GovCon Accounting, Made Practical
Guides on DCAA compliance, cost accounting, bids and proposals, and QuickBooks for small and mid-size government contractors.
Bid & Proposal·
How to Build Rates That Win Government Contracts: Direct Labor, Cost Pools, and Wrap Rates
A step-by-step guide to building a government contract labor rate: from direct labor to fringe, overhead, and G&A cost pools, to a wrap rate and a fully loaded bid rate. Includes a worked example and the pricing mistakes that get bids rejected.
Read article →12 min read
Bid & Proposal·
Building Your Rate as a Solo GovCon Consultant
Leaving a large contractor to consult on your own? Here is how to build a defensible hourly rate as a sole practitioner: base labor rate, fringe you now pay yourself, payroll taxes, and the G&A structure to reserve before you grow.
6 min read
Bid & Proposal·
3 Things to Check Before You Submit Your Next GovCon Bid
Before your next government bid goes out, confirm three things: your indirect rates are current and historically grounded, you understand the competition, and you know whether teaming as a subcontractor improves your odds. A practical pre-bid checklist.
5 min read
Bid & Proposal·
What Is 'Buying In'? Why Underpricing a GovCon Bid Can Backfire
Lowering your rate to win a government bid can trigger two federal problems: buying in and a failed cost realism analysis. Here is what each one means, when it applies, and how a rate that is too low can cost you the contract or the company.
6 min read
Bid & Proposal·
Cost-Reimbursable vs. T&M vs. Firm Fixed Price: How Contract Type Drives Your Rate
The same rate does a different job depending on how the contract pays you. Here is how cost-reimbursable, Time and Materials, and firm fixed price contracts each use your rate, and how much audit scrutiny each one carries.
5 min read
Cost Accounting·
How Cost Pools Become Rates: Pool ÷ Base, and Why Your Rate Grows Faster Than You Expect
You already know fringe, overhead, and G&A. This is the next step: how each pool becomes a rate by dividing it over a base, why each pool sits on a different base, and why that cascade makes your wrap rate larger than founders expect.
5 min read
Cost Accounting·
What Is a Wrap Rate in Government Contracting? (With a Worked Example)
A wrap rate is the single multiplier that turns an hour of direct labor into its fully burdened cost. Here is how to calculate yours, a full worked example, and how to read whether 1.5, 2.0, or higher is competitive.
8 min read
DCAA Compliance·
DCAA Compliance FAQ: Answers to the Questions Government Contractors Ask Most
Straight answers to the DCAA compliance questions government contractors ask most: qualifying for a contract, timekeeping and floor checks, labor distribution, cost pools, and what happens when something goes wrong.
3 min read
DCAA Compliance·
How to Prepare Your Team for a DCAA Floor Check
A DCAA floor check tests your employees, not just your books. Here is what auditors ask, what they listen for, and how to prepare your team with a mock floor check.
4 min read
DCAA Compliance·
When DCAA Sends an IPA: Answering Document Requests Before They Cost You
The DCAA contracts some audits to independent public accounting firms. Miss their document deadlines and your costs can be questioned or disallowed. How to respond in time.
3 min read
DCAA Compliance·
The Incurred Cost Audit, Explained for Small GovCons
The incurred cost audit is the biggest DCAA review most small GovCons face. Here is how it works, from risk assessment to sampling to document requests, and how to be ready.
5 min read
DCAA Compliance·
The DCAA Pre-Award Accounting System Review: What the Auditor Actually Checks
Before a cost-reimbursable award, a DCAA auditor checks your accounting system against a fixed set of SF-1408 criteria. Here is exactly what they verify, and what to have ready.
4 min read
Company·
How We Made Labor Distribution in QuickBooks Audit-Ready, and Why We Filed a Patent
WiseCost filed a provisional patent on its QuickBooks Online labor distribution method. Here's what the method does, and why it holds up when an auditor starts asking questions.
3 min read
Built by GovCon insiders, for GovCon teams
WiseCost combines 20+ years of government contracting experience with modern software engineering. Our mission: make DCAA compliance simple, affordable, and automatic, so you can focus on winning and delivering contracts.