When a federal contract ends, the agency usually has to buy the same work again. The end date is public. Most contractors find out when the new solicitation is advertised, which is late. We read the end dates and tell you early.
What this is
Every federal contract award is published on USASpending.gov, including the date the work is scheduled to end. Nobody hides it. It is just spread across millions of records and nearly impossible to watch on purpose.
We track federal contracts in the mechanical trades with end dates between November 2026 and August 2027: 600 in plumbing and HVAC specifically, and 2,096 across the wider trades a mechanical contractor bids — machinery repair, building equipment and electrical. All of them are the kind that get openly recompeted rather than ordered off an existing vehicle.
Look at one state: TX · FL · CA · VA · PA · OH · NY · GA · NC · WA
A sample, from the actual file
Plumbing and HVAC contracts, sorted by the date the work is scheduled to end. Real records — check any of them against USASpending yourself.
| Ends | Amount | Agency & work | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 2026 | $249,207 | TX |
Department of Veterans Affairs ELP - Replace Medical Vacuum Pumps |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $108,000 | AR |
Department of Justice Mobile Chiller Rental Project 26Z5AW9 |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $74,465 | CA |
Department of Defense Preventive Maintenance (PM) |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $502,171 | CO |
Department of the Interior New Contract Icf Maint Freezer Bldg |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $127,360 | CO |
Department of the Interior Chiller Rental for Chief Ignacio Justice Center |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $231,544 | IL |
Department of Veterans Affairs Air Handler Refurbishment for the Jesse Brown VAMC, Chicago, IL |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $82,707 | PR |
Department of Agriculture HVAC Controller Services & Maintenance |
| 30 Nov 2026 | $161,064 | WA |
Department of Defense Back Flow Preventative Maintenance |
What we cannot tell you
An end date is not a guarantee of new work. A contract can carry option years that have not been exercised yet, and an agency can quietly extend rather than re-buy. None of that is visible in the public data, so we do not pretend to see it.
We also cannot tell you when a replacement contract will be advertised, or whether it will be advertised at all. What we can tell you is the date the current one is scheduled to end, and who holds it now. That is the part you can act on early.
Who is behind it
Contract Runway is a small, new operation. There is no product to buy yet and nothing to sign up for. We are talking to contractors who already do federal work to find out whether this is worth building properly.
If you got an email from us, it was because your firm appears in the award record and there was a contract expiring near you in the same category of work. Reply to it and you will get a person.