Pulling the rate table…
PIPEFITTER leads the building schedule for Buncombe County, NC at $33.96 base plus $13.48 fringe. The active federal wage determination covering building construction in Buncombe County, NC lists 20 classifications with published rates, base pay from $13.00 to $33.96 per hour. The determination was last modified May 18, 2026.
| Classification | Base | Fringe | WD |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRICKLAYER | $19.00 | $0.00 | NC20260016 |
| CARPENTER | $20.69 | $6.13 | NC20260016 |
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $18.79 | $0.00 | NC20260016 |
| ELECTRICIAN | $32.02 | $13.89 | NC20260016 |
| IRONWORKER |
The highest published base on this schedule belongs to PIPEFITTER at $33.96 per hour plus $13.48 fringe; the schedule's median base is $17.90.
The most recent modification to the governing determination is dated May 18, 2026. DOL's weekly publication cycle means further modifications can post on any Friday.
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.
A wage determination is cited as number plus modification, for example NC20260016 Mod dated May 18, 2026. Your certified payroll should reflect the determination in your contract, not necessarily the newest one.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Synced from SAM.gov July 18, 2026. The wage determination incorporated into your contract is the legally operative document.
| $29.75 |
| $18.00 |
| NC20260016 |
| LABORERMASON TENDER - CEMENT/CONCRETE | $13.00 | $4.54 | NC20260016 |
| LABORERCOMMON OR GENERAL | $13.56 | $2.69 | NC20260016 |
| LABORERMASON TENDER - BRICK | $13.17 | $0.00 | NC20260016 |
| LABORERPIPELAYER | $15.00 | $2.46 | NC20260016 |
| OPERATORBACKHOE/EXCAVATOR/TRACKHOE | $16.50 | $0.08 | NC20260016 |
| OPERATORBULLDOZER | $17.54 | $2.63 | NC20260016 |
| OPERATORFORKLIFT | $16.75 | $0.00 | NC20260016 |
| OPERATORGRADER/BLADE | $22.68 | $3.27 | NC20260016 |
| OPERATORROLLER | $15.31 | $1.46 | NC20260016 |
| PAINTER | $15.55 | $1.05 | NC20260016 |
| PIPEFITTER | $33.96 | $13.48 | NC20260016 |
| PLUMBER | $27.50 | $7.55 | NC20260016 |
| ROOFER | $18.26 | $4.38 | NC20260016 |
| SHEET METAL WORKER | $19.67 | $13.27 | NC20260016 |
| TRUCK DRIVERDUMP TRUCK | $16.56 | $3.09 | NC20260016 |
* 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.