Atlantic Industrial Coatings landed a no‑bid contract to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after the National Park Service accepted a 20 percent profit bid. The firm’s fee of $13.1 million dwarfs the original estimate, a figure that was seven times higher than President Trump’s early projection.

Typical federal construction margins sit between 6 percent and 12 percent, so the contractor’s 20 percent rate adds at least $850,000 to the project cost. Officials justified the premium by citing the job’s difficulty and tight July 4 deadline, but the contract bypassed the standard competitive bidding process.

Repair work has stalled after two attempts to seal concrete gaps failed, exposing the pool to long‑standing leaks and algae blooms that previous administrations spent over $35 million trying to eliminate. The agency now relies on $7 million of national‑park entrance fees and undisclosed senior‑pass revenue to fund the $13.1 million contract.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia‑based firm with no prior federal contracts, remains silent on the dispute. Critics argue that the sole‑source letter contract, designed for emergencies, was abused to override competition and inflate costs. The incident highlights the risk of bypassing standard procurement rules for high‑profile projects.