Construction glossary
Prevailing wage
Also called Davis-Bacon, PLA, decree, certified payroll.
Prevailing wage (Davis-Bacon in the US, decree and many PLAs in Canada) is a required compensation package on covered work. It is not the same thing as a public T&M charge-out median.
Why the book is blended
Rates by SubTrack mixes open-shop and union-influenced markets into one public range. A King County PLA, a Quebec decree, or a federal Davis-Bacon job can sit above that range. Confirm the agreement, then store that number on the project sheet.
Certified payroll is not a LEM
Certified payroll proves what you paid. The LEM proves what you billed. You need both on covered work, and they will not match line-for-line if burden and markup are doing their job.
Prevailing wage FAQ
Does the Rates index follow Davis-Bacon?
No. It is a blended public T&M range. Use the wage determination on covered work, then decide your sell rate.
Can charge-out be below prevailing wage?
Your cost cannot be, on covered work. Your sell rate is still a separate decision, and usually higher once overhead and margin are on.
Use your agreed rates on every daily ticket.
These public ranges are a benchmark. SubTrack stores the rates you agreed with the client on a project rate sheet. Crews apply those rates to labor, equipment, materials, and subcontractors on the daily ticket. The same figures carry into reporting and the billing documents you send.