Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) Frequently Asked Questions

I. Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations

• What is a wage determination?
• What is a General Wage Determination?
• What is a project wage determination?
• What are supersedeas wage determinations?
• What is a modification to a wage determination?

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II. Obtaining Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations

• How do I subscribe to General Wage Determinations Issued Under The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts?
• What should I do if I do not receive one of my weekly transmittals?
• Are the General Wage Determinations available electronically?
• How do I obtain a wage determination for a construction project to be performed at a location not covered by a published wage determination?
• Where can I obtain a copy of the General Wage Determination needed for a covered federal project?

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III. Prevailing Wage Rates

• Is the rate on the wage determination the minimum hourly wage rate?
• Once construction has begun, are the workers’ wage rates affected when the wage determination for the area in which the project is located is changed?
• Is it possible for more than one wage schedule to apply to specifications for a particular contract?
• Can apprentices, trainees, and/or helpers work on a project covered by the Davis-Bacon or related Acts (DBRA), and what wage rates must they be paid?
• What wage rates must be paid to supervisory employees (foremen, superintendents, etc.) employed on a covered project?

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IV. Davis-Bacon Wage Surveys

• What criteria are used to determine the need for a survey in a particular area?
• What is the purpose of this survey?
• How are Davis-Bacon wage surveys conducted?
• Who does the Department of Labor contact during the survey?
• What is a peak week?
• May we report an average of wage rates?
• In order to submit wage data for a survey, do I have to have worked within the survey time frame?
• Do I have to participate in a survey and is it important to participate?
• In responding to a Davis-Bacon prevailing wage survey, what can we count as fringe benefits?
• How are prevailing wage rates calculated?
• How should wage data be reported for operating engineers on the WD-10 form?
• How should wage data be reported for laborers on the WD-10 form?
• How should wage data be reported for ironworkers on the WD-10 form?
• When is data from federal projects included in Davis-Bacon wage surveys?

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V. Appeal Process

• If it is believed that the rates on a wage determination are not accurate can the wage determination be appealed?

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VI. Contracting Agency Responsibilities

• How do workers on a construction site know that a project is covered by the Davis-Bacon Act?  How do they know the prevailing wage to which they are entitled?
• As the contracting officer/Federal agency representative, what is my obligation when the wage determination(s) applicable to a construction project contains multiple wage schedules (for different counties and/or types of construction)?
• The wage determination applicable to my project does not contain a class of workers which is needed to complete construction.  Can other worker classification(s) and wage rate(s) be approved for use on the project?

If your question has not been addressed sufficiently in either FAQ, please submit your DBRA related question using the DBRA FAQ Line or the Technical FAQ Line.