SF 1413 Explained: The Statement and Acknowledgment Every Subcontractor Signs
On most federal construction and services subcontracts, you will be handed a form called SF 1413 — the "Statement and Acknowledgment." It looks like paperwork for paperwork's sake, but it does a specific and important job.
What SF 1413 does
SF 1413 formally records that a subcontract was awarded under a specific prime contract, and it makes the prime contract's labor-standard clauses part of your subcontract. It has two parts.
Part I — the prime's statement
The prime identifies the prime contract, the subcontract, both parties, and the work. It also states whether the prime contract contains the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act overtime clause.
Part II — your acknowledgment
As the subcontractor, you sign to acknowledge that the listed clauses are in your subcontract — Davis-Bacon, the Copeland Act, payrolls and basic records, withholding of funds, and the others printed on the form. Your signature is not a pledge you have read them; it is the legal acknowledgment that they apply to you.
Before you sign
Read Part I. Confirm the contract number, the description of your work, and the project location match your award. Then sign, date, and keep a copy — you will reference it for certified payroll and any wage review.