Federal janitorial 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 say "janitorial".

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 561720. Under Product and Service Codes, you can add S201.
3. Filter Place of Performance to the states you can actually staff. Janitorial work is daily and local.
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

Many federal janitorial notices are set aside for small businesses. 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.

Some federal custodial work never shows up as an open bid because it's on the AbilityOne Procurement List, which agencies must buy from first.

What a janitorial solicitation asks for

• A Performance Work Statement (PWS): the buildings, square footage, floor types, task lists by frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) and service hours.
• A price schedule: usually a monthly price for a base year plus option years, sometimes extra line items for floor stripping, carpet cleaning or one-time cleanings.
• 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, Janitor). Your price must cover at least those rates. Look them up at SAM.gov wage determinations.
• A Quality Control Plan describing how you'll inspect your own work and fix problems.
• Past performance: references for similar cleaning work. Commercial jobs usually count.
• Access requirements: background checks, badges or base passes for your staff, and sometimes a site visit before you bid.
• Forms: the signed SF-1449 or SF-33 cover form, and signed acknowledgements of every amendment.

Common mistakes

• Pricing below the wage determination. Build your labor cost from the WD wage plus fringe, then add payroll taxes, supplies, supervision, overhead and profit. The estimator shows each step.
• Missing an amendment. Amendments change deadlines, square footage and wage rates. Check the notice again the day before you submit, and acknowledge every one.
• Skipping the site visit or questions deadline. Both usually come well before the bid deadline.
• Submitting late or the wrong way. Late offers are generally rejected. Follow the submission method and file-size limits exactly.
• Forgetting option years. You're usually pricing up to five years. Plan for wage increases if the solicitation allows for them, and read how it handles them.
• Bidding too far from home. Daily cleaning needs reliable local staff and supervision.

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.