Davis-Bacon wage rates for your county

On a federal construction contract over $2,000, the Davis-Bacon Act says you pay laborers and mechanics at least the local prevailing wage. The Department of Labor publishes those wages as wage determinations, or WDs, on SAM.gov. A general wage determination covers a set of counties and one or more types of construction: building, residential, heavy, or highway.

Each classification has a base hourly rate and a fringe amount. You can pay the fringe as cash, as bona fide benefits, or a mix. The code above each block of rates (like ELEC0569-001 or SUTX1990-013) says where the rate came from: a union agreement, a DOL survey (SU), a union average (UAVG), or a state-adopted rate (SA), with its effective date.

Some lines only apply in certain counties, zones, or kinds of work, and some carry footnotes for holidays, vacation, or premium pay. That text is part of the classification, so we show it in full. Read the whole line before you price labor.

When more than one WD covers your county and type of work, the scope notes at the top of each (like "Excludes dredging" or "Residential projects up to 4 stories") tell you which fits your project.

This tool shows the current modification of each general WD. The rates you must pay are the ones in the wage determination the contracting officer puts in the solicitation and the contract. Once it is in the contract, it normally stays for the life of the job. The current WD has to be added when an option extends the term, when a change adds substantial work outside the original scope or another period of performance, and, on IDIQ, MATOC, and similar long-running contracts, on each anniversary of award (29 CFR 1.6(c)(3)).

Modifications count if they come out in time. On sealed bids, a modification published on SAM.gov before bid opening applies (one published in the last 10 days applies unless the contracting officer finds there is not time to notify bidders). If a sealed-bid award is not made within 90 days of bid opening, a modification published before award applies too. On negotiated contracts, a modification published before award applies. The contracting officer amends the solicitation or contract to add it. Check the WD number and modification in your solicitation against the current one on SAM.gov before you bid.

If a trade you need is not listed, the contracting officer can add it after award through a conformance request under 29 CFR 5.5(a)(1)(iii).

Some older contracts are also covered by an executive order minimum wage, which can be higher than a rate listed here. The full WD on SAM.gov states which order applies and the current rate.