Ohio Rev. Code § 153.55 (2026)
Dividing project into parts to avoid threshold prohibited; costs included in threshold amount
(A) For purposes of calculating the amount of a public improvement project to determine whether it is subject to section 153.01 of the Revised Code, no officer, board, or other authority of the state or any institution supported by the state shall subdivide a public improvement project into component parts or separate projects in order to avoid the threshold of that section, unless the component parts or separate projects thus created are conceptually separate and unrelated to each other, or encompass independent or unrelated needs.
(B) In calculating the project amount for purposes of the threshold in section 153.01 of the Revised Code, the following expenses shall be included as costs of the project:
(1) Professional fees and expenses for services associated with the preparation of plans;
(2) Permit costs, testing costs, and other fees associated with the work;
(3) Project construction costs;
(4) A contingency reserve fund.