# Seal the Bid

> Seal the Bid (sealthebid.com) is an independent, done-for-you government bid preparation service for small businesses in every industry. We read the solicitation, fill in the federal forms, build the pricing sheet around the wage rules and check every requirement. The client sets the price, signs and submits. Not affiliated with any government agency.

## Prices (flat fee, never a percentage of the contract)
- Quick Quote: $495 per quote (small SF-18 or SF-1449 quotes)
- Full Bid: $950 per bid (standard solicitations)
- Major Proposal: from $2,950 (best-value proposals with technical volumes)
- Monthly Plan: $1,950 a month for up to 4 Full Bids or 8 Quick Quotes
- Every tier includes a win analysis. First bid: the client pays only if they submit it.
- SAM.gov registration is free; we never charge for it.

## Key pages
- [Pricing](https://sealthebid.com/pricing)
- [Open government contracts, updated daily](https://sealthebid.com/jobs): 7,159 open federal opportunities in plain English
- [Get started](https://sealthebid.com/start)
- [Contact](https://sealthebid.com/contact): mark@sealthebid.com

## Open contracts by industry
- [Building construction & renovation contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/general-construction)
- [Roads, utilities & civil work contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/civil)
- [HVAC & plumbing contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/hvac-plumbing)
- [Electrical contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/electrical)
- [Roofing contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/roofing)
- [Concrete, steel, masonry & exterior contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/concrete-masonry)
- [Painting, drywall, flooring & finishes contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/finishes)
- [Site work, excavation & demolition contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/site-work)
- [Elevators & building equipment contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/building-equipment)
- [Specialty trades contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/specialty)
- [IT, software & telecom contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/it-services)
- [Engineering & architecture contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/engineering)
- [Research & development contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/research)
- [Consulting & professional services contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/consulting)
- [Janitorial & cleaning contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/janitorial)
- [Landscaping & grounds contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/landscaping)
- [Security & guard services contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/security)
- [Facilities support & maintenance contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/facilities)
- [Staffing & administrative support contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/staffing)
- [Environmental, waste & cleanup contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/environmental)
- [Equipment repair & maintenance contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/repair-maintenance)
- [Healthcare & medical services contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/healthcare)
- [Training & education contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/education)
- [Transportation, logistics & moving contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/transportation)
- [Food & catering contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/food)
- [Products & manufacturing contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/manufacturing)
- [Supplies & wholesale contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/wholesale)
- [Utilities & energy contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/utilities)
- [Real estate & leasing contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/real-estate)
- [Agriculture, forestry & fishing contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/agriculture)
- [Other services contracts](https://sealthebid.com/jobs/other)

## Guides
- [SBA 8(a) program: who qualifies, benefits and how to apply](https://sealthebid.com/guides/8a-program): The SBA 8(a) Business Development program explained: eligibility (ownership, social and economic disadvantage limits), the nine-year term, sole-source and set-aside contracts, and how to apply for free.
- [Bid bonds explained for small contractors](https://sealthebid.com/guides/bid-bonds-explained): When a government job needs a bid bond, how much it's for, what a surety looks at, and how bid bonds differ from payment and performance bonds.
- [Capability statement: what it is, what to include, and a free template](https://sealthebid.com/guides/capability-statement): How to write a government capability statement: the 6 sections every one needs, a sample layout, common mistakes, and a free generator that builds yours in two minutes.
- [Davis-Bacon wages: what small contractors need to know](https://sealthebid.com/guides/davis-bacon-wages-for-small-contractors): How prevailing wages work on federal construction jobs: reading the wage determination, pricing your bid around it, and weekly certified payroll.
- [Federal roofing contracts: how small roofers win them](https://sealthebid.com/guides/federal-roofing-contracts): What kinds of roofing jobs federal agencies buy, who can bid, what the solicitations ask for, and how a small roofing company can win its first one.
- [How to find government construction jobs near you](https://sealthebid.com/guides/find-government-construction-jobs): Where federal, state and local construction jobs are posted, how to search them by trade and location, and how to tell which ones are worth bidding.
- [How much does a government bid writer cost? 2026 prices](https://sealthebid.com/guides/government-bid-writer-cost): What small businesses pay for help with federal bids in 2026: free APEX counselors, freelancers, bid software, flat-fee services ($495 to $2,950) and proposal consultants, compared.
- [Government electrical contracts for small electricians](https://sealthebid.com/guides/government-electrical-contracts): The electrical work federal agencies buy, what electrical solicitations require, and how small electrical contractors can start winning federal jobs.
- [Government HVAC contracts for small businesses](https://sealthebid.com/guides/government-hvac-contracts): The heating, cooling and plumbing work federal agencies buy, the requirements specific to HVAC bids, and how small mechanical contractors get started.
- [GSA Schedule: what it is, who should get one, and how to apply (2026)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/gsa-schedule): The GSA Multiple Award Schedule explained for small businesses: how it works, the requirements, the application steps in eOffer, timeline, fees, and when it's worth it versus bidding open contracts.
- [How to bid federal janitorial contracts, step by step (NAICS 561720)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-bid-federal-janitorial-contracts): How small cleaning companies find, price and bid federal janitorial contracts: NAICS 561720, Service Contract Act wages, square-foot pricing with a worked example, and the mistakes that lose bids.
- [How to bid and price federal landscaping and grounds maintenance contracts](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-bid-federal-landscaping-contracts): How small landscaping companies win federal grounds maintenance contracts: NAICS 561730, Service Contract Act wages, pricing mowing by the acre with a worked example, seasonal schedules and common mistakes.
- [How to bid and price federal security guard contracts (NAICS 561612)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-bid-federal-security-guard-contracts): How small security companies bid federal guard contracts: NAICS 561612, Service Contract Act guard wages, post hours and relief factors, a worked pricing example, licensing and the mistakes that lose bids.
- [How to bid your first federal construction job](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-bid-your-first-federal-construction-job): A step-by-step guide for small trade contractors: finding the job, reading the notice, pricing it and submitting a bid that doesn't get thrown out.
- [How to get government contracts: a step-by-step guide for small businesses (2026)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-get-government-contracts): How small businesses get government contracts in 2026: register in SAM.gov, pick NAICS codes, find bids, use set-asides, price correctly, submit and win your first federal job. Every step, with links.
- [How to read a Davis-Bacon wage determination](https://sealthebid.com/guides/how-to-read-a-wage-determination): A line-by-line guide to the wage determination attached to federal construction bids: construction types, rate codes, fringes, missing trades and modifications.
- [HUBZone program: requirements, benefits and how to qualify](https://sealthebid.com/guides/hubzone-program): SBA's HUBZone program explained: the principal office and 35% employee residency rules, the 10% price evaluation preference, set-asides, and how to apply.
- [How to price a federal HVAC maintenance contract](https://sealthebid.com/guides/hvac-maintenance-contract-pricing): How HVAC companies price federal preventive maintenance contracts: Service Contract Act vs Davis-Bacon, equipment inventories, PM hours per unit, a worked example, service calls and repair line items.
- [Micro-purchase threshold 2026: $15,000 (and the simplified acquisition threshold, $350,000)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/micro-purchase-threshold): The current federal micro-purchase threshold is $15,000, with $2,000 for construction and $2,500 for services under wage laws. The simplified acquisition threshold is $350,000. What each means for small businesses.
- [No past performance? How to win your first federal job](https://sealthebid.com/guides/no-past-performance-first-federal-job): Federal buyers ask about past performance, but first-time bidders still win. What counts as experience, which jobs to target first, and how to present a short track record.
- [Prevailing wage: what it is, how rates are set, and how to pay it (2026 guide)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/prevailing-wage): Prevailing wage explained for contractors: what it means, federal Davis-Bacon and Service Contract Act rates, state prevailing wage laws, how to read a wage determination, fringe benefits, overtime and certified payroll. With a free calculator.
- [SAM.gov registration 2026: how to register in SAM step by step (free)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sam-gov-registration-step-by-step): How a small contractor registers in SAM.gov to bid federal jobs: what you need before you start, each step, how long it takes, and how to keep it active.
- [SDVOSB certification (VetCert): how service-disabled veteran-owned businesses get certified](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sdvosb-certification): How to get SDVOSB or VOSB certified through SBA's VetCert program: who qualifies, documents, timeline, and the VA and governmentwide set-asides it opens.
- [The SF-1442 explained, block by block](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-1442-explained): What the SF-1442 construction bid form is, which blocks the contractor fills in, and the small errors that get bids rejected.
- [SF 1449 explained: how to fill it out, block by block](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-1449-explained): How to fill out the SF 1449 block by block: the five blocks you complete, what the government fills in, and the mistakes that get offers rejected.
- [The SF-18 request for quotation, explained](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-18-explained): How to answer a federal request for quotation on the SF-18: the blocks you complete, what your quote does and doesn't commit you to, and how to stand out on a small job.
- [SF-24 bid bond: how to fill it out (and the 20% rule)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-24-bid-bond-form): The SF-24 Bid Bond form for federal construction bids: when it's required, how much the penal sum is, who can be your surety, how to fill it in, and the errors that make a bid nonresponsive.
- [SF-25 and SF-25A: performance and payment bonds on federal jobs](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-25-performance-payment-bonds): When federal construction contracts need SF-25 performance bonds and SF-25A payment bonds, how much they cover, when they're due after award, and how small contractors get bonded.
- [SF-30 explained: how to acknowledge a solicitation amendment](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sf-30-amendment-explained): What the SF-30 Amendment of Solicitation/Modification of Contract is, the three ways to acknowledge an amendment, which blocks you sign, and the mistake that gets bids thrown out.
- [Small business set-asides explained](https://sealthebid.com/guides/small-business-set-asides-explained): What a set-aside is, the main types (small business, HUBZone, women-owned, veteran-owned, 8(a)), how to know if you qualify, and why they matter for small contractors.
- [Sources Sought notices: why small contractors should answer them](https://sealthebid.com/guides/sources-sought-notices): What a Sources Sought notice is, how answering one can get a job set aside for small businesses, and what to put in a short, effective response.
- [How to bid on VA HVAC contracts](https://sealthebid.com/guides/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.
- [What is a CAGE code, how to get one, and how to look one up](https://sealthebid.com/guides/what-is-a-cage-code): A CAGE code is a five-character ID for companies that work with the federal government. How U.S. businesses get one for free through SAM.gov, how to find yours, and how to look up any company's CAGE code.
- [What is a UEI number? How to get, find and look up a Unique Entity ID](https://sealthebid.com/guides/what-is-a-uei-number): The UEI (Unique Entity ID) is the 12-character number that identifies your business to the federal government. How to get one free in SAM.gov, where to find yours, and how it differs from the old DUNS number and CAGE code.
- [WOSB certification: who qualifies and how to get certified (free)](https://sealthebid.com/guides/wosb-certification): How to get SBA Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and EDWOSB certification: ownership and control rules, the EDWOSB income and net worth limits, how to apply for free, and what set-asides it opens.