Government cleaning contracts: how to register, find bids, price them and get paid

What are government cleaning contracts, and who buys them?

Government cleaning contracts are agreements to clean buildings that taxpayers own: federal offices and military sites, state agencies, county courthouses, city halls, libraries, police stations, transit facilities, public schools and parks restrooms. They are awarded through a public process, which means the work goes to whoever follows the rules and submits the best bid, not to whoever knows the facility manager.

Four levels of government buy cleaning, and they behave very differently:

Two things make government contracts for cleaning services different from a private office contract. First, the buyer must document why it chose you, so the paperwork is the product. Second, the buyer is spending public money, so it pays slowly but reliably and almost never disappears. Our guide to commercial cleaning contracts covers the private side (walkthroughs, bid sheets and proposals). This page covers what is specific to public buyers.

How much do government cleaning contracts pay?

Government cleaning contracts pay about what the local commercial market pays per square foot, with one big exception: federal service contracts set the labor rate for you. Under the Service Contract Act, any federal service contract over $2,500 carries a wage determination that lists the minimum hourly wage and fringe benefits for each job class in that county. You cannot win by paying cleaners less than that rate, so everyone bids from the same floor and competes on efficiency, overhead and margin.

The thresholds come from the Federal Acquisition Regulation. FAR 2.101 sets the micro-purchase threshold at $15,000 in general but $2,500 for services subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, and the simplified acquisition threshold at $350,000. Those numbers decide how formal the process is (see the set-aside section below).

A worked example (hypothetical numbers)

Suppose a federal office of 20,000 square feet wants five nights a week of cleaning, and the wage determination for your county reads, hypothetically:

• Janitor: $18.00 per hour, plus $5.00 per hour health and welfare, plus paid holidays and vacation as listed.
• Your production rate from the statement of work: about 3,500 square feet per labor hour, so roughly 5.7 hours per night.

1. Direct labor: 5.7 hours × $23.00 (wage plus health and welfare) = $131 per night, about $2,840 per month over 21.7 nights.
2. Payroll taxes, workers’ comp and the paid leave in the determination: add about 18%, for $3,350 per month.
3. Supplies, equipment and insurance: say $350 per month. Your supervisor’s time and overhead: $500 per month.
4. Total cost: about $4,200 per month. At a 15% margin you bid roughly $4,950 per month, or $0.25 per square foot per month.

That is why “how much do government cleaning contracts pay” has no single answer: the pay is whatever your costs are at the required wage, plus the margin the market allows. For hourly and per-square-foot ranges in the private market, see commercial cleaning prices, and use the free commercial cleaning calculator to run your own numbers. State and local contracts usually have no federal wage determination, but many states and cities set their own prevailing or living wage for service contractors, so check the solicitation and your state.

One more thing about the phrase “free government cleaning contracts”: there is no program that hands out contracts. What is free is the process. Registration, bid documents and the help described below cost nothing, and anyone charging you to “unlock” government contracts is selling something you can do yourself.

How to register on SAM.gov for cleaning contracts

To bid on federal work you register your company in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov), get a Unique Entity ID, pick NAICS code 561720 for janitorial services, and confirm you count as a small business. The registration is free (the Department of Labor notes there is no fee to register or renew at SAM.gov) and takes a few weeks to be approved, so do it before you find a bid you want.

Step by step

1. Have your legal basics ready. A registered business entity, an EIN from the IRS, a business bank account and a physical address. The SBA’s page on basic requirements for federal contracting walks through each one.
2. Get your Unique Entity ID (UEI). The SBA explains that the UEI is a 12-character ID you receive when you register at SAM.gov; you no longer need a third-party number.
3. Choose your NAICS codes. Janitorial services is 561720. Add 561740 (carpet and upholstery cleaning) or 561790 (other services to buildings, which covers things like pressure washing) if you offer them.
4. Check your size. The SBA’s size standards page explains that each NAICS code has a maximum size, counted with your affiliates. The table in 13 CFR 121.201 lists janitorial services (561720) at $22.0 million in annual receipts, so nearly every independent cleaning company qualifies as small. The SBA has also proposed new size standards (August 20, 2026, docket SBA-2026-0199) that would raise many of them; until a final rule is published the current figure applies, so check it again before you certify.
5. Complete the entity registration (not just the UEI). The representations and certifications section is where you state your size and any socioeconomic status. A CAGE code is assigned automatically for US companies.
6. Renew every year. SAM.gov’s entity registration page says you must renew every 365 days to keep it active, and an expired registration makes you ineligible for award, even mid-bid.

You will get calls and emails from companies offering to “complete” or “activate” your SAM registration for a fee. You do not need them. If you get stuck, an APEX Accelerator (the government-funded network of procurement counselors, formerly PTACs) will help for free.

Which set-asides can a small cleaning company use?

Most federal janitorial contracts in the range a small company can handle are reserved for small businesses automatically. Under FAR 19.502-2, every purchase above the micro-purchase threshold and up to the simplified acquisition threshold must be set aside for small business unless the contracting officer does not expect offers from at least two responsible small businesses at fair prices. Contracting officers call this the rule of two.

With the thresholds from FAR 2.101, that means a janitorial contract worth between $2,500 and $350,000 is a small business set-aside by default. Above $350,000, FAR 19.502-2 says the officer shall set the acquisition aside when the rule of two is met, so plenty of larger contracts are reserved too.

Certifications that narrow the field further

• 8(a) Business Development: for socially and economically disadvantaged owners; some contracts are awarded without competition to 8(a) firms.
• HUBZone: for companies based in designated zones with at least 35% of employees living in a HUBZone.
• Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged WOSB.
• Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB).

Each certification has its own application through the SBA and takes weeks to months, so start early if you qualify. Many states and large cities also run their own minority, women and veteran business programs with bid preferences or goals; check your state’s procurement site. Note that certification gets you into a smaller pool of bidders; it never replaces a competitive price and a complete bid.

Where are government cleaning bids posted?

Federal cleaning bids are posted on SAM.gov under Contract Opportunities, state bids on each state’s procurement portal, and city, county and school district bids on their own purchasing pages and on aggregator sites. Set up saved searches on each one for “janitorial”, “custodial” and NAICS 561720, and check them weekly.

Two sources beat the portals. First, ask the purchasing office directly for the janitorial contract expiration dates for each building; those dates are public record in most states and tell you exactly when the next bid will come. Second, ask for the bid tabulation on the last janitorial award. It shows every bidder and price, so you learn the local going rate before you write your first bid.

How are government cleaning bids scored?

Government cleaning bids are scored one of two ways, and the solicitation tells you which: lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA), where the cheapest bid that meets every requirement wins, or best value tradeoff, where the agency weighs past performance, technical approach and price against each other. Read the evaluation section before anything else, because it tells you where to spend your effort.

LPTA: price decides

Under FAR 15.101-2, in an LPTA source selection proposals are evaluated for acceptability but not ranked on the non-price factors, and tradeoffs are not permitted. In plain words: pass every requirement, then the lowest price wins. Do not write a 40-page proposal for an LPTA bid. Write a complete, compliant one and sharpen your price.

Best value: past performance and approach matter

In a tradeoff evaluation, the agency may pay more for a stronger offer. Typical factors for janitorial work, in the order they usually carry weight:

• Past performance: references for similar buildings, with contact details the agency will actually call. Three solid commercial references beat ten vague ones.
• Technical approach: staffing plan (hours per night, supervisor ratio), quality control (inspections, how you fix a missed task), key personnel, training, green cleaning products if asked.
• Price: on the agency’s price sheet, in its format, with option years filled in.

What gets bids thrown out

1. Missing a mandatory site visit or pre-bid meeting.
2. Changing the agency’s price sheet, or leaving a line blank.
3. An unsigned form, a missing acknowledgment of an amendment, or an expired SAM registration.
4. Submitting one minute late. Late is late.
5. Pricing below the wage determination. The agency checks.

After the award, request a debriefing (federal) or the bid tabulation and evaluation notes (most states and cities). Losing bids that ask why usually win within a year.

What do government buyers require from a cleaning contractor?

Government buyers require proof of insurance, often a bond, background checks for every worker who enters the building, and a stack of certifications you sign with the bid. None of it is hard, but all of it has to be ready before the deadline, so build the file once and keep it current.

• Insurance. General liability at the limits the solicitation lists, workers’ compensation, and auto if you drive to the site. The agency is named as additional insured. See cleaning business insurance for what each policy costs.
• Bonds. Larger bids ask for a bid bond (the amount, often a percentage of the bid, is set in the solicitation) and a performance bond after award. A janitorial (fidelity) bond covering employee theft is often required too; our janitorial bond guide explains the difference and the cost.
• Background checks and badges. Federal sites require a fitness or security screening for each cleaner before a badge is issued, which can take weeks. Courthouses, police stations and schools run their own checks. Hire with this in mind: a crew that cannot pass screening cannot work the contract.
• Employment verification. Many federal contracts include a clause requiring E-Verify for employees working on the contract; check the clauses in each solicitation.
• Certifications and forms. Non-collusion affidavits, debarment statements, drug-free workplace, conflict of interest, and the SAM representations. Sign what is asked, exactly as asked.
• References and a capability statement. A one-page capability statement (services, NAICS codes, UEI and CAGE, certifications, past performance, contact) is the standard introduction to a contracting officer.

This is not legal or insurance advice; the solicitation and your broker have the final word on limits and forms.

A step-by-step plan for your first government contract

Plan on six to twelve months from your first registration to your first government payment. Most of that time is waiting: for approvals, for bids to open, for the award, then for the first invoice to clear. Use it to win commercial work that becomes your references.

1. Month 1: register. SAM.gov, your state portal, your county and the two or three largest cities near you, DemandStar or BidNet Direct for the rest. Book a free session with your APEX Accelerator; counselors review bids and know which local agencies buy janitorial.
2. Month 1 to 2: build the file. Certificate of insurance, bond quote from a surety agent, capability statement, three references, a sample quality control plan, your background check process, W-9. Store it in one folder and date every document.
3. Month 2 to 3: map the buildings. Call purchasing offices and ask for current janitorial contract expiration dates and the last bid tabulations. Put each building in a list with square footage, current price and renewal date.
4. Month 3 onward: bid small, bid often. Start with contracts under the formal bid limit (a library branch, a public works yard, a community center). Attend every site visit. Submit two days early.
5. After each loss: ask. Request the tabulation or a debriefing and adjust. Your third bid is usually far better than your first.
6. After the first award: document everything. Daily sign-in, inspection reports, photos. Your performance record is the asset that wins the next one.

Keep prospecting private clients while you wait. The commercial references you build are what score points on the best-value bids, and the cash flow is what keeps you alive until the government pays.

The cash-flow reality: when does the government pay?

Under the payment clause in FAR 52.232-25, a federal payment is generally due on the 30th day after the billing office receives a proper invoice (or after the government accepts the work, if that is later), and state and local agencies set their own terms, often similar or longer. You pay your cleaners every week or two. That gap is the main reason small companies fail on their first government contract, so plan the float before you bid.

The Prompt Payment Act, explained on the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service site, requires federal agencies to pay on time, and when an agency pays late it generally owes interest; the published Prompt Payment interest rate for July 1 to December 31, 2026 is 4.75%. That interest is a backstop, not a plan. An invoice rejected for a missing contract number or the wrong format restarts the clock, so learn the agency’s invoicing system (many use the Treasury’s Invoice Processing Platform) and get the first invoice right.

A float example (hypothetical numbers)

• Contract: $4,950 per month, cleaners paid every two weeks, about $1,650 per pay period.
• Month 1: you pay two payrolls ($3,300) plus supplies ($350) and invoice on the last day of the month.
• Month 2: two more payrolls and supplies ($3,650) while the first invoice ages. If it is paid on day 30, you receive $4,950 at the end of month 2.
• Peak cash out before the first payment: about $7,000. Add a rejected invoice and it is $10,000.

Ways to cover it: a business line of credit arranged before the award, a small contract first, net-30 terms with your supply vendor, and invoicing on the exact day the contract allows. Some agencies allow partial or monthly invoicing on day one of the following month; ask. Keep the government contract separate in your books so you can see its real margin, and run the numbers in the cleaning business profit calculator.

Scheduling software helps here too. With fixed nightly hours, a supervisor sign-off and time records per site, you can prove the hours on every invoice. Broombook schedules recurring commercial jobs, assigns crews and keeps a record of each completed visit, which is the paper trail agencies ask for at renewal.