NAICS 238220: Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors federal contracts, size limit and who buys
Federal spending, new contracts, buying agencies and set-asides for NAICS 238220 (plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors), from USAspending.gov, with the SBA size limit and what the code covers.
HVAC installation and service, boilers and furnaces, chillers and cooling towers, ductwork, plumbing fixtures, gas lines, fire sprinkler systems and lawn sprinkler systems. Some equipment repair contracts use 811310 instead.
| Small business size limit | $19.0 million average annual revenue |
|---|---|
| Federal spending, FY2026 | $1.0 billion |
| New contracts and orders, FY2026 | 2,749 |
| Typical new standalone contract | $98,000 (middle half $49,000 to $267,000) |
| Set aside for small businesses | 55% of new standalone contracts |
| Women-owned set-asides | Not eligible |
Service-disabled veteran-owned set-asides are common here: 207 of 1,198 new standalone contracts in FY2026. Veterans Affairs is the biggest buyer.
Spending by year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2022 | $999 million |
| FY2023 | $1.0 billion |
| FY2024 | $1.1 billion |
| FY2025 | $1.0 billion |
| FY2026 | $1.0 billion |
Federal fiscal years run October to September. Defense Department contract data is published 90 days late, so the last months of FY2026 aren't fully counted yet.
Who buys it, and where
- Department of Veterans Affairs $340 million
- Department of the Navy $175 million
- Department of the Army $85 million
- Department of the Air Force $73 million
- Agricultural Research Service $68 million
- California $113 million
- Georgia $91 million
- North Carolina $75 million
- Virginia $68 million
- Texas $61 million
How the work is set aside
Of 1,198 new standalone contracts worth $25,000 or more in FY2026, 660 were set aside for small businesses or a certified group. Our guide to set-asides explains who qualifies for each.
| Set-aside | Contracts |
|---|---|
| Small business | 386 |
| Service-disabled veteran-owned | 207 |
| 8(a) | 53 |
| Women-owned | 3 |
| HUBZone | 1 |
| Veteran-owned (VA) | 1 |
| Buy Indian | 9 |
Common questions
Which wage rules apply?
It depends on the work, not the code. Check which wage determination the bid attaches: a construction one under Davis-Bacon or a service one.
Can women-owned firms get set-asides here?
Not under this code. Construction trade codes aren't on the SBA's women-owned eligible list.
Related codes
- 811310 commercial and industrial equipment repair and maintenance
- 238210 electrical contractors
- 561210 facilities support services
- 561621 security systems services
Agencies don't always code the same work the same way, so it pays to list several codes. Our guide to which NAICS codes to list explains why.
How we counted: USAspending.gov contract data for NAICS 238220, pulled October 27, 2026. Spending is obligations on all contracts and orders in each fiscal year. New contracts and orders are awards first made in FY2026. Standalone contracts are definitive contracts and purchase orders first awarded in FY2026 and worth at least $25,000, with the amount obligated so far. Agencies and states are ranked by FY2026 obligations. Treat these figures as a guide, not an exact count.
See the plumbing and hvac bids open near you
Get a free bid-match report: open federal bids that fit your services, area, size and certifications, ranked by fit, whatever code the agency used. It usually arrives within two business days.
Sources
- USAspending.gov contract data (API, pulled October 27, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2022 NAICS manual and index
- SBA size standards, 13 CFR 121.201
- SBA: eligible NAICS for the WOSB program
How we get our numbers: our sources and methods.
General information, not legal advice. AwardRight is an independent consulting service, not affiliated with SAM.gov, the SBA or any government agency.