The West Tisbury selectmen have begun to advertise for bids for the $4.1 million construction phase of the $5.1 million town hall renovation project.

Specifications for the project were listed online beginning June 11 at the Central Register, an online service maintained by the Massachusetts Secretary of State.

“My phone has been ringing off the hook since, more than two dozen calls,” executive secretary Jennifer Rand told the selectmen at their weekly meeting Wednesday afternoon. She said the majority of calls were from subcontractors.

Bid packets went out yesterday.

Bea Phear, chairman of the town hall renovation committee said she is hopeful. “My expectation is the low successful bid will be within our budget. We are a little optimistic, given that other projects, such as the Wellfleet fire station, have come in under budget,” she said later this week.

At annual town meeting in April, voters approved $5.1 million for the project which has been on the drawing board in various stages for nearly four years.

The bid deadlines are 2 p.m. on July 16 for subcontractors and 2 p.m. on August 8 for general contractors. A pre-bid site visit will be held at 11 a.m. on July 8 at the town hall.

Specifications and bid information for the project are available online at the online register and a newspaper bid advertisement will be published next week, Ms. Rand said.

The successful bid team is expected to include Island subcontractors who will work with an off-Island general contractor.

Mrs. Phear said she has spoken with Island contractors large enough to be general contractors for the project, but found little interest. “Most felt they were too busy for a 20-month project and several did not want to go through state required certification and bonding requirements,” she said.

General contractors for municipal construction projects must be certified by the state division of capital asset management.

Subcontractor bids are required for masonry, metal fabrication, waterproofing, roofing and flashing, acoustic panel ceilings, painting, hydraulic elevators, plumbing, heating and air conditioning and electrical work.

Mrs. Phear expects to finish a contract with Michael Josefek of New Bedford this week to replace Jamie Doyle as project manager and clerk of the works at a fee of $100,000.

The renovation plan calls for town hall operations to move to several leased trailers before construction begins in September.

“It’ll really begin to feel real in August when town hall employees begin to put things in boxes,” Mrs. Phear said.