FEDERAL CONTRACTING GUIDES
Federal contracting rules are written for lawyers. These guides answer the questions small contractors actually ask, and every rule links to the regulation it came from, with the date we last read it.
WAGE AND PRICE COMPLIANCE
A Davis-Bacon wage determination sets the minimum wage and fringe you must pay on a federal construction job. Here is how to read one while you are still deciding what to bid, with every rule sourced to the regulation it comes from.
September 17, 2026
SET-ASIDES AND COMPLIANCE
On a small business set-aside construction contract you may pay at most 85 percent to outside firms, or 75 percent for special trade work, excluding materials. Here is the actual calculation, the mistake almost everyone makes, and the trap your subcontractor can spring without telling you.
September 17, 2026