Pulling the rate table…
Most rates for residential work in Watauga County, NC are survey-based (SU or state-adopted identifiers) rather than union scale. The active federal wage determination covering residential construction in Watauga County, NC lists 9 classifications with published rates, base pay from $11.78 to $15.25 per hour. The determination was last modified May 18, 2026.
| Classification | Base | Fringe | WD |
|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTER | $14.66 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER | $15.25 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| ELECTRICIAN | $14.61 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| HVAC MECHANIC(HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) | $14.11 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
This schedule has been stable recently; the last modification is dated May 18, 2026. Stability is not permanence: annual editions and mid-year modifications can reset rates in Watauga County without local notice.
Only 9 classifications carry published rates here, so contractors staffing broader crews in Watauga County should expect to request conformed rates for unlisted work.
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 NC20260094 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.
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.
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.
Certified payroll uses the employee's name and an individually identifying number, normally the last four digits of the Social Security number. Full SSNs do not belong on submitted payrolls.
Keep certified payrolls and supporting basic records for at least 3 years after the work completes. Withheld payments and back-wage findings turn on what you can produce.
Synced from SAM.gov July 18, 2026. The wage determination incorporated into your contract is the legally operative document.
| LABORERCOMMON OR GENERAL |
| $11.78 |
| $0.00 |
| NC20260094 |
| PAINTER(BRUSH AND ROLLER) | $11.91 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| PAINTERSPRAY | $11.91 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| PLUMBER | $14.39 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
| ROOFER | $14.41 | $0.00 | NC20260094 |
* 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.