Bonds & Surety› Find Construction Work to Bid › Nebraska
Public construction work in Nebraska is posted in four places: NDOT (Nebraska Department of Transportation) for highway and civil work, the Nebraska DAS State Purchasing Bureau for state agency projects, your local city, county, and school district bid boards, and SAM.gov for federal work. Most are free to search. To win the work you will usually need a bond - Nebraska requires a payment bond of at least the contract price on public works over $15,000 (state) or $10,000 (local).
If you build in Nebraska and want into public and commercial work, the jobs are not hidden - they are advertised in the open, and most of the sources are free. Here is where to look, who runs each one, and the bond you will need to actually win the work.
Before you bid in Nebraska: Nebraska posts state bids publicly (no paywalled portal); for NDOT highway lettings, register on the planholder list, and note that every letting requires a 5% bid bond. NDOT planholder registration
NDOT posts highway and bridge lettings with electronic bids through Bid Express. Prime contractors must be prequalified (packet due at least five days before the letting), and every bid needs a 5% bid bond from a Nebraska-authorized surety. See the prequalification requirements.
Start here: NDOT (Nebraska Department of Transportation) bidding.
State agencies, universities, and many other public bodies in Nebraska post their construction solicitations through the Nebraska DAS State Purchasing Bureau. You can browse opportunities there, and you will usually need to register to download documents or submit a bid.
Go to: the Nebraska DAS State Purchasing Bureau.
This is where most contractors should start. Cities, counties, school districts, and special districts build constantly and have to advertise it publicly. The jobs are smaller, the competition is thinner, and the bonding is more reachable for a growing company. Major Nebraska bid boards:
Weighing a paid platform to find leads faster? See our comparison of construction bid sites and plan rooms - free and paid.
Every open federal construction contract is posted on SAM.gov, and it is free to search and register. You need an active registration and a Unique Entity ID before you can bid. Federal jobs over $150,000 require performance and payment bonds under the Miller Act - see our Miller Act guide.
Nebraska requires a payment bond of at least the contract price on public improvement contracts, with exceptions for state projects of $15,000 or less and other public projects of $10,000 or less (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-118). NDOT also requires a 5% bid bond on every highway letting. (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-118.) Below those points many jobs still require a bid bond just to submit. The bottom line: if you want public work in Nebraska, you have to be bondable.
That is where contractors lose jobs to competitors who are no better at the work - the other bidder could produce the bond and they could not. It is usually more reachable than contractors assume. If you are not sure where your bonding stands, start with what a surety bond is, see how contractors qualify, or read the full national guide on how to find construction work to bid on.
Nebraska certifies firms for the federal DBE program through NDOT. Federal DBE rules changed in late 2025 and goal-setting was suspended pending recertification - confirm current status before relying on it.
The work is out there. The bond is what lets you win it. Take the Grit Bond Scorecard to see where your bonding readiness stands and what to work on to grow your limits - or call our bond team and we will walk through it with you.
Call the Grit team: (801) 505-5500
Start with NDOT (Nebraska Department of Transportation) for highway and civil work, the Nebraska DAS State Purchasing Bureau for state agency projects, and your local city, county, and school district bid boards. For federal work, use SAM.gov. Most are free to search.
NDOT posts highway and bridge lettings with electronic bids through Bid Express. Prime contractors must be prequalified (packet due at least five days before the letting), and every bid needs a 5% bid bond from a Nebraska-authorized surety. Requirements vary by agency and project, so confirm with the awarding authority before you bid.
Nebraska requires a payment bond of at least the contract price on public works over $15,000 (state) or $10,000 (local) (Neb. Rev. Stat. 52-118), and many jobs require a bid bond to submit. If you are not bonded yet, that is the first thing to solve - take the Bond Scorecard or call (801) 505-5500.
A note on the details: Bidding rules, registration steps, and bond thresholds change over time and vary by project and by awarding agency. Use this page as a starting map, not legal advice. Always review the specific requirements in each bid solicitation and confirm the current rules with the awarding authority before you bid.
This page is part of Grit's national guide on how to find construction work to bid on.