FAQ: Prevailing Wage for Beginners

Q: What is prevailing wage? Prevailing wage refers to the minimum hourly wage and benefits that are required to be paid by contractors to workers working on public works projects in a given area. These rates can be imposed federally and/or by state – and in some cases, locally. Q: How is a project determined to […]

What is California’s DAS 142 form and how do you fill it out?

In our previous blog post, we covered one of the fundamentals of apprenticeship compliance for public works projects in California – namely, how to fill out the DAS 140 form and where to send it to remain compliant. A natural segue from that discussion would be the next step in the process: requesting that apprentices be dispatched […]

Staying Compliant with California Apprenticeship Requirements: Understanding the DAS 140 Form

One of the many aspects of compliance that public works contractors in California need to keep in mind is the state’s distinct set of regulations involving apprentices. This should hardly come as any surprise for those experienced with work in the golden state; it’s known to be among the most stringent when it comes to […]

How SaaS-based Applications are Changing the Labor Compliance Game for Awarding Bodies

In a perfect world, prevailing wage compliance would be so easy that you could do it with your eyes closed. But those in the public works realm – both contractors and awarding bodies alike – know that this couldn’t be further from the truth… unless you’ve found the ‘secret sauce’ to uncomplicating compliance. Agency Responsibilities […]

What The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Would Mean For Public Works Projects

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by the Senate on August 10, 2021 by a wide bipartisan majority, would see billions of dollars invested into public works construction. As part of the wider American Jobs Plan (AJP), its aim is to revitalize American infrastructure, which in many parts of the country has fallen […]

Why You Should Go Digital with Prevailing Wage Compliance… Now

Congrats! You’ve successfully won the bid as a prime contractor on a Davis-Bacon / prevailing wage project. You’ve been the prime on a few projects in the past so you’re pretty familiar with your responsibilities. You start putting together your subcontracts, diligently reviewing them to make sure you’ve included the required Davis-Bacon information, such as […]

Q&A: California Prevailing Wage and Certified Payroll Requirements

So, you won yourself a bid on a publicly funded project, but not just any publicly funded project… You won yourself construction work in the state of California. California is known for things like the Golden Gate Bridge, year-round sunny weather, and, of course, being the state with one of the most stringent prevailing wage […]

Q&A: Davis-Bacon and Certified Payroll Requirements

Welcome to the world of public works construction, where you’ll become very familiar (more than you would like, I’m sure) with terms like Davis-Bacon and certified payroll reports (CPR). For those just getting started on federal government construction projects (or those looking for a refresher), you’ve come to the right place. Let’s get right to […]

Misclassifications: A Fast Track to Fines and Penalties

Let’s continue the conversation about the most frequent issues contractors struggle with when it comes to prevailing wage. Today’s topic: misclassifications. Yes, this one might seem more nuanced on the surface, but it is actually one of the most prevalent and pervasive mistakes made in the public works construction industry (just google it – you’ll […]

A Guide to Federal Apprenticeship Requirements

One aspect of public works projects that always seems to be at the top of the FAQ list among contractors is that of apprentices. Who can be considered an apprentice? How much can they be paid? How many of them can I employ? Let’s squash some of those quandaries… and maybe tackle a few of […]