Davis-Bacon Construction Types

Every Davis-Bacon wage determination is published for one of four construction-type categories. Picking the right category for your project is the single most important step in determining which prevailing wage rates apply — the same county can have wildly different rates for the same trade across the four types.

Building Construction
Vertical construction of sheltered enclosures with walk-in access.
Residential Construction
Single-family homes and low-rise multi-family up to four stories.
Highway Construction
Roads, streets, alleys, parking lots, and street-level transportation infrastructure.
Heavy Construction
Civil engineering structures and infrastructure not falling under Building or Highway.

How the four categories work

The U.S. Department of Labor publishes a separate Davis-Bacon wage determination for each construction category in each county. When a federal construction contract is let, the contracting officer must identify and incorporate the correct WD into the contract. Picking the wrong category — for example, applying a Residential WD to what is actually a small office building — can lead to underpayment claims and back-wage liability.

Mixed-scope projects are common: a school addition with parking and stormwater work, a treatment plant with a control building, a road project with a sub-station. DOL’s "DBA/DBRA Compliance Principles" handbook covers most of the recurring borderline cases — when in doubt, the contracting officer can request a conformance or written guidance from the DOL Wage and Hour Division.

Full Davis-Bacon Act overview →