Federal Subcontract Labor & Wage Determination Hub

Labor compliance should be understood before the bid is priced. A missing or misunderstood wage determination can turn a winning rate into an unprofitable obligation.

Federal labor requirements vary by the type of work and the clauses incorporated into the prime contract. Service work and construction can trigger different wage frameworks, classifications, fringe obligations, payroll records, and flowdown duties.

Use this hub to identify the labor regime first, then confirm the exact wage determination, classifications, fringe treatment, and payroll process before committing labor rates.

Identify the Labor Regime

Service Contract Labor Standards

A plain-English introduction to SCLS coverage and subcontract review.

Davis-Bacon vs. SCLS

Distinguish federal construction wage requirements from service-contract labor requirements.

Missing Wage Determination

What to request before labor rates are priced when the applicable determination is absent.

Price and Administer the Wage Determination

How to Read a Federal Wage Determination

Classification, base wage, fringe, locality, and revision details to review.

Service Contract Fringe Benefits

How fringe obligations affect the fully burdened labor rate.

Davis-Bacon Worker Classification

Misclassification risk when actual duties do not match the priced classification.

Davis-Bacon Certified Payroll Errors

Payroll documentation and classification problems that can surface during performance.