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How do I find the Davis-Bacon wage rate for my trade in Florida

Use the free tool — Prevailing Wage Lookup

What this tool does

Type your trade, your county, and what kind of job it is — road, school, base, or housing. You get whether the job is likely covered by Davis-Bacon, and how to read the rate and fringe line for your trade on the official wage determination. Nothing is saved.

When Davis-Bacon applies

Federal construction contracts above $2,000 must pay the locally prevailing wage and fringe. That comes from the Davis-Bacon Act, 40 U.S.C. § 3142. "Related Acts" extend the same rule to many federally assisted projects — HUD housing, FHWA roads, EPA water projects.

Florida has no state prevailing wage law. Florida repealed its own statute in 1979, and Fla. Stat. 218.77 bars local governments from requiring one. A Florida state, county, or city job is not covered unless federal money — HUD, FHWA, or similar — is involved.

How to read your rate and fringe

The only official rate is the wage determination for your state, county, and construction type on SAM.gov Wage Determinations. Find your classification — laborer, electrician, carpenter, operator, plumber — and read two numbers: the base hourly rate and the fringe amount. Fringe can be a benefit or paid in cash on your check; both are allowed.

This page does not state a dollar rate from memory, because rates change by determination and by modification number. Always read the current line on SAM.gov yourself, or ask payroll to show it to you.

Overtime and the jobsite poster

On a covered job, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1.5 times your base rate for hours over 40 in a week; the Fair Labor Standards Act applies regardless. Keep a daily log of your hours and classification — don't try to calculate back pay yourself.

A covered contractor must post the wage determination at the jobsite (29 C.F.R. 5.5(a)(1)). If there is no poster, that's a question to ask — not proof that anything is wrong.

If your pay looks short

• Don't walk off the job or confront the foreman.
• Start a daily log: date, hours, trade classification, task.
• Ask payroll or the foreman, in writing, which determination applies and what the fringe line shows.
• If it's not resolved, call the U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243, free, in English or Spanish. Retaliation for asking is prohibited.

Contractors: the determination is part of your contract, certified payroll (WH-347) is due weekly, and fringe can be cash or bona fide benefits. See the DOL construction contractor guidance for details.

What to do next

This page is not legal advice, and it can be wrong. The only official rate is the wage determination on SAM.gov — confirm anything here with the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division before you rely on it.

The free tool reads your own trade, county, and job type — not a generic example — and tells you which line to read and what question to ask. No account, nothing stored.

Prevailing Wage Lookup explains federal and Florida rules in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not legal advice. It never states a rate — rates are read from the official wage determination at sam.gov. Questions and complaints: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243. Nothing you paste is stored.