# How to win janitorial and cleaning government contracts > Codes and size standards for cleaning work, where federal and Texas buyers post it, wage determinations, site visits, pricing and bidding with no record. Last verified October 2026. Page: https://victavio.com/learn/janitorial-government-contracts Federal agencies, Texas state agencies, cities, counties and school districts all pay to have their buildings cleaned. The work suits a small business, but it comes with its own codes, wage rules and pricing habits. Here is how to find it, price it and bid when you are new. ## The codes buyers use Each notice carries one NAICS code, and that code sets the size limit for the bid. These are the cleaning codes and SBA's size standards in annual receipts: | NAICS code | Industry | Size standard | |---|---|---| | 561720 | Janitorial Services | $22.0 million | | 561740 | Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services | $8.5 million | | 561790 | Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $9.0 million | | 561730 | Landscaping Services | $9.5 million | | 561210 | Facilities Support Services | $47.0 million | Facilities Support Services applies when one buy combines three or more separate activities, such as cleaning, grounds work and building repairs. Size standards change from time to time, so check the current table before you bid. See [NAICS codes and size standards](https://victavio.com/learn/naics-codes-and-size-standards). Federal buyers also tag notices with a product and service code. Custodial janitorial work is S201, and carpet laying and cleaning is S214. ## Where cleaning work is posted - **Federal:** SAM.gov Contract Opportunities. Filter by NAICS 561720 or PSC S201, and add your states under place of performance. See [How to search SAM.gov for contract opportunities](https://victavio.com/learn/search-sam-gov). - **Texas state agencies:** the Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD). Register on the state's bidders list with the NIGP codes for cleaning services. See [Texas state bids: the ESBD and the CMBL](https://victavio.com/learn/texas-esbd-and-cmbl). - **Local buyers:** cities, counties, school districts and transit agencies post on their own portals. Each one needs its own vendor account. Some federal custodial work never goes out for bids. Custodial services can be on the AbilityOne Procurement List, and agencies must buy listed services from the nonprofit agencies in that program. ## Go to the site visit If a solicitation offers a site visit, go. The standard federal site visit provision expects offerors to inspect the site, and not inspecting it is never grounds for a claim after award. Bring the work statement and note: - Floor types and the square footage of each. - Restrooms and fixtures, and how often each task happens. - The hours you may work and how you get in. - Where supplies and equipment can be stored. Send your questions in writing, the way the solicitation says, before the question deadline. ## Wage determinations Federal cleaning contracts performed in the United States are covered by the Service Contract Act. The FAR names custodial and janitorial services among its examples. Covered contracts over $2,500 must include minimum wages and fringe benefits. The rates come from a wage determination issued by the Department of Labor, attached to the solicitation and published on SAM.gov. - **Find your job titles.** Each line lists a job, such as 11150 Janitor, with the minimum hourly rate for that area. - **Add the fringe benefits.** Every job also gets the health and welfare amount per hour, plus the paid vacation and paid holidays the wage determination lists. - **Check the extras.** Look for a uniform allowance and other notes. - **Option years.** The wage determination current at each option period applies. Fixed-price contracts with options usually include a clause that adjusts your price for the increases it requires. You can look up wage determinations on SAM.gov by state and county before a bid posts. ## Price from the work Build your price from labor hours, not from a guess. 1. Estimate the hours for each task and how often it happens, from the work statement and your site visit. 2. Multiply by the wage determination rates, then add fringe benefits, payroll taxes and insurance. 3. Add supplies, equipment, supervision, quality control, overhead and profit. 4. Enter prices in the exact format the price schedule asks for. A price that cannot cover the wage determination is a promise you cannot keep. See [Pricing basics](https://victavio.com/learn/pricing-basics) and [Cash flow and capacity](https://victavio.com/learn/cash-flow-and-capacity). ## Starting with no federal record - **No record is not a mark against you.** When past performance is evaluated in a negotiated buy, an offeror with no relevant record may not be rated favorably or unfavorably on it. - **Your people count.** Buyers may consider the past performance of key personnel and subcontractors. Describe your supervisor's experience and your commercial accounts. - **Start small.** Quote on single-building jobs, or clean as a subcontractor to a larger prime. - **Get noticed early.** Answer Sources Sought notices for cleaning work. See [Past performance when you have none](https://victavio.com/learn/past-performance). ## The half rule on set-asides On a small business set-aside for services, the prime may pay no more than half of what the government pays it to subcontractors that are not similarly situated. Plan to do most of the cleaning with your own crew. ## In Victavio Victavio finds cleaning bids that match your codes and places, on SAM.gov and the Texas ESBD, and reads the files with you. You decide what to bid, and you click Submit. ## Official sources - [13 CFR 121.201: SBA size standards by NAICS code](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-13/section-121.201) - [Product and Service Codes manual](https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual) - [SAM.gov: Wage determinations](https://sam.gov/wage-determinations) - [FAR Subpart 22.10: Service Contract Labor Standards](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/subpart-22.10) - [FAR 52.222-43: Price adjustment for multiple year and option contracts](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.222-43) - [FAR 52.237-1: Site visit](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/52.237-1) - [FAR 8.704: AbilityOne purchase priorities](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/8.704) - [FAR 15.305: Proposal evaluation (past performance)](https://www.acquisition.gov/far/15.305) This lesson is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the official source before you act. Victavio is a Kilobytez LLC product. Not a government agency. SAM.gov registration is free.