RenovationRouteFederal contracting · SC
Federal construction contracts in the Charleston area
The Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Army and Corps of Engineers put the most federal construction money into the Charleston metro area. Here is where it went in fiscal 2025, who won it, and the biggest jobs.
Charleston market
Federal construction in the Charleston area, by the numbers
In fiscal 2025, federal agencies obligated $284 million on construction contracts performed in the Charleston metro area (3 counties), across 326 contracts. The largest share, 27%, came from the Air Force.
These figures leave out $72.3 million obligated in fiscal 2025 on the Myrtle Beach beach renourishment, which the federal record places in Charleston.
Source: USAspending.gov, federal contract obligations under NAICS 23 (construction) with the work performed in one of the metro's counties, federal fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025). Metro area as defined in OMB Bulletin 23-01 (July 2023).
$284M
obligated on construction contracts in the Charleston area in fiscal 2025
326
construction contracts that received federal money that year
93%
of those contracts went to small businesses
#25
of 387 US metro areas by federal construction dollars
Who pays and who wins
The agencies and contractors in the Charleston area
Dollars obligated in fiscal 2025, by the agency that awarded the contract, the company that won it, and the county where the work was done.
- Department of the Air Force $78.0M
- Federal Aviation Administration $59.8M
- Army and Corps of Engineers $56.6M
- Department of the Navy $22.7M
- U.S. Coast Guard $21.8M
- Walsh Federal LLC $59.5M
- Outside Box LLC $34.8M
- The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company $20.5M
- Cape Romain Contractors, Inc $15.5M
- Southern Dredging Co Inc $14.4M
- Charleston County $233M
- Berkeley County $47.2M
- Dorchester County $3.2M
Real projects
The largest federal construction jobs in the Charleston area
Contracts that received money in fiscal 2025, with the total awarded to date. Descriptions are shortened from the federal record.
All contractors
$133M
Design Build Charleston Pier Papa Recapitalization, USCG Base Charleston, Charleston SC
U.S. Coast Guard. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. Performance start 2022.
Federal record$69.9M
Design Build Construction at Pier Romeo in North Charleston SC
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Manson Construction Co. Performance start 2023.
Federal record$61.9M
Design Build of Sector Charleston Construct Consolidated Admin Facility, USCG Base…
U.S. Coast Guard. RQ-AECOM 2 JV. Performance start 2023.
Federal recordWon by small businesses
$23.7M
FY24 Folly Beach Emergency Renourishment - Placement of Beach Fill
Army and Corps of Engineers. Waterfront Property Services, LLC. Performance start 2023.
Federal record$20.3M
Lake Marion Orangeburg Berkeley Water Lines Phase 1
Army and Corps of Engineers. Chandler Construction Services, Inc. Performance start 2023.
Federal record$16.9M
Repair Aircraft Hangar
Department of the Air Force. Ashford Leebcor Enterprises IV LLC. Performance start 2022.
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Common questions
Federal construction contracts in the Charleston area: FAQ
Answers to the questions contractors in this metro ask most.
How much does the federal government spend on construction in the Charleston area?
In fiscal 2025, federal agencies obligated $284 million on construction contracts performed in the Charleston metro area (3 counties), across 326 contracts. The largest share, 27%, came from the Air Force. That ranks it #25 of the 387 metro areas in the 50 states and DC by federal construction dollars. Figures are from USAspending.gov, for contracts classified under NAICS 23 (construction) with the work performed in one of the metro's counties. These figures leave out $72.3 million obligated in fiscal 2025 on the Myrtle Beach beach renourishment, which the federal record places in Charleston.
Which counties are in the Charleston metro area?
We use the federal definition of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area from OMB Bulletin 23-01 (July 2023): Berkeley County, Charleston County, and Dorchester County.
Which federal agencies award the most construction contracts in the Charleston area?
In fiscal 2025: Department of the Air Force, $78.0 million; Federal Aviation Administration, $59.8 million; Army and Corps of Engineers, $56.6 million; Department of the Navy, $22.7 million. Each posts its construction solicitations on SAM.gov.
Which contractors win the most federal construction money in the Charleston area?
By dollars obligated in fiscal 2025: Walsh Federal LLC, $59.5 million; Outside Box LLC, $34.8 million; The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, $20.5 million; Cape Romain Contractors, Inc, $15.5 million.
How much federal construction work in the Charleston area goes to small businesses?
Small businesses won 304 of the 326 federal construction contracts that received money in the Charleston metro area in fiscal 2025, or 93%. That is a count of contracts, not dollars. The largest small business job was "FY24 Folly Beach Emergency Renourishment - Placement of Beach Fill" for Army and Corps of Engineers, worth $23.7 million to date, awarded to Waterfront Property Services, LLC.
Where do I find open federal construction bids in the Charleston area?
Every federal construction solicitation is posted on SAM.gov. RenovationRoute pulls the construction ones every 12 hours, reads each solicitation and its attachments, and texts or emails you when a job near Charleston matches your trade and radius. The feed is free to browse.
Learn more
Resources for federal construction contractors
Federal construction in South Carolina
See the statewide numbers for South Carolina: the agencies, counties, and largest jobs across the whole state.
See South CarolinaFederal construction in every state
Compare federal construction spending across all 50 states and DC, and the metro areas with the most work.
Compare all statesHow federal opportunities work
See how RenovationRoute surfaces and screens federal construction contracts: compliance flags, fit scoring, SMS alerts, and more.
Learn how it worksHow to register on SAM.gov
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Read the guideWhy contractors lose federal bids
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