Pre-bid wage coverage triage · LA County cost model
Davis-Bacon Check + LA County Bid Cost Calculator
Screen possible Davis-Bacon, IRA, and state prevailing-wage paths. Then model a straight-time labor allowance from five reviewed Los Angeles County rate rows and capture the scenario in a free memo.
Bid file review
Find the wage clues already inside the solicitation.
Paste relevant text from the solicitation, addenda, labor clauses, or wage exhibit. The review runs locally in your browser and returns line-level evidence—not a legal coverage decision.
Pre-bid coverage triage
What must you verify before choosing a wage schedule?
This screen finds coverage indicators in your answers. It does not determine legal coverage or select the controlling wage determination. Confirm every result with the contracting or funding agency.
Multi-craft bid scenario
Price the crew mix, including overtime assumptions.
Build a planning allowance from the five reviewed LA County classifications. Hours are per worker; overtime premium applies to base wage only in this model.
| Include | Craft | Workers | ST hours / worker | OT hours / worker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter | ||||
| Inside electrician | ||||
| Construction laborer | ||||
| Operating engineer | ||||
| Cement mason |
Higher listed total · sample only
California has the higher listed total for every selected craft in this LA County sample.
| Craft | Federal listed total | CA listed total | Higher listed total | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarpenterCarpenter and related trades, journeyperson | $78.42 | $81.32 | California | $2.90 |
| Inside electricianElectrician, inside wireman / radio monitor technician | $92.39 | $103.12 | California | $10.73 |
| Construction laborerLaborer and related classifications, group 1 | $72.43 | $75.09 | California | $2.66 |
| Operating engineerOperating engineer, group 1 | $96.60 | $103.75 | California | $7.15 |
| Cement masonCement mason, curb and gutter machine operator, screed operator | $74.77 | $80.69 | California | $5.92 |
California date assumptions. California totals assume work performed on or after 2026-07-01. The Operating Engineer increase requires a bid advertisement date on or after 2026-03-04; the Cement Mason increase requires a bid advertisement date on or after 2025-09-01. Earlier bid or work dates can produce different totals.
Bid labor allowance
What does this crew cost at the listed rate?
Choose one reviewed craft and enter straight-time crew hours. This is a planning allowance; it does not choose the controlling wage or add overtime and premiums.
Illustrative LA County rate snapshot — do not bid or pay from this estimate. Project: Unnamed project. Bid deadline: Not provided. Contract wage determination named in bid file: Not provided. Location: Los Angeles County, California. Funding: IIJA / Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Trades checked: Carpenter, Inside electrician, Construction laborer, Operating engineer, Cement mason. Sample rate rows: Carpenter: federal $78.42; California $81.32; higher listed total: California by $2.90. Federal classification/source: Carpenter, cabinet installer, insulation installer, hardwood floor worker, acoustical installer — SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4, CARP0213-001 (1) — https://sam.gov/wage-determination/CA20260022/4. California classification/source: Carpenter and related trades, journeyperson — CA DIR 2026-1 Southern, SC-023-31-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Determinations/Southern/SC-023-31-2.pdf. Inside electrician: federal $92.39; California $103.12; higher listed total: California by $10.73. Federal classification/source: Inside electrical work, journeyman electrician — SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4, ELEC0011-004 — https://sam.gov/wage-determination/CA20260022/4. California classification/source: Electrician, inside wireman / radio monitor technician — CA DIR 2026-1 Los Angeles subtrades, LOS-2026-1 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/LOS.html. Construction laborer: federal $72.43; California $75.09; higher listed total: California by $2.66. Federal classification/source: Laborer group 1 — SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4, LABO0300-003 — https://sam.gov/wage-determination/CA20260022/4. California classification/source: Laborer and related classifications, group 1 — CA DIR 2026-1 Southern, SC-023-102-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Determinations/Southern/SC-023-102-2.pdf. Operating engineer: federal $96.60; California $103.75; higher listed total: California by $7.15. Federal classification/source: Power equipment, all other work, group 1 — SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4, ENGI0012-024 — https://sam.gov/wage-determination/CA20260022/4. California classification/source: Operating engineer, group 1 — CA DIR 2026-1 Southern, SC-023-63-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Determinations/Southern/SC-023-63-2.pdf. Predetermined increase applied: CA DIR predetermined increase effective 2026-07-01, SC-023-63-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Increases/Southern/SC-023-63-2-Pre.pdf. Applicability assumption: Assumes work performed on or after 2026-07-01 on a project advertised for bid on or after 2026-03-04. Cement mason: federal $74.77; California $80.69; higher listed total: California by $5.92. Federal classification/source: Cement mason / concrete finisher — SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4, PLAS0500-002 — https://sam.gov/wage-determination/CA20260022/4. California classification/source: Cement mason, curb and gutter machine operator, screed operator — CA DIR 2026-1 Southern, SC-023-203-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Determinations/Southern/SC-023-203-2.pdf. Predetermined increase applied: CA DIR predetermined increase effective 2026-07-01, SC-023-203-2 — https://www.dir.ca.gov/OPRL/2026-1/PWD/Increases/Southern/SC-023-203-2-Pre.pdf. Applicability assumption: Assumes work performed on or after 2026-07-01 on a project advertised for bid on or after 2025-09-01. Snapshot verified: 2026-07-22. Cited schedules: SAM.gov CA20260022 mod 4; CA DIR 2026-1. Scope: Selected Building, Heavy, and Highway classifications; not Dredging. The contract may incorporate a different WD/modification or require a different classification. California date assumptions: California totals assume work performed on or after 2026-07-01. The Operating Engineer increase requires a bid advertisement date on or after 2026-03-04; the Cement Mason increase requires a bid advertisement date on or after 2025-09-01. IIJA / Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is commonly associated with federal labor standards, but the funding label alone does not establish coverage. Verify the statute, contract clauses, and incorporated wage determination. Crew-cost scenario: not calculated. Use the calculator to add a planning allowance. The higher listed total is a comparison only, not the wage that governs. The incorporated contract determination and applicable California rules control coverage, classifications, fringes, overtime, apprentices, and dates. Planning estimate only—not a wage determination, compliance opinion, tax opinion, or legal advice. Verify the determination number and modification, covered classification, fringe credits, overtime, apprentices, effective or lock-in date, and contract clauses with the awarding agency and applicable labor department.
Free planning memo
Email me the memo.
Read or download your memo above without sharing an email. Optionally request an emailed copy. It remains an estimate for pre-bid planning; no payment or purchase is required.
Estimate only. Verify against the wage determination incorporated into the contract. Not legal advice, not an official determination, and not a guarantee of compliance.
Coverage demand
Need wage coverage outside LA County?
Three fields: your work email, the state, and the county. That is enough to queue the jurisdiction. This request helps prioritize reviewed source coverage; it does not promise a delivery date or provide a payable rate.
Official-source posture
Reference nationwide. Compare only the LA County snapshot.
National pages cover general statewide law and threshold references, and federal Davis-Bacon rates by county are published for eight states straight from their SAM.gov determinations. The interactive rate model stays explicitly limited to reviewed LA County data; every additional jurisdiction needs its own official source, effective-date logic, classifications, and review process.
Official federal Davis-Bacon wage determination search.
CA20260022SAM.gov WD CA20260022, Los Angeles CountyFederal Los Angeles County sample used for the MVP comparison.
CA DIRCalifornia DIR 2026-1 prevailing wage determinationsOfficial state prevailing wage source for California public works.
DOE IIJADOE IIJA Davis-Bacon requirementsDOE guidance on IIJA-funded construction and Davis-Bacon standards.
DOL DBRADOL Davis-Bacon and Related ActsCoverage and enforcement overview for Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.
IRS IRAIRS Inflation Reduction Act prevailing wage FAQOfficial IRA prevailing-wage, apprenticeship, and recordkeeping guidance.
DOL FY2025DOL FY2025 back wage recoveriesDOL release reporting more than $259M in back wages recovered in FY2025.
Federal-only wedge
No statewide-law states still require a contract check.
Several states do not maintain a general statewide prevailing-wage law, including Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky. Federal funding alone does not answer coverage: verify the statute, incorporated contract determination, and any local rule. Open the 50-state reference.