Guide · Texas · 7 min read

How to Win Government HVAC Contracts in Texas

By the XL Eagle bid team · Updated November 2, 2026 · Built from our live bid database and USAspending.gov

Government HVAC contracts in Texas are some of the most steady work a small shop can find. Buildings run hot for most of the year, and public buildings cannot close when the air stops. That means buyers need repair, planned service and replacement all the time.

The work comes from three places. State agencies and schools post bids on the Texas ESBD. The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Air Force post federal jobs on SAM.gov. Cities and counties post on their own sites. Each one reads your bid a little differently, so it helps to know the rules before you quote.

This guide shows what you need to be allowed to bid, who buys, and how to price a job so you can win it and still make money. It also shows a way to bid without your own SAM.gov account.

HVAC contracts in Texas at a glance

7 open HVAC bids in Texas on XL Eagle today. See them all.
179 HVAC solicitations in Texas in the last 12 months that we tracked (98 federal, 81 state and local).
Federal agencies made 235 contract awards worth $31.6 million for work performed in Texas under NAICS 238220 (this code also covers plumbing work) in FY2025 (Oct 2024 - Sep 2025).
Top federal buyers that year: Department of Veterans Affairs ($15.1 million); Department of Agriculture ($6.9 million); Department of Defense ($6.5 million).
Agencies posting this work most often in our data: Department of Veterans Affairs, Air Force, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Army.
Where these jobs get posted: Bonfire, Texas ESBD.

Bid counts from the XL Eagle bid database as of November 2, 2026. Award totals from USAspending.gov.

Who buys HVAC work in Texas

State agencies and universities that post air conditioning repair, chiller service and controls work on the Texas ESBD.
The Texas Facilities Commission, which looks after many state office buildings in Austin and across the state.
VA medical centers and clinics in Texas, where hospital air systems have strict air quality and uptime needs.
Air Force bases such as Joint Base San Antonio, with large shared plants and many older buildings.
School districts and cities that bid out unit replacement, rooftop units and yearly service plans.

Open HVAC bids in Texas right now

Boiler Installation / Demolition (Texas ESBD · Due November 2, 2026)
HVAC Control Services (Ionwave · Due November 4, 2026)
Hot Water Storage Tank Replacement (Bonfire · Due November 10, 2026)
TDCJ - Stevenson Unit - Procurement of HVAC Equipment and Install (Bonfire · Due November 13, 2026)
TDCJ - Hilltop Unit - Procurement of HVAC Equipment and Install (Bonfire · Due November 13, 2026)
HVAC Equipment and Installation (Bonfire · Due November 13, 2026)

All open HVAC bids in Texas →

Licenses you need in Texas

In Texas, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses air conditioning and refrigeration contractors. A new applicant pays a $115 fee, needs about 48 months of supervised work in the past 72 months (or a technician certificate plus 36 months), and must pass an exam. A Class A license covers any size of unit. A Class B license stops at cooling systems up to 25 tons and heating systems up to 1.5 million BTUs per hour. You must also carry general liability insurance, with Class A minimums of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate.

Register to bid in Texas

State and local jobs in Texas are posted on these sites:

Electronic State Business Daily (ESBD): The Texas Comptroller's search page for open bids from state agencies, universities, counties, cities, school districts and other public entities, and sign in is not required to look.
Texas SmartBuy: The state's purchasing site that sits beside the ESBD and is where many state agencies run their buying.
Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL): The state vendor list you join through the Comptroller's eSystems account, using NIGP codes for what you sell.
SAM.gov: The federal site where jobs at Texas bases and federal offices are posted, and where a business registers to bid as a prime.

Get an IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN). The Comptroller does not accept a Social Security number for CMBL.
Write down your business structure, your NIGP class and item codes, and the Texas highway districts where you can work.
Create an eSystems profile on the Comptroller site, set a password and verify your email.
Choose Apply for CMBL in eSystems and follow the prompts, then pay the annual fee.
Search the ESBD every week for your trade and read each posting for the entity's own submission instructions.
Apply for HUB certification if you qualify. It is separate from CMBL.

The Texas Comptroller lists the annual CMBL registration fee as $70, and HUB certification itself is free.

Federal jobs in Texas use SAM.gov, which is free. What SAM.gov is and how to register.

Small business certifications in Texas

Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) program: A Texas-based small business that meets SBA size standards and is owned by Texas residents from the groups the state recognizes; certification is free and lasts several years.
VetHUB: A Texas-based small business where a service-disabled veteran with a rating of 20 percent or more owns, manages and runs at least 51 percent of the company; certification is free.

Wage rules on public jobs

Texas has its own prevailing wage law for public works, Texas Government Code chapter 2258. For construction work paid for by the state or a local government, the public body sets the wage rates, either from a local survey or from federal rates, and those rates are the minimum you must pay on that job. On federal jobs the U.S. Department of Labor rules apply instead: the Davis-Bacon Act for construction over $2,000 and the Service Contract Act for service contracts over $2,500. Always read the wage sheet attached to the bid.

What HVAC jobs look like in Texas

Texas summers drive the schedule. Many buyers want planned service done in spring, before the first heat wave, so ask when the work window opens.
Read the scope for tonnage and equipment age. A bid for ten rooftop units is very different from a bid for one central plant.
Hospitals and clinics often ask for filter changes, coil cleaning and test records on a set schedule. Keep a simple log you can hand over.
Base work can require gate passes, background checks and escorted access. Add time and cost for that.
Replacement jobs are construction, so federal bids usually carry Davis-Bacon wages. Service plans usually carry Service Contract Act wages. Check which one is in the bid.
Bonding is common on larger replacement jobs, but small repair and service orders often do not need it.

Pricing HVAC work for Texas public buyers

Break the price into labor, parts, travel and overhead. Buyers compare line by line, so every line must be there.
Get a written quote from your supplier for equipment, and note how long the price holds. Equipment prices move.
Use the wage rate in the bid, not your usual rate, when the job is covered by prevailing wage.
For service plans, price a per-visit cost and a rate for extra repair calls so the buyer can see what an after-hours call costs.
Add the cost of insurance, permits and any bond. Leaving them out is how a winning bid loses money.

Mistakes that lose these bids

Bidding a job that needs a TDLR license without holding one, or without a licensed contractor on the bid.
Skipping the site walk. Many HVAC bids require a pre-bid visit, and missing it can disqualify you.
Quoting equipment that does not match the model or efficiency named in the scope.
Missing the deadline by minutes. Public buyers do not accept late bids.

The fastest way to bid: send us your price

You can register and bid on your own using the steps above. If you would rather not, send XL Eagle your price on any HVAC job in Texas. We write and submit the bid as the prime contractor under our registrations. If it wins, you do the work and get paid. You do not need your own SAM.gov registration to work this way.

Pick a Texas HVAC job or read the national guide to government HVAC contracts.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a TDLR license to bid on government HVAC work in Texas?

For work on air conditioning and refrigeration systems in Texas, the contractor must hold a TDLR license. Check the bid, because many buyers ask for the license number with your offer.

What is the difference between a Class A and Class B HVAC license?

Class A has no size limit. Class B covers cooling systems up to 25 tons and heating systems up to 1.5 million BTUs per hour. Match the license to the size of the equipment in the scope.

Can a small HVAC shop win VA or Air Force work?

Yes. Many federal jobs are set aside for small businesses. Federal bids need a SAM.gov registration, or you can send XL Eagle your price and it bids as the prime.

Does HVAC work for the state pay prevailing wage?

Replacement and install work on state or local public works can fall under Texas Government Code chapter 2258. The bid will say which wage rates apply.