This Guide has been prepared for you as a contractor performing work on construction projects that are assisted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and subject to DavisBacon prevailing wage requirements. This Guide does not address contractor requirements involved in direct Federal contracting where HUD or another Federal agency enters into a procurement contract. In this latter case, the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) are applicable. While the guidance contained in this Guide is generally applicable to any Davis-Bacon covered project, specific questions pertaining to direct Federal contracts should be addressed to the Contracting Officer who signed the contract for the Federal agency.

Our objective here is to provide you with a guide which is simple and non-bureaucratic yet comprehensive and which will help you better understand and comply with Davis-Bacon labor standards. HUD’s Office of Labor Relations worked closely with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division to make sure that the labor standards provisions in your contract and the specifics of complying with them represent the latest information. It is the Department of Labor which has general administrative oversight of all Federal contracting agencies, such as HUD, which administer the day-to-day responsibilities of enforcing Davis-Bacon provisions in construction contracts they either fund or assist in funding.

There are three chapters in this Guide. The first chapter offers a brief description of the laws and regulations associated with Federal labor standards administration and enforcement and discusses both what’s in your contract that requires Davis-Bacon compliance and your responsibilities. The second chapter deals with labor standards and payroll reporting requirements.

The third chapter discusses what can happen in the event there is a dispute about the wage rates that should be (or have been) paid and any back wages that may be due.

Finally, not all HUD construction projects are covered by Davis-Bacon wage rates. For the purpose of this Guide, we are assuming that a determination has already been made that DavisBacon wage rates are applicable. Should you wish assistance in determining whether DavisBacon wage rates apply to a particular project or if you need other related technical assistance, please consult with the HUD Labor Relations Field staff for your area. If you don’t know which staff to contact, a list of Labor Relations field offices and their geographic areas and telephone numbers can be found on HUD’s Home Page at the address below.

Visit the Office of Labor Relations on-line: http://www.hud.gov/offices/olr

Download the Davis-Bacon Requirements Guidebook for Contractors

Obtain additional copies of this Guide and other publications at our website or by telephone from HUD’s Customer Service Center at (800)767-7468.