Prevailing wage rates · Pennsylvania · Wage determination
Prevailing wage rates: Bucks and Chester Counties, Pennsylvania
Residential construction · PA20260118 modification 2, published September 24, 2026
The short answer
This sheet sets 14 classifications for residential work in Bucks and Chester Counties, Pennsylvania. Each line is a basic hourly rate plus a fringe rate, and the sum is the minimum you must pay for that work, from $53.00 an hour (roofer) to $113.59 (plumber). Your contract may lock an earlier modification.
Scope
RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS (consisting of single family homes and apartments up to and including 4 stories)
What changed this year
First published January 2, 2026, this sheet is now on modification 2, and its rates have changed in 1 modification. Of the 13 rates we can follow line by line from the first publication to today, 7 are higher.
If you bid the job or set pay from an earlier copy, find your trades below. The rates that bind you are the ones in the modification written into your contract.
Latest change
September 24, 2026 · modification 2
7 rates raised
- Carpenter: 4 rates raised by $1.90 to $2.20 an hour
- Millwright: 1 rate raised by $2.69 an hour
- Plumber: 1 rate raised by $11.65 an hour
- Soft floor layer: 1 rate raised by $1.94 an hour
Every line that changed (7)
| Classification | Was | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTER (ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION AND FORM WORK ONLY) | $55.82 + $30.09 | $57.72 + $30.39 | +$2.20 (+2.6%) |
| CARPENTER (BATT INSULATION ONLY) | $49.52 + $29.54 | $51.24 + $29.84 | +$2.02 (+2.6%) |
| CARPENTER (INSTALLER-SIDING (METAL/ALUMINUM/VINYL) | $55.82 + $30.09 | $57.72 + $30.39 | +$2.20 (+2.6%) |
| CARPENTER (DRYWALL HANGING ONLY) | $45.13 + $29.04 | $46.73 + $29.34 | +$1.90 (+2.6%) |
| MILLWRIGHT | $54.54 + $38.78 | $55.54 + $40.47 | +$2.69 (+2.9%) |
| SOFT FLOOR LAYER | $40.39 + $29.09 | $41.93 + $29.49 | +$1.94 (+2.8%) |
| PLUMBER | $64.73 + $37.21 | $73.73 + $39.86 | +$11.65 (+11.4%) |
Earlier modifications
May 18, 2026 · modification 11 classification added
Classifications added or removed
- Added: CARPENTER, EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION… $47.60 + $28.94
Compared line by line from each modification as published on SAM.gov. A line we could not pair with certainty is left out rather than guessed.
Rates by classification
These are the rates in modification 2 as published on SAM.gov. The determination and modification written into your contract are the ones that bind you; check that number before relying on this table. Total is the basic rate plus the fringe. Source is the agreement or survey the rate came from and its year; a survey year long past means the rate has not been surveyed since. A marker means the group changed in this modification. In the Since column, a dash means SAM.gov reworded the line during the year and it cannot be matched to the first publication with certainty. A dagger (†) means the fringe carries a footnote or percentage the total does not include; read the group’s notes.
| Classification | Basic rate | Fringe | Total | Since Jan 2 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRPA0001-018 · Bricklayers agreement, May 1, 2021 | |||||
| BRICKLAYER | $45.45 | $30.16 | $75.61 | no change | Agreement, 2021 |
| CARP0158-004 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| CARPENTER (ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION AND FORM WORK ONLY) | $57.72 | $30.39 | $88.11 | +$2.20 (+2.6%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| CARP0158-005 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| CARPENTER (BATT INSULATION ONLY) | $51.24 | $29.84 | $81.08 | +$2.02 (+2.6%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| CARP0158-006 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| CARPENTER (INSTALLER-SIDING (METAL/ALUMINUM/VINYL) | $57.72 | $30.39 | $88.11 | +$2.20 (+2.6%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| CARP0158-008 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| CARPENTER (DRYWALL HANGING ONLY) | $46.73 | $29.34 | $76.07 | +$1.90 (+2.6%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| CARP0219-010 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| MILLWRIGHT | $55.54 | $40.47 | $96.01 | +$2.69 (+2.9%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| CARP0251-015 · Carpenters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| SOFT FLOOR LAYER | $41.93 | $29.49 | $71.42 | +$1.94 (+2.8%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| ENGI0542-010 · Operating Engineers agreement, May 1, 2021 | |||||
| OPERATOR: BACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE FOOTNOTE: A. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY; MEMORIAL DAY; INDEPENDENCE DAY; LABOR DAY; THANKSGIVING DAY AND CHRISTMAS DAY ***TOXIC/HARARDOUS WASTE REMOVAL*** ADD 20 PER CENT TO BASIC HOURLY RATE FOR ALL CLASSIFICATIONS | $50.80 | $28.89 | $79.69 | no change | Agreement, 2021 |
| LABO0413-012 · Laborers agreement, May 1, 2025 | |||||
| LABORER: COMMON OR GENERAL | $37.25 | $25.42 | $62.67 | no change | Agreement, 2025 |
| PAIN0021-009 · Painters and Allied Trades agreement, May 1, 2024 | |||||
| PAINTER: BRUSH AND ROLLER ONLY | $42.97 | $31.19 | $74.16 | no change | Agreement, 2024 |
| PLUM0690-013 · Plumbers and Pipefitters agreement, May 1, 2026 | |||||
| PLUMBER | $73.73 | $39.86 | $113.59 | +$11.65 (+11.4%) | Agreement, 2026 |
| ROOF0030-015 · Roofers agreement, May 1, 2022 | |||||
| ROOFER | $31.25 | $21.75 | $53.00 | no change | Agreement, 2022 |
| SHEE0019-022 · Sheet Metal Workers agreement, May 1, 2025 | |||||
| SHEET METAL WORKER FOOTNOTE: PAID HOLIDAY: ELECTION DAY | $62.62 | $50.66 | $113.28 | no change | Agreement, 2025 |
| UAVGPA0038 · Union average, January 1, 2025 | |||||
CARPENTER, EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION…Full textCARPENTER, EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, BATT INSULATION, DRYWALL HANGING, AND FORM WORK | $47.60 | $28.94 | $76.54 | — | Union average |
Modification history
| Modification 0 | January 2, 2026 |
| Modification 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| Modification 2 | September 24, 2026 (current) |
Published by the Wage and Hour Division; read from sam.gov. The sheet is checked for a newer modification each day. Contracts awarded since January 1, 2017 also carry Executive Order 13706 paid sick leave (one hour per 30 worked, up to 56 a year).
Questions people ask
- Which rate do I pay on PA20260118?
- The line for the classification of work actually performed: the basic rate plus the fringe. You may pay the fringe into benefit plans, as cash on every hour, or a mix. Overtime after 40 hours is 1.5 times the basic rate; fringe is paid on every hour and never multiplied.
- My trade is not on this sheet. What do I do?
- Do not borrow the nearest name. Ask the contracting agency for a conformance on Standard Form 1444 before the first week of that work, and note it as pending on the payroll.
- Does modification 2 apply to my contract?
- Only if it was in force when your contract was awarded (generally at bid opening). An earlier modification locked into the contract keeps applying, except on option years, added scope and indefinite-quantity contracts. The number and modification are on the first page of the exhibit in your contract.
How to read a wage determination · Paying the fringe in cash or through plans · Overtime on these rates · Fringe credit calculator
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Start a payroll on this sheetOn this sheet
- 14 classifications in 14 rate groups
- 13 from agreements, 0 from surveys
- Counties: Bucks, Chester