---
title: O.C.G.A. § 32-4-63. Limitations on power to contract; at least two estimates required for certain expenditures.
collection: code
id: 32-4-63
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 32-4-63 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/32-4-63
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/32-4-63.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/32-4-63/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t32-(v23a)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=45aa6dc9_0#page=50
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
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publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
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current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, AND FERRIES / STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL ROAD SYSTEMS / COUNTY ROAD SYSTEMS / EXERCISE BY COUNTIES OF POWER TO CONTRACT GENERALLY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 32-4-63. Limitations on power to contract; at least two estimates required for certain expenditures.

(a) A county is prohibited from negotiating a contract except a contract:

(1) Involving the expenditure of less than $250,000.00;

(2) With a state agency or county or municipality with which a county is authorized to contract in accordance with the provisions of Code Sections 32-4-61 and 32-4-62;

(3) For the purchase of those materials, supplies, and equipment necessary for the county’s construction and maintenance of its public roads and for the support and maintenance of the county’s forces used in such work, as authorized by Chapter 91 of Title 36;

(4) Subject to Article 6 of Chapter 6 of this title, with a railroad or railway company or a publicly or privately owned utility concerning relocation of its line, tracks, or facilities where the same are not then located in a public road and such relocation or grade-crossing elimination is necessary as an incident to the construction of a new public road or to the reconstruction or maintenance of an existing public road. Nothing contained in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring a county to furnish a site or right of way for railroad or railway lines or tracks of public utility facilities required to be removed from a public road;

(5) For engineering or other kinds of professional or specialized services;

(6) For emergency maintenance requiring immediate repairs to a public road, including but not limited to bridge repairs, snow and ice removal, and repairs due to flood conditions;

(7) Otherwise expressly authorized by law; or

(8) That is a design-build contract as provided for in Code Section 32-4-74.

(b) No contract involving an expenditure of more than $20,000.00 but less than $250,000.00 shall be awarded under this Code section without the submission of at least two estimates.

## History

Code 1933, § 95A-819, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 947, § 1; Ga. L. 1989, p. 356, § 2; Ga. L. 2000, p. 498, § 9; Ga. L. 2014, p. 851, § 3/HB 774; Ga. L. 2022, p. 678, § 1/SB 586; Ga. L. 2025, p. 488, § 4/HB 137, effective July 1, 2025.

## Amendments

The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, deleted “or” from the end of paragraph (a)(6), substituted “; or” for a period at the end of paragraph (a)(7), and added paragraph (a)(8).

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, substituted “$250,000.00” for “$200,000.00” in paragraph (a)(1) and in subsection (b).