Accounting and Pricing Help for Government Contracts

Grounds, custodial and facilities contracts fall under the Service Contract Act, which sets minimum wages and fringe benefits for the job's location. Your price has to cover them, so read the wage determination in the solicitation before you price a bid.

Start with free help

• Wage determinations on SAM.gov: Minimum wages and fringe benefits for service contracts, by county and job.
• Department of Labor: Service Contract Act: What the law requires of contractors.
• Your local APEX Accelerator: Free help with pricing and with keeping up with a contract's requirements.
• Small Business Development Centers: Free help with bookkeeping and cash flow.

When paid help makes sense

An accountant who knows federal contracting helps when you price larger bids, need an overhead rate, or bid cost-reimbursement work, which requires an accounting system the government can audit. Most small fixed-price service contracts don't need that.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Are you a licensed CPA? Check on CPAverify, which covers most states.
• Have you worked with Service Contract Act wage determinations?
• Have you set up job-cost accounting for a government contractor my size?
• Is your fee monthly, hourly or per project?

Red flags

• Charges you to register in SAM.gov or to apply for VetCert. Both are free.
• Looks like a government website, or emails you a "final notice" to renew.
• Asks for your SAM.gov login. SAM.gov's rules don't allow sharing it.
• Guarantees you'll win a contract.

These pages list free public resources. Veteran Rebids is not affiliated with any agency or program named here, and no one pays to appear on them.