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NAICS 561720, the small-business size standard, and SAM.gov registration

Current SBA size standard for janitorial NAICS 561720, how average receipts and affiliates work, and how to get a free UEI and SAM.gov registration.

Free guide6 min readSources checked Nov 12, 2026

Two pieces of official bookkeeping sit under almost every federal janitorial bid: the NAICS code that describes the work, and an active SAM.gov registration with a Unique Entity ID. Neither one wins you a contract. Both can stop you from bidding if they are wrong or expired.

Figures and URLs in this guide were checked on November 12, 2026. Size standards change. Re-check SBA’s current table or Size Standards Tool before you represent that you are small. This is educational information, not a size determination or legal advice. BidBeacon is not affiliated with SBA, the Census Bureau, or SAM.gov. Registration on SAM.gov is free.

What NAICS 561720 is

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal statistical system’s way of naming industries. The U.S. Census Bureau maintains the official codes and definitions. 561720 is the 2022 NAICS code titled Janitorial Services. Open the official definition on the Census NAICS search page for 561720 and read it there; use that page, not a blog, when you need the current wording and cross-references (for example, to related codes such as carpet and upholstery cleaning or landscaping).

On a federal solicitation, the contracting officer assigns the NAICS code that best describes the principal purpose of that acquisition. If you clean buildings for a living, most janitorial solicitations will show 561720, but a bundled facilities contract may show 561210 (Facilities Support Services) or another code. Bid under the code and size standard on the notice in front of you.

You will also choose one or more NAICS codes in your SAM.gov profile so buyers can find you. A primary code of 561720 is typical for a janitorial firm; you may add other codes if you genuinely perform that work.

The current SBA size standard for 561720

SBA decides whether a firm is “small” for a given NAICS code. The legally binding table is 13 CFR 121.201. For 561720, Janitorial Services, that table lists a receipts-based standard of $22.0 million.

The same $22 million figure appears in SBA’s current Table of Small Business Size Standards on SBA Open Data, in the file labeled effective March 17, 2023 and still described there as the current table when checked for this guide. An older receipts figure of $19.5 million appears only on a historical “changes” sheet in that workbook — do not use the old number.

SBA also provides a Size Standards Tool on its “Get started with contracting” page. Use the tool or the table, then keep a copy of what you relied on.

How “average annual receipts” are counted

For federal contracting, SBA generally measures receipts as total income (or gross income) plus cost of goods sold, taken from the firm’s tax returns, and averaged over the last five completed fiscal years. If the firm has not been in business for five years, SBA’s size rules describe a different calculation (including an annualized method). The details are in 13 CFR 121.104. SBA’s contracting guide summarizes this in the “annual receipts” definition on the same Get started page.

You must include the receipts of affiliates. Affiliation is about the power to control, whether or not that power is exercised. Common ownership, common management, and certain contractual relationships can create affiliation even when each company looks “small” on its own. SBA explains affiliation in 13 CFR 121.103 and in its size-and-affiliation compliance materials. If you have sister companies, investors with unusual control rights, or a franchise that looks like control, talk to an APEX counselor or SBA before you certify size on an offer.

A size standard is a ceiling, not a target. Being under $22 million in average receipts (including affiliates) is what matters for 561720, not your headcount, unless a different NAICS on a particular solicitation uses an employee-based standard.

Unique Entity ID and free SAM.gov registration

To bid on most federal prime contracts you need an active entity registration in the System for Award Management at SAM.gov. As part of that process you receive a Unique Entity ID (UEI) — a 12-character identifier that replaced the DUNS number. SBA’s contracting guide states that entities doing business with the federal government use the UEI created in SAM, and that you no longer go to a third-party site to buy an identifier.

SAM.gov registration is free. You will sign in with Login.gov. Be cautious with firms that offer to “register you in SAM” for a fee; the official process does not require them. APEX Accelerators will help you at no cost.

A complete entity registration is what you want if you plan to bid as a prime. SBA notes that in limited situations (for example, some subaward reporting) an organization may obtain a UEI without a full registration. That shorter path is not a substitute for the registration a contracting officer expects on a janitorial solicitation.

After you are registered:

  • Record your UEI and the email on the account.
  • Keep the registration active. An expired record can make you ineligible at the worst time.
  • Align your small-business and socio-economic representations with any SBA certifications you actually hold. A SAM checkbox is not the same thing as an 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, or WOSB certification. See set-asides explained.

Putting it together on a bid

  1. Read the official notice’s NAICS and size standard.
  2. Run your receipts (and affiliates) against that standard; do not reuse last year’s assumption.
  3. Confirm your SAM registration is active and your UEI is on the offer, exactly as the instructions require.
  4. If the notice is set aside, confirm you also meet that program’s rules.

For the broader sequence of a first bid, including what SBA says about cash flow and patience, see winning your first federal janitorial contract.

Free listings, free counseling

APEX Accelerators help with NAICS selection, size questions, and SAM registration at no charge. Start at apexaccelerators.us or the NAPEX directory.

BidBeacon publishes free, 7-day-delayed listings of still-open federal janitorial (561720) notices for states including Alaska, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah, and Virginia at https://bidbeaconalerts.com/bids/. Each item links to the official SAM.gov notice, which you can also search for free. Daily alerts — a 14-day trial, then $39/month — are optional if you want new notices sooner.

Sources (checked November 12, 2026)

See open federal janitorial notices by state. Free listings, delayed 7 days, each linked to the official SAM.gov notice.

Browse free state listings