Heavy prevailing wage rates for Baltimore city, MD | PrevailWage
Heavy prevailing wage rates for Baltimore city, MD
DOL modified the wage determination for heavy work in Baltimore city, MD within the last 30 days. The active federal wage determinations covering heavy construction in Baltimore city, MD list 74 classifications with published rates, base pay from $21.00 to $54.40 per hour. The determination was last modified September 28, 2026.
The governing determination was modified September 28, 2026, within the last 30 days. Contractors mid-bid in Baltimore city should re-check figures against the determination text before submitting.
With 74 classifications carrying published rates, this is a comparatively deep schedule; most trades a heavy project needs appear without a conformance request.
Most rate lines here carry SU or state-adopted identifiers, meaning they come from wage surveys rather than negotiated agreements. Survey rates change less often but can jump when a new survey publishes.
Using these rates
Read the modification number
A wage determination is cited as number plus modification, for example MD20260005 Mod dated September 28, 2026. Your certified payroll should reflect the determination in your contract, not necessarily the newest one.
Put the WD in your bid file
Save the full determination text with your bid papers the day you price the job. If rates change later, the contract determination is your record of what you bid against.
Check rates the Friday before payroll
DOL publishes modifications weekly, generally Fridays. A quick check before running payroll catches a mid-project modification before it shows up in an agency review instead.
Match classifications by duties, not titles
The classification that applies is determined by the work performed, not the worker's title. A foreman who works with the tools is generally due the rate for the hours on the tools.
Fringe crediting basics
You can meet the fringe obligation with bona fide benefit plan contributions, cash, or a combination. Track the hourly equivalent of what you contribute; agencies ask for the math.
Statement of Compliance wording
The signed Statement of Compliance may be the WH-347 back page or another document with identical wording. The signature is a federal certification by your company's officer; accuracy is on the certifier.
Questions
Which wage determination applies to my project in Baltimore city?
The wage determination incorporated into your contract is the one that governs, per 29 CFR 1.6. For new heavy work in Baltimore city, MD, the current active determination is MD20260005. Verify with your contracting officer before bidding or paying.
How often do these rates change?
DOL publishes wage determination modifications weekly, generally on Fridays. The determination behind this page was last modified September 28, 2026.
What is the difference between the base rate and the fringe rate?
The base rate is the minimum hourly wage; the fringe amount is an additional hourly benefit obligation you can meet with bona fide benefit contributions or pay in cash. On this schedule the median fringe is about 38% of base.
My classification is not listed for Baltimore city. What do I do?
If the work classification you need is not on the determination, the contractor requests a conformance (additional classification and rate) through the contracting agency using Standard Form 1444. Do not substitute a similar-sounding classification.
What counts as heavy construction?
Heavy covers projects that are not building, residential, or highway, such as water and sewer lines, dams, and flood control. Agencies sometimes split it further; the contract states which schedule applies.
Does the federal rate or the Maryland state prevailing wage apply?
* changed in the most recent modification. Survey-based (SU) identifiers are non-union survey rates. Amounts tagged per day or per shift are published that way in the source determination and are not hourly wages; they are excluded from the hourly figures above.
They are separate systems. Davis-Bacon rates apply to federally funded or assisted work; a state prevailing wage law can apply to state-funded work. A project can be covered by both, in which case the higher rate for each classification effectively controls. This page shows the federal determination only.
Is the WH-347 form mandatory?
The WH-347 itself is optional; what is mandatory on covered work is submitting weekly certified payroll with the same information and a signed Statement of Compliance. Most contractors use the WH-347 layout because agencies expect it.