- A construction capability statement leads with registration data, certifications, bonding capacity and comparable past performance.
- State bonding as an aggregate limit and a single-project limit, with your surety's name and your agent's contact.
- Check your NAICS codes against the Census lookup, because contracting officers filter on them and a mismatch ends the scan.
- No federal past performance? List commercial and municipal jobs with real contacts, or sub to a prime to build a record.
- Send it as a clearly named PDF in response to sources sought notices, and follow up once.
A construction capability statement is a one-page PDF (two at the very most) that answers the questions a contracting officer asks before spending time on you: can you bond the job, are you licensed, do your codes match, and have you built something like this. The sections below follow that order. If you want the general version first, start with our capability statement guide.
What sections does a construction capability statement need?
Use six blocks, top to bottom:
- Contact and registration data: legal name, UEI, CAGE code, SAM.gov status and expiration, address, a direct phone and email.
- Certifications: SDVOSB, WOSB, 8(a) or HUBZone, with the certifying body.
- Core competencies: three to five specialties, each tied to a NAICS code.
- Company data: bonding, insurance and licenses, kept together.
- Past performance: three to five comparable projects.
- Differentiators: safety record, self-performed trades, response times.
Copy registration data straight from your SAM.gov entity record. A mismatch between your document and SAM is the quickest way to get skipped.
| Block | What the reader checks it against |
|---|---|
| Registration | SAM.gov and the CAGE record |
| Certifications | Set-aside eligibility on the solicitation |
| Competencies | NAICS code on the solicitation |
| Past performance | Reference calls, and CPARS if federal |
How do you present bonding and licenses?
The bonding line
Give the reader one line that answers three questions: can this firm bond the work, who backs it, and who do I call. Try this format: "Surety bonding capacity: $X aggregate / $Y single project, provided by [surety name], agent [name, phone, email]."
The single-project number matters most. If your aggregate is $2M but your single limit is $800K, show both. Federal construction contracts over $150,000 generally require performance and payment bonds under the Miller Act (see FAR subpart 28.1), so this line is not decoration. No bonding relationship yet? Write "bonding in process with [surety], references available" instead of leaving a gap, and keep the numbers current. A stale limit that no longer matches your surety's letter is worse than a lower, accurate one.
Licenses
List each one as state, license number, classification and expiration, for example "State, Class A General Contractor, license number from your board, exp. MM/YYYY." Add a line for each state where you hold a license. Contracting officers and primes check these against state boards, so a right number with the wrong classification looks sloppy.
Insurance
Close the block with general liability limits (per occurrence and aggregate), auto, workers' comp, and whether you carry pollution or builder's risk. If your limits are below what a solicitation asks for, say "limits can be increased upon award" rather than staying silent. Not sure what a solicitation needs? Reading the full package before you commit beats finding out at proposal time.
Which NAICS codes and projects should you list?
Pick one primary code for the work you want most, then two to four secondaries for adjacent trades. A general contractor might lead with 236220 (commercial and institutional building construction) and add 237310 (highway, street and bridge), 238210 (electrical) and 238220 (plumbing, heating and air-conditioning) only for trades they truly perform. Verify codes on the official Census NAICS site, or see our breakdown of 236, 237 and 238.
List three to five projects with scope, completed dollar value, owner type and your role. "Renovated 12,000 sq ft VA clinic, $1.4M, federal, prime" tells more than a paragraph. Before sending, check the solicitation's NAICS and size standard, then reorder your projects so the closest match comes first.
How do you write past performance with no federal history?
Everyone starts at zero CPARS ratings, and contracting officers know it. Substitute comparable evidence instead of apologizing.
- List commercial, county and municipal jobs with the same rigor as federal ones: owner, contact with phone and email, contract value and completion date.
- Give each entry five fields: client and type, point of contact, value, start and finish dates, and a one-sentence scope with quantities someone can verify.
- Three to five strong entries beat ten vague ones. If a private owner will not take reference calls, say so rather than risk a dead end.
- Subcontract on a prime's federal job. You get a real record without holding the prime contract. Our federal construction opportunities post shows where primes need certified subs.
What do contracting officers actually scan for?
Four things before they read a word of narrative: NAICS match, set-aside eligibility, bonding that covers the project size, and past performance of comparable value. They also check that your CAGE code is active and your licenses are legible. When a sources sought notice is open, your statement is read as market research: can a firm in this code perform at this dollar range? Answer that directly with project types and values.
What file format and length work best?
One page, front and back. Export a PDF, not Word, and name it plainly, such as "Company-Name-Capability-Statement.pdf", so it survives a downloads folder. Use 10 to 12 point body text, put your CAGE code and SAM status in the header or footer, and skip stock photos. A single clean column with certifications, codes, bonding line and three projects reads faster than anything decorative.
If you build it in Canva, one approach that works is starting from a one-page resume-style layout instead of a flyer template, replacing every placeholder with real data, and exporting as PDF Print so the text stays selectable. Or skip the design work and use our free capability statement generator for the first draft.
When and how do you send it?
Send it with every sources sought response in your codes, even as a new firm, since those responses help decide whether a set-aside is justified. Send it after industry days and matchmaking events where you spoke with someone. Keep the email under 150 words: who you are, certifications, CAGE code, two or three relevant project types and one question about their requirement. Link or attach the PDF, follow up once after about ten business days, then move on, and log every send. If an officer replies with feedback, update the statement before the next one goes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a different capability statement for each agency?
Not a new one, but tailor each send. Keep one master with registration data, certifications, bonding and licenses, then reorder the project list so work closest to that agency's typical scope and dollar range comes first.
Should I include my bonding letter or just my limits?
Just the limits, shown as aggregate and single-project, plus your surety's name and your agent's contact. The contracting officer calls the agent to verify. Keep the surety letter on file for when a solicitation or prime asks for it.
Can a brand-new construction company write one?
Yes. Lead with registrations, certifications, licenses and bonding status, even if bonding is still in process. Label any experience from the team's previous firms clearly, and respond to sources sought notices so you are on the list before you need past performance.
One page or two for federal construction work?
One page. Use the back for detailed past performance if you need it. Contracting officers spend seconds on first review.
What is the difference between a capability statement and a company resume?
A resume markets your history. A capability statement is a screening document built around verifiable data: UEI, CAGE code, SAM status, NAICS codes, bonding and license numbers.