Their standards for quality are infamous, and many masonry companies in particular won't do government work for USACE because their bricklaying standards are essentially "perfection". They have an internal QC system that they, along with NAVFAC, have been refining for many decades, and it makes the quality control systems in the private sector look like an Eritrean infrastructure project. I generally quite enjoy working on USACE jobs precisely because I know that I will never be asked to cut corners for cost reasons- quite the opposite, in fact.
Further, USACE projects have costs higher than the private sector for a few reasons- Davis-Bacon wage standards apply, guaranteeing solid pay for all laborers and tradespeople on the project, as well as mandating they be lawful citizens. The Buy American Act ensures that government dollars go in a circle, from taxpayers, over to USACE, then out to exclusively US firms to the greatest extent possible. Government construction contracts are effectively a perpetual stimulus package, paying a higher price tag to ensure the work is done by well-paid citizens, using materials from as American of a supply chain as humanly possible.