Building Construction Under Davis-Bacon
Vertical construction of sheltered enclosures with walk-in access.
Davis-Bacon "building" rates apply to construction of structures intended for shelter, protection, comfort, or convenience that are enclosed and have walk-in access.
✓ Typically classified as Building Construction
- Schools, colleges, dormitories
- Offices and commercial buildings
- Hospitals and clinics
- Multi-family residential of 5+ stories (high-rise apartments)
- Warehouses, light industrial buildings
- Museums, libraries, courthouses
- Government office buildings
- Theatres, gymnasiums, recreation centers
✗ Usually classified differently
- Single-family homes and townhouses (→ Residential)
- Roads, bridges, and parking lots (→ Highway)
- Sewer plants, dams, water-treatment facilities (→ Heavy)
- Tunnels and major underground utilities (→ Heavy)
Edge cases & how to decide
Mixed-use projects (e.g., ground-floor retail with apartments above) are typically classified by their primary function. Site preparation, on-site utilities, and parking-lot work incidental to a building project usually fall under the building WD; if such work substantially exceeds the building component in cost, a separate Heavy or Highway WD may apply to those portions. Repair and renovation of an existing building generally follow the building WD even if no new structure is added.
Typical trades on Building Construction WDs
Carpenters, electricians, plumbers, sheet-metal workers, glaziers, painters, drywall finishers, roofers, ironworkers, HVAC mechanics, elevator constructors, masons.
Find a Building wage determination
Building WDs are published per county. Browse by state to find rates for your project location.
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