● An Outdated Policy in Need of Reform

Pennsylvania’s Separations Act Is Holding Construction Back

The Separations Act forces public projects into an outdated system that adds complexity, slows timelines and limits how teams are built. The rest of the industry has moved on. It’s time Pennsylvania does too.

1 of 3

States that still mandate some form of this outdated multi-prime bidding system. You won’t find anything similar to the Separations Act in the private sector or on federal projects.

113 Years

Unchanged since 1913, despite a century of industry evolution, new delivery methods, and a construction workforce that works nothing like it did back then.

4 Primes

Every public project must hire four separate, uncoordinated contractors — general, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC — with no single entity responsible for the whole.

THE CORE PROBLEM

One Mandated Method. Zero Flexibility.

The construction industry has evolved. Pennsylvania hasn’t. While the rest of the country chooses delivery methods that fit the project, Pennsylvania mandates one rigid approach for all public work — and taxpayers pay the price.

Higher Costs

Contractors submit artificially low bids, then recover their margins through change orders. The savings never materialize. The overruns always do.

Chronic Delays

Four independent contractors with no shared accountability means scheduling conflicts, disputes, and finger-pointing when deadlines slip.

Lower Quality

No single contractor owns the outcome. When everyone is responsible, no one is and that lack of singular oversight can be damaging.

SAVE OUR SCHOOLS — AND MORE

Pennsylvania’s State Projects Can’t Afford to Wait

School districts across the Commonwealth are drowning in deferred maintenance — and they’re not alone. Hospitals, municipal buildings, and public infrastructure face the same problem: a law that drives up construction costs at the exact moment every dollar matters most.

Repealing the Separations Act isn’t just good policy. It’s a direct path to unlocking millions in savings across every corner of Pennsylvania’s public sector — freeing funds for classrooms, communities, and the people who depend on them.

CURRENT SYSTEM VS. MODERN ALTERNATIVES

What Reform Actually Looks Like

This is not about eliminating multi-prime as an option. It’s about giving Pennsylvania’s public institutions the freedom to choose the right delivery method for every project.

CURRENT SYSTEM

Multi-Prime (Mandated)

  • Four separate contractors with no unified leadership
  • Public owner forced to act as general contractor
  • Scope gaps and jurisdictional disputes are common

  • Change orders erode the low-bid savings

  • Blocks design-build and integrated delivery
  • Impedes high-performance building standards

WITH REFORM

Choice of Delivery Method

  • Single prime, design-build, CM-at-risk, or multi-prime
  • One entity accountable for the entire project

  • Collaborative pre-construction planning from day one

  • Proven to reduce costs and accelerate timelines
  • Used by the federal government and 47 other states
  • Owners pick the method that fits the project

WATCH

See the Impact Firsthand

What is the Separations Act?

Stand With Us

Educational institutions, labor unions, business groups, contractors, and environmental advocates are calling for change. Add your voice.