Invited us to bid? Here's how to get DVBE credit without finding a sub
You're already buying goods and services for your bid. Why not put our team to work for you, and get DVBE credit for it? Tower DVBE is a California-certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise and Small Business (Micro) that supplies the materials on your takeoff. Buy them through us and the spend counts toward your DVBE goal — CUF compliant (we perform a commercially useful function, so the spend counts in full), quoted the same day, and we ship it to you.
About ten minutes, no account. Bidding a Caltrans contract or a state IFB with an incentive? Pick it from the live list instead → Want the whole process first? How it works → Bid due sooner than that? Call Carson Reed at 916-949-9361 or email Sales@towersalesandconsulting.com.
Three steps, one bid cycle
- 01Enter your bid amount and goal
Type the bid total and the DVBE goal from your solicitation (3% is pre-filled). The planner shows the DVBE dollars it takes — no account needed.
- 02Pick or paste the materials you’re already buying
Search the catalog, paste lines from your takeoff or Excel, or type them in. The meter fills as you add until you clear the goal.
- 03We quote the same day — you list us
An itemized quote on letterhead for your bid package. You list Tower DVBE on your DVBE participation form. CUF compliant, and we ship it to you.
Build your quote
Open the planner with the goal already set to 3%. Enter your bid amount, add the materials you are buying, watch the meter reach the goal, and send. Tower prices it the same business day.
Build your quote →What we supply on your kind of job
The material groups a DVBE supplier can furnish on each kind of public project — pick yours and start the plan with that scope already listed.
- K-12 school modernization and new classroom buildings →
Electrical and lighting · Plumbing and restroom fixtures · Door hardware and specialties · Paint, sealants and adhesives · Jobsite safety and consumables
- Outdoor athletic facilities, fields and stadiums →
Fencing and gate hardware · Electrical and lighting · Grounds and irrigation · Site furnishings · Jobsite safety and PPE
- Roadway and highway construction (Caltrans and local) →
Traffic control and signs · Erosion and sediment control · Drainage · Fasteners, tools and jobsite consumables · PPE and safety
- Parks, trails and recreation facilities →
Irrigation and landscape · Site furnishings · Fencing and gates · Paint and graffiti control · Lighting and electrical
- Water, wastewater and utility projects →
Pipe, valves and fittings · Pumps and motors · Electrical and instrumentation · Confined-space and safety · Portable sanitation and jobsite
- HVAC, plumbing, electrical and janitorial service contracts →
HVAC equipment and parts · Plumbing · Electrical and lighting · Janitorial and consumables · Safety and PPE
Certified, so the credit holds up
List Tower DVBE on your DVBE participation form with the certification below. Verify DVBE / SB at Cal eProcure and SDVOSB with the SBA — both links are on our certifications page, with the certification PDF to attach to your bid.
| Certification | Certifying office | ID | Valid through |
|---|---|---|---|
| DVBE — Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise | State of California, DGS | #2034325 | 04/30/2028 |
| SB — Small Business (Micro) | State of California, DGS | #2034325 | 07/31/2027 |
| SDVOSB — Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business | U.S. SBA (VetCert) | UEI RMUWXJ92J7C4 · CAGE 9GW37 | 03/30/2028 |
DVBE and Small Business are California certifications; SDVOSB is federal. Federal-aid contracts use the DBE program instead, and neither counts toward a DBE goal — see DVBE vs DBE.
Questions estimators ask
Does buying materials from Tower DVBE count toward my DVBE goal?
Yes, on state-funded work. Caltrans gives DVBE suppliers full participation credit when they perform a commercially useful function (Construction Manual 8-405A), and state agencies apply the same rule under Mil. & Vet. Code §999. We negotiate, order, take title, pay the manufacturer and drop-ship to your jobsite. Tower is not DBE-certified, so our supply does not count toward a federal-aid DBE goal.
Do I still need to find a DVBE subcontractor?
Not for the materials. A certified DVBE supplier performing a commercially useful function counts toward the goal the same way a DVBE subcontractor does, so the supplies you already carry in your bid can cover it. If the goal is larger than your material spend, add lines or send us the bid and we will show you what gets there.
What do I get back after I send the plan?
An itemized quote on letterhead with unit prices and extended amounts — the copy Caltrans requires with your Certified DVBE Summary — and a signed DGS PD 843 DVBE Declaration (formerly STD 843) for state bid packages. Same day for catalog items.
My prices are only estimates. Does that matter?
No. Your prices size the plan so you can see where the goal falls. Tower prices the quote; if we come in lower, add another line or two to stay above the mark.
Ready when you are
Build the quote in about ten minutes and you have a DVBE supplier on your participation form before the bid date.