Fenton Township Awards a $4,481,654 Sewer Contract on Jennings Road. The Low Bid Came In More Than $2 Million Under the Estimate.

By Carrie Thompson, Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent, eXp Realty, Grand Blanc, MI

The Fenton Township Board voted 6-0 on June 2, 2026 to award a $4,481,654 contract to D.V.M. Utilities, Inc. to extend sanitary sewer along Jennings Road between Lahring Road and Thompson Road, and along Thompson Road from Jennings Road to US-23 (Fenton Township Board minutes, June 2, 2026; Fenton Township Invitation to Bid, Jennings Road Sanitary Sewer Extension). The winning bid was $2,042,531 below the engineer's estimate of $6,524,185 (Fenton Township bid tabulation, May 28, 2026).

The job includes a new pump station on Jennings Road

The township's invitation to bid lays out the work. It calls for 6,046 linear feet of 6-inch sanitary sewer force main along the east side of Jennings Road between Lahring Road and Thompson Road, and 9,372 linear feet of 8-inch gravity sewer main along Jennings Road between Lahring and Thompson, and along Thompson Road between Jennings Road and US-23 (Fenton Township Invitation to Bid, Jennings Road Sanitary Sewer Extension).

The contract also includes one pump station on the east side of Jennings Road, with two pumps rated for 450 gallons per minute and a generator for backup power (Fenton Township Invitation to Bid, Jennings Road Sanitary Sewer Extension). Bids were due at the township offices, 12060 Mantawauka Drive, at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2026 (Fenton Township Invitation to Bid, Jennings Road Sanitary Sewer Extension).

Three companies bid, and two were close

The township received three bids. D.V.M. Utilities came in lowest at $4,481,654. Zito Construction Co. bid $4,559,980, which was $78,326 higher. Ric-Man Construction Inc. was listed at $12,991,312 (Fenton Township bid tabulation, May 28, 2026). The tabulation notes that a math error was found during the audit and that the corrected amount is shown, without saying in the summary which bid was corrected (Fenton Township bid tabulation, May 28, 2026).

Township Engineer Melissa Lawrence reported the results to the board on June 2 and recommended awarding the job to the low bidder. The minutes note D.V.M. Utilities is currently working on the township's Tupper Lake Sewer Upgrade project (Fenton Township Board minutes, June 2, 2026).

Trustee Goupil made the motion and Trustee Clark seconded it. Supervisor Vince Lorraine, Clerk Robert Krug, Clark, Goupil, Trustee Kesler and Trustee Reid voted yes. Treasurer Tucker was absent (Fenton Township Board minutes, June 2, 2026). The motion also authorized the operations manager to sign the notice of award and the supervisor to sign the agreement (Fenton Township Board minutes, June 2, 2026).

The township wants it done before Thompson Road work

The sewer line has been on the township's list for more than a year. At the January 21, 2025 board meeting, Lawrence reported that "the Jennings Road project is projected to be constructed in 2026, with a goal of being completed before the Thompson Road expansion" (Fenton Township Board minutes, January 21, 2025). The project was listed again in her engineer's update on January 20, 2026, and it was a discussion item at a special board meeting on May 19, 2026 (Fenton Township Board minutes, January 20, 2026; Fenton Township Board packet, June 2, 2026). The minutes I reviewed do not spell out how the project is being paid for or which properties will connect first.

Thompson Road at US-23 is a known trouble spot. The township has studied the Thompson Road corridor from Linden Road to Fenton Road to "alleviate current and anticipated future congestion along the corridor," and its project page says rush hour delays on the US-23 exit ramps can back up onto US-23 (Fenton Township, Thompson Road Bridge Project). The page names three high-crash intersections, the southbound US-23 ramps, the northbound US-23 ramps and Torrey Road, and lists options including widening for a center left-turn lane, upgraded signals and roundabouts (Fenton Township, Thompson Road Bridge Project). The township held an open house on the study on April 10, 2024 (Fenton Township, Thompson Road Bridge Project).

The Tupper Lake sewer job grew by $536,000

The township's other active sewer project also came back to the board this summer. On August 18, 2026, the board approved two change orders for the Tupper Lake Sanitary Sewer Upgrade project, "increasing the project cost by $536,000" (Fenton Township Board meeting synopsis, August 18, 2026). At the same meeting the board awarded a contract to Maxim Roofing to replace a portion of the roof on the Fenton Township Civic Community Center (Fenton Township Board meeting synopsis, August 18, 2026).

What this means if you are buying or selling near Jennings and Thompson roads

If you are buying a home or land along Jennings Road or Thompson Road in Fenton Township, ask the township whether the parcel is on septic today, whether it will be able to connect to the new line, and what connection would involve. Expect construction traffic on Jennings Road while the line goes in. If you are selling in that stretch, call the township first so you can give buyers a clear answer on sewer availability.

Every listing I take gets professional photos and video, room sizes, targeted digital ads, and targeted buyer avatars. Call or text Carrie Thompson at (810) 893-3269.

About Carrie Thompson

Carrie Thompson, "Your Favorite Property Girl," is a Strategic Marketing Real Estate Agent (REALTOR®) with eXp Realty serving Grand Blanc, Genesee County and nearby Michigan communities, including Fenton Township, Fenton, Lake Fenton, Linden, and Tyrone Township. Michigan license 6501338662. Call or text (810) 893-3269.