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A plain-language orientation for restoration owners, backed by decades of experience in the trade. Programs and thresholds are set by the Small Business Administration (SBA), the General Services Administration (GSA), and individual agencies, and they change; confirm the current rules at sam.gov and sba.gov.
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Reviewed October 2026. Federal contracting rules and SBA programs change, and state and local rules vary. Use this page to know what to ask, then confirm with SAM.gov, SBA, your APEX Accelerator or a government contracts attorney before you rely on it.
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Federal, state, and local agencies own enormous portfolios of buildings (courthouses, schools, post offices, military facilities) that flood, burn, and grow mold like any other. The work is steady and pays reliably, even if slowly. The catch is that the government buys on its own rules, and the contractors who learn those rules often see fewer competitors than on the open commercial market.
Everything federal starts in one place: the System for Award Management at sam.gov. Registration is free, and you cannot do business with the federal government without it. Registering gets you a UEI (Unique Entity ID) and asks you to select the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes that describe your work, which is how agencies find and classify you. SAM also issues a UEI on its own, without a full registration, but the UEI alone does not let you bid; you need the completed registration for that. Do not pay a third party for what is a free registration, though a free government advisor (below) can help you through it.
Put the renewal on the calendar the day you finish, because the registration is not permanent. SAM says you must renew every 365 days to keep it active, so it lapses 365 days after your last update.
An expired registration can knock a bid you were otherwise going to win out of consideration, and it is an entirely avoidable way to lose a job. Renewal is also the moment to actually re-read your representations and certifications instead of clicking through them. Those are statements about your business that have to still be true on the day you bid, and ownership, size, and eligibility all move over a year.
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Do not submit a set-aside bid on a size or status representation that is no longer true. Under 15 U.S.C. 632(w), submitting the bid and registering in the federal database are each treated as certifying your small business status, and a willful misrepresentation carries a presumed loss to the government of the whole amount paid on the contract. Re-read the reps and certs at every renewal and before every set-aside offer. This is not legal advice. Budget a short call with a government contracts attorney as part of the bid cost.
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The GSA Multiple Award Schedule is a pre-negotiated, long-term contract that makes it easier for federal agencies to buy from you directly. It is valuable for contractors who want steady federal work, but it is involved to obtain and is not required for every government job. Plenty of work is bid directly or runs through state and local channels. Treat it as a step you grow into.
Many government contracts are set aside specifically for small businesses, and certain categories get preferential access. If you qualify, getting certified is often the strongest move you can make into government work: