California Davis-Bacon prevailing wages

Federal Davis-Bacon rates apply to construction projects in California that receive federal funding or federal assistance. These rates are specific to each county and construction type—building, residential, heavy, or highway—so you’ll need to match your project’s location and scope to the correct wage determination. California also has its own prevailing-wage system, managed by the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), but PrevailMap focuses solely on federal Davis-Bacon rates, not DIR rates. When a project falls under both federal and state prevailing-wage laws, contractors must pay the higher rate for each classification. Weekly certified payroll (form WH-347) is required on federal jobs, including a signed statement of compliance. Always verify the rates against the wage determination attached to your contract.

Federal Davis-Bacon coverage in California kicks in when a construction contract exceeds $2,000 on a federal project — a military base, a VA hospital — or a federally-assisted one, such as HUD-funded housing or FAA airport work. When a job carries both federal and state funding, common in infrastructure and affordable housing, you cross-check the federal wage determination against California’s DIR rates for the same county and work type and pay the higher rate for each classification: if the DIR rate is higher it controls, and if the federal rate is higher it does.

To find the right determination, match the project’s county and construction type — say, Alameda County heavy construction — then apply those rates to the weekly certified payroll (WH-347) with its signed statement of compliance. Missing the higher-of-two rule or skipping certified payroll can mean back wages, penalties, or trouble bidding future federal work, and because the federal and state labor agencies enforce separately, it’s worth confirming DIR’s rates yourself on any mixed-funded job.