Guides
Build America, Buy America, explained plainly
Evergreen guidance on the 55% manufactured-products threshold, the iron & steel melt-and-pour rule and when a waiver applies, for teams bidding on federally funded infrastructure. Where a determination depends on your specific bill of materials or funding agency, we link the cited tool rather than stating a number that might not be yours.
FTA Buy America requirements: why transit rolling stock has a stricter rule than BABA
FTA's Buy America rule predates BABA and is tougher for buses and railcars: 70% domestic content, final US assembly, and its own waiver process.
Read the guideHUD BABA requirements: what CDBG, HOME and public housing grantees must certify
HUD's BABA rules for CDBG, HOME and public housing: covered programmes, the five-unit line, current waivers, and how to check a BOM free.
NTIA BEAD Buy America rules: what broadband builders must certify
NTIA's BEAD Buy America rules, decoded: what the semiconductor waiver actually exempts, which four equipment categories still need a 55% domestic-content test, and how to certify it.
EV charger domestic content: the Buy America rules, and what's changing
EV charger domestic content under Buy America is moving from a 55 percent component-cost test toward a proposed 100 percent standard. What NEVI-funded projects must show today, and what's coming.
The BABA certification letter: what it must say and who can sign it
A BABA certification letter needs specific facts, not a generic assurance. See exactly what belongs in one, then check your bill of materials free.
BABA vs TAA compliance: which Buy America rule applies to your contract?
TAA compliant does not mean BABA compliant. See how the two domestic-preference rules differ, then check your bill of materials free.
What is the 55% domestic content threshold under BABA?
The 55% domestic content threshold is the share of component cost a manufactured product must be US-origin to pass BABA. Here is the number, why it is not the one that escalates, and the 1 October 2026 date that matters for highway projects.
BABA compliance checklist: 9 steps before you certify a bid
A practical Build America, Buy America compliance checklist for bid teams: confirm the funding agency, classify every item, run the 55 percent math, and file the determination before you sign.
Buy America enforcement and penalties: what is at stake in 2026
Buy America enforcement penalties are tightening in 2026. What non-compliance actually risks, from funding clawbacks to False Claims exposure, and how to protect a bid with a documented determination.
How is BABA domestic content calculated? A worked guide
How BABA domestic content is calculated: divide the cost of US-origin components by the total cost of all components. Here is exactly what counts, what is excluded, and why it is measured by cost, not quantity.
The five BABA waivers, and why none of them is a pass
Build America, Buy America recognises five waiver categories: public interest, nonavailability, unreasonable cost, de minimis, and small grants. Here is what each one requires, the objective tests where they exist, and why a waiver is never the same as compliance.
Iron and steel: why every step from melt to coating has to be US
The Build America, Buy America standard for iron and steel is all-or-nothing: every manufacturing process, from the initial melting stage through the application of coatings, must occur in the United States. Here is what that covers and where projects trip.
The 55 percent rule for manufactured products, worked end to end
Under Build America, Buy America a manufactured product passes only if it is made in the United States AND its US component cost is greater than 55 percent of total component cost. Here is exactly how that math works, with numbers.
BABA compliance for solar projects: modules, racking, inverters
BABA compliance for solar projects: how the domestic-content rules treat modules, racking, inverters and trackers, which parts face the 55 percent test, and how to run a determination on a PV bill of materials.
BABA compliance for battery storage (BESS): a determination guide
BABA compliance for battery energy storage: how the domestic-content rules treat BESS enclosures, racks, cells and inverters, which parts face the 55 percent test, and how to run a determination.
How to get a BABA waiver: the process, step by step
How to get a BABA waiver: identify the right category, build the evidence, and submit the request to your funding agency for OMB review. A clear walk-through of the five waiver types and what each one needs.
A Buy America compliance API for estimating and agents
A Buy America compliance API returns a cited BABA verdict from a bill of materials, so estimating software and AI agents can run a determination mid-task. Here is what the endpoint does and how to call it.
Which agencies enforce BABA? A cross-agency guide
Which agencies enforce BABA and how their guidance differs: OMB sets the government-wide baseline, and FHWA, EPA SRF and USDA Rural Development apply it to their programmes. Here is who does what.
EPA SRF BABA compliance: a guide for water projects
EPA SRF BABA compliance explained for Clean Water and Drinking Water projects: how the domestic-content rules reach SRF-funded work, what counts, and how to run a determination for pipe, pumps and plant.
BABA vs Buy American Act vs Buy America: what differs
BABA vs the Buy American Act vs Buy America: three domestic-preference regimes people constantly confuse. Here is which law applies when, what each one covers, and how the thresholds differ.
USDA Rural Development BABA requirements, explained
USDA Rural Development BABA requirements for rural water, broadband and infrastructure grants: which items are covered, how the three categories apply, and how to run a determination for a smaller project team.
FHWA Buy America domestic content: the highway guide
FHWA Buy America domestic content, explained for highway bidders: how the steel and iron rules and BABA manufactured-product test apply to federal-aid projects, and where teams most often slip.
The de minimis waiver and the BABA 5 percent threshold
The BABA de minimis waiver lets small non-compliant components through under a defined share of total cost. Here is what the de minimis threshold covers, what it does not, and how it differs from the 55 percent test.
BABA compliance software vs a consultant: how to choose
BABA compliance software vs a consultant: when a self-serve determination tool is enough, when you still want expert advice, and how to combine both without paying a retainer for routine checks.
A guide explains the rule. Your bill of materials decides the verdict.
Run your own BOM through the determination engine, cited to the OMB and agency source, or read the exact agency thresholds before you bid.