What NAICS code should a welding contractor use for government bids?

Most on-call and field welding service contracts are posted under NAICS 238990 (All Other Specialty Trade Contractors). Shop fabrication of structural steel falls under 332312, steel erection under 238120, welded heating and boiler piping under 238220, and millwright or industrial machinery repair under 811310. Register every code that matches work you actually perform.

Where are government welding bids posted?

Federal opportunities are posted on SAM.gov Contract Opportunities. State agencies use their own eProcurement portals (for example eVA in Virginia and eMaryland Marketplace Advantage in Maryland), and counties, cities, airports and utilities often post on their own bid pages or on platforms like OpenGov Procurement and Bonfire.

Do I need to register on SAM.gov to bid federal welding work?

Yes. Federal contract awards require an active SAM.gov entity registration with a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Registration is free; you do not need to pay a third party to do it.

What documents do government welding RFQs usually require?

Common requirements include an hourly rate schedule (straight time, overtime, holiday), material markup, proof of insurance, years of experience, welder qualifications to codes such as AWS D1.1 or ASME Section IX, and a hot work plan following NFPA 51B for work in occupied facilities.

How to Find Government Welding, Fabrication, Millwright & HVAC Bids (2026 Guide)

Updated October 28, 2026 · Written for owner-operators, mobile rigs, and small fab shops.

Short answer: search SAM.gov and your state and county portals by the right NAICS and NIGP codes (238990, 332312, 238120, 238220, 811310 and NIGP 914-85 for welding), check each solicitation's due date, set-aside, insurance and certification requirements before you price it, and quote with a full rate schedule: straight time, overtime, holiday, material markup and a trip or mobilization charge.

1. The codes to search (and register under)

Code	Official title	Typical trade work posted under it
NAICS 238990	All Other Specialty Trade Contractors	On-call welding services, field repairs, ornamental and miscellaneous metals
NAICS 332312	Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing	Shop-fabricated beams, platforms, stairs, rails
NAICS 238120	Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors	Steel erection and structural field welding
NAICS 238220	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	Welded heating piping, boiler and chiller plant repairs, steam traps
NAICS 811310	Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	Millwright, conveyor, pump and plant equipment repair
NIGP 914-85	Welding services (state and local commodity code)	County, city and airport welding term contracts

Tip: federal buyers often pick one NAICS per solicitation, so the same job can show up under 238990 at one agency and 238220 at another. Search all of the codes that fit your work.

2. Where trade bids actually get posted

Federal: SAM.gov Contract Opportunities. VA medical centers, military installations, and the Army Corps regularly post welding, boiler and piping work here. You need an active SAM.gov registration and UEI to be awarded, and registration is free.
State: each state runs its own eProcurement portal, for example eVA (Virginia) and eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (Maryland). Register as a vendor with your commodity codes so you get notices.
County, city, airport and utility: these are the easiest to miss. Many post only on their own "Bids & RFPs" page or on platforms like OpenGov Procurement, and they are often small-business friendly.

3. Real examples from this week's IronBid digest

These were verified on their public listing pages on October 28, 2026. Always confirm details on the official solicitation before bidding.

Louisa County, VA, Metal and Welding Services (RFP GS-27-03): as-needed welding, hourly and overtime rates, 5+ years experience, closes Nov 4, 2026. Listing
BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport (MD), On-Call Commercial Welding & Fabrication (IFB BWI2703M, NIGP 91485): up to $200,000 over 3 years, Small Business Reserve, due Nov 16, 2026. Listing
Dallas VA Medical Center (TX), Steam Trap Monitoring, Replacement & Repair (36C25727Q0033, NAICS 238220): SDVOSB set-aside, due Nov 4, 2026. Listing

4. Go/no-go checklist before you price a bid

Deadline and pre-bid: is there a mandatory pre-bid meeting or site visit you already missed? If so, you usually can't bid.
Set-aside: is it reserved for small business, SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone or WOSB, and do you qualify?
Insurance and bonding: compare required general liability and auto limits to your current policy.
Qualifications: which codes are named (AWS D1.1 structural, ASME Section IX for pressure piping), and can you document welder qualifications?
Hot work: occupied buildings, hospitals and airports usually want an NFPA 51B hot work permit process and fire watch.
Wage requirements: federal service and construction work can carry prevailing wage determinations (published on SAM.gov), which set your labor floor.
Response time and travel: on-call contracts often require next-day response; price your trip charge and drive time honestly.

5. How to price it so you don't leave money on the table

Term contracts are usually awarded on a rate schedule rather than a single job price. Quote straight-time, overtime and holiday rates separately, state a material markup percentage, and add a per-trip mobilization charge for the rig. You can model a job instantly with the free IronBid Rig & Shop T&M estimator.

6. Browse Live Welding, Fab, Millwright & HVAC Bids by State

Select your state below to view state eProcurement portals, DOT maintenance districts, USACE/VA facilities, and daily 7:00 AM Eastern trade bid alerts:

All 50 States Directory (/bids) · Tennessee (TN) · Virginia (VA) · Texas (TX) · Maryland (MD) · North Carolina (NC) · Kentucky (KY) · Ohio (OH) · Pennsylvania (PA) · Georgia (GA) · Florida (FL) · Alabama (AL) · Indiana (IN)

Skip the portal digging. IronBid Pro checks federal, state and county portals and emails trade-matched welding, fab, millwright and HVAC bids with a go/no-go summary every morning at 7:00 AM Eastern.
Get tomorrow's 7 AM bid digest

IronBid Pro is an independent bid-alert service and is not affiliated with SAM.gov, GSA, or any government agency. Code titles are from the NAICS manual; always confirm requirements in the official solicitation.