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Colorado prevailing wage

Colorado prevailing wage vs Davis-Bacon

Colorado has a state prevailing-wage law. Review the statewide coverage reference, source date, and what a project-specific Davis-Bacon comparison must verify.

Screen project coverage Model LA County crew cost

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Price a Colorado crew from your own determination

Type the base rate and fringe from the determination that governs your contract. Nothing is sent anywhere and no email is required — the arithmetic runs in your browser. Numbers below start from a worked example so you can see the shape of the answer before typing anything.

Total package $/hour$60.00base $42.00 + fringe $18.00
Cash in lieu of fringe$18.00per hour, if the rest is not paid as bona fide benefits
Straight-time labor$38,400.00640 crew hours entered
Total labor$38,400.00before employer burden, markup, and premiums

Arithmetic on the figures you entered. It does not look up, supply, or validate a Colorado rate, and it does not decide which schedule governs.

Overtime assumption. The premium is applied to the base wage only and the fringe stays at 1× per hour worked. That is the usual Davis-Bacon treatment, but the contract clauses and the applicable state rule control. Verify the determination and modification incorporated into your contract before you bid or pay.

Coverage demand

Need a real Colorado county model?

Two fields: your work email 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.

No bid file or confidential project data required.

Does Colorado have a prevailing wage law?

Yes. Colorado has a statewide prevailing-wage regime for at least some public work. Exact coverage can be narrower than that classification and depends on the awarding body, funding, project type, value, locality, and dates.

Coverage threshold

The federal DOL threshold table used for this reference was last revised January 1, 2023. It lists $500,000 for state-funded public projects as the reference coverage amount or rule. Colorado enacted its prevailing wage law in 2019 (effective 2021). The $500,000 threshold does not apply to Colorado Department of Transportation projects; CDOT must pay Davis-Bacon Act rates on any public project regardless of amount or funding source. Treat this as a screening reference and verify the current state source and bid package before relying on it.

How to compare Davis-Bacon and Colorado requirements

Federal and state prevailing-wage requirements can overlap, but a state-level page cannot identify one controlling schedule for a specific project. Compare the incorporated federal determination and the applicable state or local schedule craft by craft for estimating, then verify coverage, classifications, fringe treatment, overtime, apprentices, dates, and contract clauses with the awarding agency or qualified adviser.

Guardrail

This page is a state law-and-threshold reference for Colorado, not a rate calculator or official determination. The interactive comparison on WhichWageWins currently covers only Los Angeles County, California and five sample crafts. Verify the incorporated contract determination and current state or local sources before bidding or paying workers.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado have a prevailing wage law in 2026?

Yes. Colorado has a statewide prevailing-wage regime for at least some public work, but project coverage must be verified against the current official state source and bid package.

What is the Colorado prevailing wage coverage threshold?

The federal DOL threshold table used for this reference was last revised January 1, 2023. It lists $500,000 for state-funded public projects as the reference coverage amount or rule. Colorado enacted its prevailing wage law in 2019 (effective 2021). The $500,000 threshold does not apply to Colorado Department of Transportation projects; CDOT must pay Davis-Bacon Act rates on any public project regardless of amount or funding source. Treat this as a screening reference and verify the current state source and bid package before relying on it.

Does Davis-Bacon or Colorado prevailing wage govern when both apply?

Federal and state prevailing-wage requirements can overlap, but a state-level page cannot identify one controlling schedule for a specific project. Compare the incorporated federal determination and the applicable state or local schedule craft by craft for estimating, then verify coverage, classifications, fringe treatment, overtime, apprentices, dates, and contract clauses with the awarding agency or qualified adviser.

Official sources

Check the contract file before bid close