SBA size standard
750 employees
Measured by average number of employees over the last 24 months
SBA table effective March 2023
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing fabricated metal products (except forgings and stampings, cutlery and handtools, architectural and structural metals, boilers, tanks, shipping containers, hardware, spring and wire products, machine shop products, turned products, screws, nuts and bolts, metal valves, ball and roller bearings, ammunition, small arms and other ordnances and accessories, and fabricated pipes and pipe fittings).
FY2025 federal spending
The Department of Defense bought 60% of the $639.0M obligated under 332999 in FY2025.
- Contract awards
- 13,760
- Contract vehicles (IDVs)
- 670
Top buying agencies
- Department of Defense$380.5M
- General Services Administration$148.1M
- Department of the Treasury$49.9M
- Department of Homeland Security$21.3M
- Department of Veterans Affairs$14.0M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 332999 obligated $639 million in FY2025 across 13,760 contract awards. The buyer mix is the least defense-typical of any fabricated metal code: DoD at $380 million, then GSA at $148 million, Treasury at $50 million, DHS at $21 million, and VA at $14 million. GSA taking 23 percent of a metal code reflects Global Supply and schedule catalog buying, and Treasury's share is Mint and Bureau of Engraving and Printing production hardware.
What belongs here
Nothing specific, and that is the point. 332999 is a residual code defined by a long exclusion list: it captures fabricated metal products that are not forgings, stampings, cutlery, structural metals, boilers, tanks, containers, hardware, wire products, machine shop products, screws, bolts, valves, bearings, ammunition, or small arms.
- Hinges, handles, keys, and locks belong in 332510.
- Threaded fasteners and washers are 332722.
- Non-metal miscellaneous manufacturing lands in 339999.
Competing in this code
Residual codes cost you visibility. Contracting officers search the specific code first, and a buyer looking for machined components searches machine shop products, not 332999. Register here only when nothing more specific fits your actual output. The upside of the code is its GSA concentration: with 670 IDVs supporting 13,760 awards, a schedule contract with a well-built catalog produces recurring small orders without a proposal cycle for each one.
NAICS 332999 FAQ
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 332999?
SBA sets it at 750 employees, counted as a 24-month average headcount across your company and every affiliate, not revenue. At or under that number you are small on NAICS 332999 solicitations and eligible for the set-asides in this code.
Which agencies buy under NAICS 332999?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($380 million), GSA ($148 million), Treasury ($50 million), DHS ($21 million), VA ($14 million). GSA's 23 percent share is the anomaly here, and it reflects catalog and Global Supply buying rather than program procurement.
Should I register under NAICS 332999?
Only if no more specific fabricated metal code describes your output. The code is defined entirely by exclusion, and buyers searching for hardware, fasteners, machined parts, or structural metal use those specific codes. A residual registration reduces the number of solicitations that surface you.
Why is GSA such a large buyer in NAICS 332999?
Because a lot of miscellaneous metal product volume moves through GSA Global Supply and schedule catalogs, not program offices. GSA obligated $148 million of the code's $639 million in FY2025, which makes a well-built schedule catalog the most efficient way to earn recurring orders here.