Federal grounds maintenance contracts: how to find and bid them on SAM.gov

The codes to search

Every notice on SAM.gov carries a NAICS code (the industry) and usually a PSC code (what's being bought). Searching by code finds notices whose titles don't use the words you'd type.

Size limits are from SBA's table at 13 CFR 121.201 as of October 2026. The limit that counts is the one for the NAICS code on the notice you're bidding. See the SBA table of size standards.

How to search SAM.gov (free)

1. Go to SAM.gov Contract Opportunities search. You don't need an account to search.
2. Under the NAICS filter, enter 561730. Under Product and Service Codes, add S208. Also try keywords like mowing, grounds and vegetation.
3. Filter Place of Performance to the area you can reach with your crews and equipment. Many sites are rural: lakes, dams, ranger districts.
4. Keep the status on active notices, then open each one and read the attachments. The real details are in the PDFs, not the summary.
5. If you sign in (SAM.gov uses a free Login.gov account), you can save the search and get email notices when new matches post.

Notice types matter. A Sources Sought or RFI isn't a bid; the agency is asking who's out there. Answering one with a short capability statement is free, and it can help convince the agency to set the work aside for small businesses. A Presolicitation says a bid is coming. A Solicitation or Combined Synopsis/Solicitation is the actual request for prices.

To submit an offer you'll need an active entity registration in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity ID. Registration is free. Companies that charge to "register" you are optional third parties, not the government. Registration can take weeks, so start before you find the perfect bid.

Set-asides

Grounds contracts are often set aside for small businesses because the size limit for landscaping is low. The common types:

• Total Small Business: any company under the size limit for the notice's NAICS code can bid. No separate certification is needed beyond your SAM.gov representations.
• 8(a), HUBZone, Women-Owned (WOSB/EDWOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB): only firms certified in that program can bid. These certifications are free through SBA at certify.sba.gov, but approval takes time.
• No set-aside (full and open): anyone can bid, including large firms.

What a grounds solicitation asks for

• A Performance Work Statement and maps: the acreage or areas to maintain, mowing heights, trimming and edging standards, leaf and debris removal, and the growing-season dates.
• A price schedule: sometimes a fixed monthly or annual price, often a price per mowing cycle or per event with estimated quantities. Read which one it is.
• Herbicide or fertilizer work: usually requires a state-certified pesticide applicator and application records.
• A wage determination: service contracts are covered by federal service contract labor standards, so the solicitation attaches a wage determination listing minimum hourly wages and fringe benefits by job class (for example, Groundskeeper). Your price must cover at least those rates. Look them up at SAM.gov wage determinations.
• An equipment list and staffing plan, plus past performance on similar commercial or public grounds work.
• Access requirements: base passes or background checks, and often a pre-bid site visit.

Common mistakes

• Guessing the number of cuts. If the price is fixed, a wet year means more mowing for the same money. If it's per cut, the estimated quantity isn't a promise.
• Underpricing travel. Remote federal sites can mean long drives and trailer moves between areas.
• Missing the license requirement for weed control or pesticide work, or the reporting that goes with it.
• Ignoring the wage determination. Price labor from the WD wage plus fringe, then add equipment, fuel, overhead and profit.
• Missing an amendment. Amendments change deadlines, quantities and wage rates. Check the notice again the day before you submit, and acknowledge every one.
• Submitting late or the wrong way. Late offers are generally rejected. Follow the submission method and file-size limits exactly.

This guide is general information from the Bid Brief team, not legal or contracting advice. The solicitation and its amendments control. Last reviewed Oct 27, 2026.