BidFox

How to win federal electrical contracts

To win federal electrical contracts, register in SAM.gov, find notices under the electrical NAICS codes in the states you work in, and bid first on small business set-asides, which made up 74% of the 636 electrical solicitations posted in the last 12 months. Today there are 42 open notices, and the busiest buyer over the past year was the Department of the Air Force.

The market today

Right now there are 42 open federal electrical notices, 27 of them open for bids. 13 close within the next 7 days. 29 are set aside for small or certified businesses, so fewer companies can compete. Over the last 12 months agencies posted 636 electrical solicitations and published 88 awards with a median value of $138K. The busiest buyer was the Department of the Air Force, with 113 solicitations.

Open notices today42
Closing within 7 days13
Set aside for small or certified businesses29
Solicitations posted in the last 12 months636
Published awards in the last 12 months88 (median $138K)

From public SAM.gov data, updated October 20, 2026. See every open electrical notice.

Who buys electrical work

Electrical contractors win work from military installations, VA medical centers, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers and land agencies: lighting and power upgrades, generators, airfield lighting, fire alarm systems and distribution work.

The busiest buyers in the last 12 months:

The states with the most open electrical work today: District of Columbia (3), New York (2), Virginia (2), Ohio (2), Washington (2), Minnesota (2).

Rules to know before you bid

  • Electrical construction and repair carries Davis-Bacon prevailing wages; contracts over $150,000 need Miller Act bonds.
  • Work must be performed under the licenses of the state where it takes place, and safety programs following NFPA 70E are commonly requested.
  • Jobs on active bases and hospitals usually require outage coordination and phasing plans.

NAICS codes for electrical

Agencies tag each notice with one NAICS code, and that code sets the size standard for small business set-asides. These are the codes BidFox follows for electrical:

How to win your first one

  1. Register your business in SAM.gov (free) and list every NAICS code above that you can really perform. How to register.
  2. Watch the notices in your states every day, including sources sought and presolicitations, which tell you what is coming.
  3. Start with small set-aside jobs close to home: they have fewer bidders and build the past performance you need later.
  4. Read the whole solicitation, ask questions before the deadline and acknowledge every amendment.
  5. Price outages and phasing carefully: work windows on active facilities are often nights or weekends.

Questions

How many federal electrical contracts are open right now?

On October 20, 2026 there were 42 open electrical notices on SAM.gov, 13 of them closing within a week.

Which agencies buy the most electrical?

Counting solicitations from the last 12 months: Department of the Air Force (113); Department of Veterans Affairs (105); Department of the Army (88).

Can a small business win federal electrical contracts?

Yes. 74% of the electrical solicitations in the last 12 months were set aside for small businesses or for certified firms such as 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB or WOSB.

How much are federal electrical contracts worth?

The median published award in the last 12 months was $138K, across 88 award notices. Values vary widely and some contracts are awarded without a public notice.

What NAICS codes are used for electrical?

The main ones are 238210 (Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors).

Related guides

Last reviewed October 20, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and dollar thresholds change, so check the solicitation and the official sources linked above.