Guides

How to bid on VA HVAC contracts

Where the VA posts HVAC work, how SDVOSB/VOSB set-asides work, wage determinations, site visits, bonding thresholds and mistakes to avoid.

By the Seal the Bid team · Updated October 21, 2026

The VA runs one of the largest hospital and clinic networks in the country. Medical centers need chillers, air handlers, boilers, controls and steam systems that run all day, every day. That makes the VA a steady buyer of HVAC repair, maintenance and replacement work. Here's how to find it and bid it.

Where the VA posts HVAC work

  • SAM.gov Contract Opportunities (sam.gov). This is the official posting site for federal opportunities above the micro-purchase threshold. Filter by agency "Veterans Affairs, Department of" and NAICS 238220 (Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors). Also try PSC codes for maintenance and repair of HVAC equipment and facility construction.
  • Local VA Network Contracting Offices (NCOs). Most medical-center HVAC work is bought by the regional NCO that serves each VISN. The contracting office named on the notice tells you who to build a relationship with.
  • VA Strategic Acquisition Center / Technology Acquisition Center / National Acquisition Center (NAC). These handle larger and national buys. The NAC mainly runs supply and Federal Supply Schedule programs, not local HVAC jobs.
  • Sources sought and pre-solicitation notices on SAM.gov. Answering them helps the VA decide whether to set a job aside for veteran-owned firms.

Veterans First: why VA set-asides matter

Under 38 U.S.C. 8127 and the VA's Veterans First Contracting Program (VAAR Subpart 819.70; see va.gov/osdbu), VA contracting officers give priority to SDVOSBs, then VOSBs. They set a job aside when they reasonably expect two or more eligible veteran-owned firms to bid at a fair price (the VA "rule of two").

  • Verification. To count for VA set-asides, a firm must be certified in SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert) program (veterans.certify.sba.gov). The VA's old Center for Verification and Evaluation (CVE) program moved to SBA in January 2023.
  • Not veteran-owned? You can still bid unrestricted and small-business set-asides, or subcontract to an SDVOSB prime. Watch the limitations-on-subcontracting rules the prime has to meet.

NAICS 238220 and size

Most VA HVAC work is coded 238220. Check your size against SBA's current size standard for that code at sba.gov/size-standards before you bid a set-aside. Some boiler, controls or facilities-support jobs use other codes, such as 238210 or 561210.

Typical solicitation types

  • RFQ on an SF 1449. Commercial services such as preventive maintenance, chiller and boiler service, and water treatment. See our SF 1449 guide.
  • IFB or RFP on an SF 1442. Construction, alteration and repair, such as AHU replacement or a mechanical upgrade. See SF 1442 explained.
  • IDIQ / multiple-award task-order contracts. Larger NCO vehicles that firms compete for once and then bid individual orders under.

Wage determinations

  • Construction, alteration or repair over $2,000 is covered by the Davis-Bacon Act (FAR 22.403-1). The solicitation includes a Davis-Bacon wage determination with the minimum rates for each trade in that county.
  • Maintenance and service contracts over $2,500 are covered by the Service Contract Act (FAR 22.1003-1). You pay at least the SCA wage determination rates plus fringe benefits.

Price labor from the attached wage determination, not from your commercial rates. Underbidding the WD is a common way to lose money on a federal job.

Site visits

VA solicitations for HVAC work often include an organized site visit. It may be mandatory or just recommended; the solicitation says which. Medical centers have security check-in, badging and infection-control rules (ICRA), so register by the deadline listed. Submit your questions in writing by the question cut-off date. Answers usually come back as an amendment, and you must acknowledge it.

Bonding thresholds (FAR 28.102-1)

Per FAR 28.102-1, checked October 21, 2026: - Construction over $150,000: performance and payment bonds are required under the Miller Act (40 U.S.C. chapter 31, subchapter III). - Construction over $35,000 and up to $150,000: the contracting officer picks two or more payment protections, such as a payment bond, an irrevocable letter of credit or escrow. - Bonds must be in place before the notice to proceed. A bid guarantee, usually 20% of the bid, is commonly required whenever performance and payment bonds are (FAR 28.101).

Line up a surety before you bid on VA construction.

Common mistakes

  1. Bidding an SDVOSB set-aside without active VetCert certification.
  2. Not acknowledging every amendment.
  3. Pricing below the Davis-Bacon or SCA wage determination.
  4. Skipping a mandatory site visit.
  5. No bonding capacity lined up for jobs over $150K.
  6. Ignoring the evaluation factors in the RFP, such as past performance and technical approach.
  7. SAM.gov registration lapsed, or details that don't match the offer.

VA HVAC bid checklist

  • SAM.gov active; NAICS 238220 on your registration
  • VetCert certification (if bidding SDVOSB/VOSB set-asides)
  • Saved SAM.gov searches: VA + 238220
  • Wage determination pulled and built into labor
  • Site visit registered; questions sent by the cut-off
  • Bonding/surety letter ready (construction > $150K)
  • All amendments acknowledged
  • SF 1449 or SF 1442 completed and signed

Frequently asked questions

Where does the VA post HVAC contracts? On SAM.gov Contract Opportunities, mostly issued by regional VA Network Contracting Offices. Filter by the Department of Veterans Affairs and NAICS 238220.

Do I have to be veteran-owned to bid VA HVAC work? No. You can bid unrestricted and small-business set-asides. SDVOSB/VOSB set-asides under Veterans First require SBA VetCert certification.

What is VetCert? SBA's Veteran Small Business Certification program, which took over VA's CVE verification in January 2023.

When do I need a bond on a VA construction job? FAR 28.102-1 requires performance and payment bonds on construction contracts over $150,000, and alternative payment protections from $35,000 to $150,000.

Which wage rules apply? Davis-Bacon for construction over $2,000 and the Service Contract Act for service contracts over $2,500. Use the wage determination attached to the solicitation.

Related

Get your VA bid done for you

Seal the Bid prepares the finished bid package and a free win analysis for any VA HVAC job: who won similar work, at what price, against how many bidders (from USAspending/FPDS). You set the price and submit. Prices start at $495 (see pricing), and you pay for your first bid only if you submit it. Start with a free win analysis.