Construction of highways, streets, roads, airport runways, public sidewalks, and bridges. Find active federal and state highway, street, and bridge construction contracts — AI-scored against your profile across SAM.gov and 200+ portals.
Annual federal spend under NAICS 237310 exceeds $30 billion, driven primarily by FHWA highway formula grants and Army Corps infrastructure projects. Competition is intense, with over 20,000 firms registered. Contracts are predominantly IDIQs (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity) for maintenance and repair, and fixed-price design-bid-build for new construction. Demand is fueled by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated $550 billion for transportation, with a significant portion flowing through state DOTs and local municipalities. The market is cyclical, peaking in summer construction seasons.
These agencies are the largest buyers of highway, street, and bridge construction services and products in the federal government. Each awards contracts under NAICS 237310 regularly — build relationships with their small business offices first.
To win in 237310, focus on state DOT lettings rather than federal direct buys, as most work is sub-awarded through state-managed federal-aid projects. The highest-leverage move is to obtain DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) certification, since many state DOTs mandate DBE participation goals on federally funded projects. Set-asides are less common; instead, prime contractors seek capable DBE subcontractors. Build relationships with state DOT procurement offices and invest in estimating software for competitive unit-price bids.
Contracts are typically awarded via LPTA (Lowest Price Technically Acceptable) for routine maintenance, and best-value tradeoff for complex bridges. Common vehicles include FHWA's Local Agency Program (LAP) agreements, state DOT IDIQs, and Army Corps MATOC (Multiple Award Task Order Contracts). GSA Schedule 47 (Heavy Construction) is rarely used; most work is procured through agency-specific solicitations. Evaluation often emphasizes past performance on similar projects and bonding capacity.
Federal contracts over $150,000 require Miller Act payment and performance bonds. State DOTs typically require bonds for projects over $100,000, often 100% of the contract value. Surety capacity is critical; work with a bonding agent to build a bonding line.
Licensing is state-specific. Most states require a contractor's license for public works, often with a classification for highway or heavy construction. Some states also require a separate registration for federal-aid projects.
DBE certification is most valuable for subcontracting on federal-aid projects. 8(a) and HUBZone certifications can provide set-aside opportunities on direct federal contracts, but are rare for highway work. AASHTO accreditation for materials testing can also be a differentiator.
Award sizes vary widely. Small projects (e.g., resurfacing) average $500K–$5M, while major bridge or interstate projects can exceed $100M. IDIQ contracts often have $5M–$50M ceilings per task order.
Extremely competitive. Over 95% of firms are small businesses, but the small-business share of federal dollars is only about 25% due to large primes. Subcontracting is often the best entry point.