Residential Construction Under Davis-Bacon
Single-family homes and low-rise multi-family up to four stories.
Davis-Bacon "residential" rates apply to construction, alteration, or repair of single-family houses, townhouses, and apartment buildings up to and including four stories.
✓ Typically classified as Residential Construction
- Single-family detached homes
- Townhouses (regardless of count if no unit is over 4 stories)
- Low-rise apartment buildings (4 stories or fewer)
- Low-rise condominiums
- Public/affordable housing of 4 stories or fewer
✗ Usually classified differently
- High-rise apartments of 5+ stories (→ Building)
- Dormitories (→ Building)
- Hospitals, nursing homes with substantial commercial/clinical use (→ Building)
- Standalone commercial structures (→ Building)
Edge cases & how to decide
The four-story rule is measured from the lowest enclosed floor. A basement does not count toward the story count if it is fully below grade. Site work (roads, sewers, utilities) within a residential subdivision is generally considered residential if it serves the residential structures, but extensive off-site infrastructure may be reclassified as Heavy or Highway.
Typical trades on Residential Construction WDs
Carpenters, framers, drywall installers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, painters, HVAC technicians, masons.
Find a Residential wage determination
Residential WDs are published per county. Browse by state to find rates for your project location.
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