Field guide · document preparation
A project in two counties: organize the wage documents
For a project that crosses a county boundary, connect each work location to the documents in the contract. Do not assume the nearest county page supplies a rate for the whole job.
One contract, two work locations
A fictional utility corridor crosses from County A into County B. The letters are placeholders, not real jurisdictions. The diagram describes locations only; it assigns no wage determination or rate.
County A
Record the state, county, mapped start/end points and the work performed here.
Document reference: to be confirmed from the contract file.
County B
Record the second location and the work performed here, even if the same crew continues across the boundary.
Document reference: to be confirmed from the contract file.
Two counties do not necessarily mean two determinations. DOL explains that some general determinations cover multiple counties. For work in more than one county or state, the agency incorporates the applicable determinations or requests a project wage determination, with instructions identifying the work each applies to.
Build a location-to-document index
Keep these records alongside the plans and bid package. Leave missing references unresolved until the contracting agency clarifies them.
Scroll sideways on a small screen to compare the two segments.
| Record | Segment A | Segment B |
|---|---|---|
| Geography | State, County A, plan sheet and limits | State, County B, plan sheet and limits |
| Work scope | Describe the work on this segment | Describe the work on this segment |
| Contract document | Determination number, modification and attachment reference: to confirm | Determination number, modification and attachment reference: to confirm |
| Application instructions | Which work does the agency assign to this document? | Does the same document cover this segment, or does another apply? |
| Open question | Record the question and agency response reference | Record the question and agency response reference |
Three questions for the contracting agency
- Geography: do the incorporated documents cover every county and state where the work will occur?
- Scope: which construction type and portions of work does each document cover? Where are those instructions in the contract?
- Missing coverage: if a location or type of work is absent, what clarification or determination will the agency provide before rates are used?
Browse the existing federal county archive for reference, then check the contract documents and primary sources. County tables do not resolve funding coverage, construction type, or which determination the agency must incorporate.
Primary source
Checked October 30, 2026. This guide organizes questions and documents; it does not determine legal coverage or assign wages.