What Is the Davis–Bacon Act (DBA)? - The DBA requires federal
construction contractors to pay at least the wage rates
prevailing on non-federal construction projects in the same
locality. - The act was intended to prevent the purchasing power
of the federal government from driving down construction wages
during the Great Depression. - The act applies to contractors
and subcontractors performing on federally funded or assisted
contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, alteration,
or repair (including painting and decorating) of public
buildings or public works. - To calculate the wages that
contractors must pay, the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) surveys
construction wages and publishes prevailing wage determinations
for each county in the United States. Federal contractors must
then pay their employees at least the prevailing wage for each
class of worker. - In most cities, DBA wages bear no resemblance
to prevailing market wages. In some cities, DBA rates are more
than double market wages. In other c