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SAM.gov registration and renewal for cleaning and facility service firms
To bid on a federal contract as the prime, a cleaning or facility services company needs a full SAM.gov entity registration, not just a Unique Entity ID. Registration is free, it asks for your tax, banking, ownership and NAICS details, SAM.gov advises allowing at least ten business days for it to go active, and it has to be renewed every 365 days. This guide walks through each part as SAM.gov and GSA describe it, as of November 2026.
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Full registration or a Unique Entity ID only
Pick full registration if you want to bid as the prime; a Unique Entity ID (UEI) alone covers only limited tasks, such as reporting as a lower-tier recipient of federal money. SAM.gov puts this choice first on its entity registration page, as two paths: register the entity, or get a UEI only.
| Path | What it lets you do | What SAM.gov asks for |
|---|---|---|
| UEI only | Identify the business to the federal government, for example as a subcontractor. You cannot bid or apply directly as the prime. | Legal business name and physical address |
| Full registration for contracts and assistance | Bid on contracts and other procurements and apply for financial assistance | The UEI details plus core data, assertions, representations and certifications, and points of contact |
| Full registration for financial assistance only | Grants and loans only | A shorter set of sections |
A janitorial or facility services firm bidding service contracts picks the purpose that covers contracts, not the assistance-only one. A full registration already includes a UEI, since SAM.gov assigns one during the process, and GSA treats the UEI as the authoritative identifier for doing business with the government. GSA notes that some entities, subcontractors among them, choose the UEI-only route.
Why the FAR makes registration a bid requirement
Under FAR 4.1102 (FAC 2026-01, effective March 13, 2026), offerors and quoters must be registered in SAM when they submit an offer or quotation. The SAM clause, FAR 52.204-7, extends that to the moment the contract is made, and a companion clause, 52.204-13, covers keeping the registration through performance and final payment. The rule has narrow exceptions, such as micro-purchases paid with the government purchase card and certain classified, overseas, emergency and urgent buys. Contracting officers identify the contractor by the legal name and physical address in SAM and may not change data pulled from it, so the record has to be right before the first bid goes in. The solicitation lists the clauses that apply to it.
What to gather before you start
Collect these first and the forms go quickly. GSA’s list starts with a tax ID or EIN, bank details for electronic payment and corporate documents if you have them, and it advises that your legal name, address and ownership read the same way in IRS, SAM.gov and SBA records.
- A Login.gov account: SAM.gov hands sign-in to Login.gov, so you create or use that account and return to SAM.gov.
- Legal name and physical address: a post office box cannot serve as the physical address. SAM.gov validates both, and if it cannot, you open a help ticket with the Federal Service Desk from the same screen.
- Date and state of incorporation.
- Taxpayer Identification Number and the IRS consent form.
- Electronic funds transfer details: account type plus routing and account numbers, the remittance address, and a U.S. number where SAM.gov can reach your bank’s ACH desk.
- Size figures: worldwide annual receipts and number of employees, measured the way 13 CFR 121 describes.
- Three people for the mandatory contacts: Accounts Receivable, Electronic Business and Government Business. A Past Performance contact and alternates are optional.
The SAM.gov entity registration checklist covers every field in detail.
SAM.gov registration, step by step
The registration runs in a fixed order of sections. Here is the path for a contracts registration as the SAM.gov checklist lays it out:
- Sign in through Login.gov and choose to register the entity.
- Get or confirm the UEI with the legal name, address and incorporation details, and choose whether the record shows in public search. A restricted record is hidden from other non-federal users and from state and local governments, while non-sensitive data stays visible to federal users and in the public data file.
- Core data: start date, fiscal year end, addresses, TIN, CAGE code, ownership and predecessor details, entity and profit structure, socioeconomic categories, banking, and the executive compensation and proceedings questions.
- Assertions: NAICS codes, optional product service codes, size metrics, optional EDI and a choice on joining the Disaster Response Registry.
- Representations and certifications: the FAR responses, such as who sets the prices in your bids and whether the business or its principals are debarred, suspended or proposed for debarment.
- Points of contact: the three mandatory contacts and any optional ones.
- SBA supplemental page: for small businesses adding market-research details or applying for 8(a) or HUBZone; you return to SAM.gov to submit.
- Submit, then watch the Government Business contact’s inbox.
A U.S. business with no CAGE code answers No and receives one after submission; a business based outside the U.S. requests an NCAGE code before it starts. If the TIN or CAGE check fails, SAM.gov emails instructions to the Government Business contact, and you may need to settle the record with the IRS or CAGE before resubmitting.
NAICS codes for cleaning and facility support work
Agencies often search SAM by NAICS code, so GSA advises listing one or more codes that describe your work accurately. The codes are looked up on census.gov; each solicitation names the one code that applies to that buy. These are the building-service codes as SBA’s size standards table titles them:
| NAICS code | Title |
|---|---|
| 561720 | Janitorial Services |
| 561210 | Facilities Support Services |
| 561730 | Landscaping Services |
| 561740 | Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning Services |
| 561790 | Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings |
SBA’s footnote to 561210 is worth reading before you rely on it: a buy counts as Facilities Support Services only when it calls for three or more separate activities, and when one activity makes up 50 percent or more of the value, the buy takes that activity’s own code. So a buy where janitorial work is half the value or more takes 561720. The size standard for each code is listed in the guide to small business certification for government contracts.
How long until the registration is active
SAM.gov’s checklist says to allow at least ten business days after you submit; GSA says completing and validating a registration can take up to several days and tells businesses to start early. Neither is a promise, so register well before a bid you care about is due. While you wait, check spam and junk folders, because SAM.gov writes to the Government Business contact, and use the Check Entity Status tool or the status tracker on SAM.gov to follow progress.
SAM registration renewal every 365 days
A registration stays active only if it is renewed every 365 days. Renewal and any mid-year update both happen in the Entity Workspace, and you can update the record at any time, not just at renewal: a new bank account, address or contact belongs in SAM before the next invoice or bid.
GSA advises keeping the registration, UEI and CAGE code active for the life of a contract through final payment where required, and the FAR clauses above require registration at offer, when the contract is made and through final payment. Put the renewal date on the same calendar as your insurance renewals. Buyers who track vendor documents in software keep those dates in view the same way; see the side-by-side look at vendor compliance platforms.
Registration is free
SAM.gov charges nothing to get a UEI, register an entity or keep the registration up. GSA states plainly that you do not need to pay a third party to register, and its leasing guidance adds that private companies selling registration help are optional. If an offer arrives that presents a paid service as required, check it against GSA’s own register your business page.
Where to get help
SAM.gov lists help on its pages: the Federal Service Desk for registration problems, APEX Accelerators (formerly PTACs) for businesses getting ready to sell to government, and SBA’s Small Business Search, SubNet and Commercial Market Representatives. Once the registration is active, our guide on how to bid on government cleaning contracts covers where notices are posted and how agencies judge offers. California state work runs through a separate portal, explained in our Cal eProcure registration guide.
This page is general information, not legal or tax advice; SAM.gov and each solicitation decide what applies to your business.
Need cleaning or facility service for your building?
Continental provides janitorial, porter, floor care, grounds and maintenance service for commercial buildings, with Northern California roots and coverage across the country. If you manage a facility and want the work scoped and priced, request a quote and we will walk the building with you.
A few useful answers
Common questions
Is SAM.gov registration free?
Yes. SAM.gov charges nothing to get a Unique Entity ID, register an entity or maintain the registration, and GSA says no one needs to pay a third party to register. Private companies that sell registration help are optional.
Do I need a full registration or just a UEI?
To bid on a federal contract as the prime, you need a full registration with the purpose that covers contracts. A UEI on its own lets a business identify itself, for example as a subcontractor, but it cannot bid directly as the prime.
How long does SAM.gov registration take?
SAM.gov’s checklist says to allow at least ten business days after submission for the registration to become active, and GSA advises starting early. Watch the Government Business contact’s email, spam folder included, and use the Check Entity Status tool to follow it.
How often does a SAM registration need renewal?
Every 365 days. Renewal happens in the Entity Workspace, where you can also update the record whenever your bank, address or contacts change. The FAR requires an active registration when you submit an offer, when the contract is made and through final payment.
Which NAICS code fits janitorial work?
SBA’s table titles 561720 as Janitorial Services and 561210 as Facilities Support Services. Agencies search by these codes, so list the ones that match your work; each solicitation names the single code that governs that buy.