Albany’s dual role as New York State’s capital and a significant federal agency hub creates a cleaning contract environment where state prevailing wage and federal SCA Wage Determinations run side by side and operators who blur the boundary between them lose compliance audits. The Leo W. O'Brien Federal Building, the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse, and the Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany together represent the core federal portfolio. New York’s elevated SCA wage rates (among the highest for upstate New York) reflect the region’s strong labor market and SEIU Local 32BJ presence in commercial real estate that pushes the entire wage floor upward.

Federal Building Inventory and Contract Volume

Core federal sites in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy MSA include the Leo W. O'Brien Federal Building (Clinton Ave., Albany), the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse (445 Broadway), the Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center (113 Holland Ave., Albany), and GSA-leased office space for SSA, IRS, USCIS, EPA, and USDA across Albany and Schenectady counties. The GSA Inventory reflects the New England Region 1 portfolio including Albany. The Army Watervliet Arsenal in Watervliet (Albany County) is the oldest active arsenal in the United States and generates facility services solicitations through Army contracting channels.

Aggregate federal janitorial spend in the Albany metro is estimated at $8–$18 million/year. The VA Medical Center and the O'Brien Federal Building are the two largest single-site awards, each potentially in the $1–$3 million/year range. Solicitations post on SAM.gov through GSA New England Region 1 and VA Veterans Integrated Service Network 2.

SCA Wage Determinations for Albany County

Service Contract Act Wage Determinations for Albany County are at sam.gov/wage-determinations, filtered by New York / Albany County. Occupation code 11150 (Janitor) base rates for Albany County typically run in the $17.00–$20.00/hr range, reflecting New York State’s elevated labor market. New York State’s minimum wage outside NYC/Long Island/Westchester was $15.50/hr in 2024 and rises annually. Commercial janitor wages in the Albany metro run approximately $16–$19/hr per BLS OEWS data. The CONUS H&W fringe of $5.36/hr applies per DOL Wage and Hour Division guidance. See the wages breakdown for the Albany MSA. New York State’s public sector prevailing wage law (Labor Law Article 8) applies to state-funded construction; keep it distinct from federal SCA when operating in both markets simultaneously.

SAM.gov Activity for NAICS 561720 in Albany

Search SAM.gov with NAICS 561720, PSC S201, New York, Albany County. Albany generates five to ten active NAICS 561720 solicitations at any given time across civilian federal buildings, the VA Medical Center, and the Watervliet Arsenal. Staggered five-year recompete cycles mean at least one significant award is in the market at any point in the year. The O'Brien Federal Building and Foley Courthouse are the most high-visibility civilian awards; VA VISN 2 awards are the largest in dollar terms.

SBA Set-Asides and Small Business Programs

Albany County has limited HUBZone geography given the general prosperity of the Capital Region, but portions of the city of Albany (particularly the South End and areas of north Albany) may contain qualifying HUBZone tracts. Confirm at the SBA HUBZone map. New York State’s large veteran population makes SDVOSB certification relevant for VA VISN 2 work.

• 8(a): sole-source up to $4.5M; SBA Northeast Region 2 manages certifications
• HUBZone: select Albany city tracts; 35% employee residency compliance
• WOSB/EDWOSB: active for NAICS 561720
• SDVOSB: relevant for VA Stratton Medical Center; search DSBS

Past Performance Pathways for New Entrants

New Albany-area BSCs entering the federal market can enter through subcontracting on the O'Brien Federal Building or VA Medical Center prime, through a GSA Schedule 03FAC award, or through a mentor-protégé joint venture with an existing 8(a) firm holding New York federal work. New York State’s Bureau of Employee Relations (PERB) oversight of public sector labor doesn't affect federal contracts, but BSCs operating in both state and federal markets should track the contractual boundary carefully. Timeline to first prime award: 18–24 months for a well-prepared new entrant.

What Albany Federal Solicitations Require

1. Active SAM.gov registration with current UEI and CAGE code
2. SCA compliance under FAR 52.222-41; Albany County WD posting
3. E-Verify enrollment for contracts at or above $150,000
4. GL + WC insurance; New York workers’ comp rates for janitorial run approximately $3.20–$3.80 per $100 payroll per the New York Workers’ Compensation Board
5. HSPD-12 background investigations for O'Brien Federal Building and courthouse staff; badging lead times 60–90 days

Reference FAR Part 52 for full clause applicability.

Local Conditions Affecting Bid Math in Albany

Albany’s winters are harsh: significant snowfall, ice, and sub-zero temperatures from November through March require elevated floor-care supply budgets, ice-containment matting, and floor-finish restoration cycles. Budget an additional $0.10–$0.18 per sq ft/year for seasonal floor care above temperate-market norms. New York workers’ comp rates are among the highest in the Northeast and must be fully reflected in the indirect rate. The SEIU Local 32BJ presence in the commercial market sets a de facto wage expectation among experienced Albany cleaning workers that the SCA base rate meets or slightly exceeds, which supports recruitment but limits wage arbitrage.

A Tradeoff: State-Federal Compliance Duality in the Capital

Operating in Albany means navigating both New York State Labor Law Article 8 prevailing wage requirements (on state-funded construction and certain service contracts for state agencies) and federal SCA requirements on federal building work: simultaneously, in the same labor market, often with overlapping crew members. A BSC who inadvertently pays SCA rates on a state contract or applies Article 8 rates to a federal contract will face audit exposure from two separate enforcement agencies. The compliance infrastructure required to manage both regimes is more expensive than either one alone, and it requires payroll systems that can segregate labor costs by contract type and wage regime. Operators who price Albany state and federal work without that infrastructure routinely discover compliance gaps at audit. Build the segregation cost into indirect rates from the first year. Use the account profitability auditor to model the compliance infrastructure cost across the mixed portfolio.

Primary Sources

• SAM.gov: Contract Opportunities (NAICS 561720)
• SAM.gov: SCA Wage Determinations (New York)
• GSA Inventory of Owned and Leased Properties
• SBA HUBZone Eligibility Map
• FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions
• New York Workers’ Compensation Board
• DSBS: Dynamic Small Business Search
• BLS OEWS Metropolitan Area Wage Data

See the companion commercial bid template for Albany-Schenectady-Troy. Use the bid generator to structure the federal proposal and the bid stress-test to pressure-test the margin in New York’s elevated-cost environment.

By the Opora Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026