Army Corps of Engineers Construction Contracts: Complete Contractor Guide 2025
Win USACE construction contracts with this comprehensive guide. Learn UFGS specifications, NAVFAC requirements, SAM registration, and federal bidding strategies for military construction.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Overview
USACE Construction Program
Annual Awards:
$50B+
Construction contracts
Districts:
38
Regional offices
Small Business:
23%
Of prime contracts
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of the world's largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies. USACE manages construction for the Army, Air Force, and other DoD components, as well as civil works projects including flood control, navigation, and environmental restoration.
Military Construction (MILCON)
- • Barracks and housing
- • Training facilities
- • Operations buildings
- • Hangars and maintenance
Civil Works
- • Flood control structures
- • Navigation and locks
- • Environmental restoration
- • Disaster recovery
Types of USACE Contracts
Single Award Task Order Contracts (SATOC)
Indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts for recurring work. Once awarded, receive task orders without rebidding.
Multiple Award Task Order Contracts (MATOC)
Similar to SATOC but with multiple awardees competing for task orders. Common for larger programs.
Job Order Contracts (JOC)
Unit price contracts for repair and minor construction. Coefficient-based pricing using unit price books.
Design-Bid-Build (D-B-B)
Traditional procurement for individual projects. Sealed bid or best value evaluation.
Design-Build (D-B)
Single contract for design and construction. Growing delivery method for MILCON.
Small Projects
<$7.5M
Small business set-asides
Medium Projects
$7.5M-$35M
Mixed competition
Large Projects
>$35M
Full & open competition
Contractor Requirements
SAM.gov Registration
System for Award Management - mandatory for all federal contracts
CAGE Code
Commercial and Government Entity code - assigned during SAM registration
NAICS Code Selection
Select appropriate codes for your construction work (236xxx for buildings)
Small Business Certifications
SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB - if eligible, apply through SBA
- Audited financial statements
- Adequate bonding capacity
- Line of credit verification
- Working capital adequacy
- Performance history on similar size
- Facility security clearance (some projects)
- Key personnel clearances
- Base access requirements
- Antiterrorism Level I training
- OPSEC awareness
USACE Bidding Process
SAM.gov Contract Opportunities
Primary source for all USACE solicitations. Filter by contracting office, NAICS code, set-aside type.
USACE Acquisition Business Center
Corps-specific portal with acquisition forecasts, industry days, and small business information.
District Small Business Offices
Connect with district small business specialists for upcoming opportunities and networking.
Sealed Bidding (IFB)
- • Lowest price, technically acceptable
- • Price is primary factor
- • Common for well-defined projects
- • Bids opened publicly
Best Value (RFP)
- • Technical approach evaluated
- • Past performance weighted
- • Price and non-price factors
- • Tradeoff or LPTA selection
Compliance Requirements
Davis-Bacon Act
Prevailing wages required. Weekly certified payroll submission. Poster requirements.
Buy American Act
Domestic preference for construction materials. Must be manufactured in U.S. from domestic components.
Miller Act
Performance and payment bonds required on contracts over $150,000.
FAR/DFARS Clauses
Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense supplements govern all contract administration.
UFGS Specifications
- • Unified Facilities Guide Specs
- • Standard military specifications
- • Division 01-49 CSI format
- • Updated regularly
Quality Control
- • Three-phase control system
- • QC Manager required
- • Daily QC reports
- • RMS (Resident Management System)
Winning USACE Contracts
Build CPARS Ratings
Past performance is critical. Start with smaller contracts to build positive ratings in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System.
Develop District Relationships
Meet small business specialists, attend industry days, and get on notification lists for upcoming opportunities.
Understand UFGS Specifications
Military construction uses standardized specs. Familiarity with UFGS improves estimating accuracy and compliance.
Invest in Quality Control
USACE requires robust QC systems. Qualified QC Managers and documented processes prevent problems.
- Incomplete or late proposal submissions
- Inadequate past performance documentation
- Underestimating security clearance timelines
- Not understanding modifications/change order process
- Missing Davis-Bacon or Buy American requirements
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