Residential prevailing wage rates for Whatcom County, WA | PrevailWage
Residential prevailing wage rates for Whatcom County, WA
ELEVATOR MECHANIC. FOOTNOTE leads the residential schedule for Whatcom County, WA at $67.61 base plus $38.44 fringe. The active federal wage determination covering residential construction in Whatcom County, WA lists 22 classifications with published rates, base pay from $15.21 to $67.61 per hour. The determination was last modified May 18, 2026.
The highest published base on this schedule belongs to ELEVATOR MECHANIC. FOOTNOTE at $67.61 per hour plus $38.44 fringe; the schedule's median base is $33.94.
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 Whatcom County without local notice.
This schedule mixes sources: 59% of lines carry union identifiers and the rest are survey-based. Two crews on one site can be governed by rates that update on entirely different rhythms.
Using these rates
Read the modification number
A wage determination is cited as number plus modification, for example WA20260101 Mod dated May 18, 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.
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.
Use last-4 SSN only
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.
Questions
Which wage determination applies to my project in Whatcom County?
The wage determination incorporated into your contract is the one that governs, per 29 CFR 1.6. For new residential work in Whatcom County, WA, the current active determination is WA20260101. 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 May 18, 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 41% of base.
My classification is not listed for Whatcom County. 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 residential construction?
Residential covers construction, alteration, or repair of single-family houses and apartment buildings of no more than four stories. Projects above that generally fall under building construction.
Does the federal rate or the Washington state prevailing wage apply?
Synced from SAM.gov July 18, 2026. The wage determination incorporated into your contract is the legally operative document.
A. PAID VACATION: EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTES 8% OF REGULAR HOURLY RATE AS VACATION PAY CREDIT FOR EMPLOYEES WITH MORE THAN 5 YEARS OF SERVICE, AND 6% FOR 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OF SERVICE. B. PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEARS DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, VETERANS DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY, FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, AND CHRISTMAS DAY
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 7 TRUCK, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (OVER 40 YDS. TO & INCLUDING 100 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SU
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 8 TRUCKS, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (OVER 100 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SUIT WITH A SELF-CONTAIN
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 3 TRUCKS, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (3 YARDS TO AND INCLUDING 6 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SUIT W
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 4 TRUCKS, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (OVER 6 YDS. TO & INCLUDING 12 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SUI
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 5 TRUCKS, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (OVER 12 YDS. TO & INCLUDING 20 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SU
TRUCK DRIVERGROUP 6 TRUCKS, SIDE, END, BOTTOM AND ARTICULATED END DUMP (OVER 20 YDS. TO & INCLUDING 40 YDS.) FOOTNOTE A - ANYONE WORKING ON A HAZMAT JOB, WHERE HAZMAT CERFIFICATION IS REQUIRED, SHALL BE COMPENSATED AS A PREMIUM, IN ADDITION TO THE CLASSIFICATION WORKING IN AS FOLLOWS: LEVEL C-D: - $.50 PER HOUR - THIS LEVEL MAY USE AN AIR PURIFYING RESPIRATOR OR ADDITIONAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. LEVEL A-B: - $1.00 PER HOUR - USES SUPPLIED AIR IN CONJUNCTION WITH A CHEMICAL SPLASH SUIT OR FULLY ENCAPSULATED SU
* 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.