Five Facts About Davis-Bacon and Related Acts

"With President Biden’s signing of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on Nov. 15, 2021, our nation is poised to address our aging infrastructure and at the same time create an estimated 800,000 good paying jobs in construction and related industries. Most of the construction projects funded or assisted through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be subject to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage labor standards. That means construction workers on these projects must be paid at least the locally prevailing wage and fringe benefits required for the work they perform...

1. Davis-Bacon is a federal law that requires local prevailing wages be paid on most federal and federally funded construction contracts. The Davis-Bacon Act ensures that federal government funds elevate labor standards for construction workers across the country, and that taxpayer dollars are used to ensure local wage and benefit standards, allowing responsible contractors to compete for federally funded or assisted construction contracts.

2. If it’s a Davis-Bacon project, it requires Davis-Bacon wages. Construction workers working on Davis-Bacon covered construction contracts must be paid no less than the locally prevailing wages for all hours worked in each labor classification. If a construction worker on a Davis-Bacon project works in more than one labor classification, the contractor or subcontractor must pay the highest applicable wage rate for all hours worked or different wage rates based on the actual hours worked in each labor classification. Local wage determinations that list labor classification and wage rates are issued by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department and can be found at sam.gov.

3. Understand the wages owed to construction workers. Contractors and subcontractors on Davis-Bacon projects must pay their construction workers not less than the wages and fringe benefits listed on the wage determination for the work performed. To help ensure workers are paid the proper rates, workers, contractors and subcontractors should familiarize themselves with:

   1. where the work is being performed,

   2. the type of construction (building, residential, highway, or heavy), and

   3. the applicable labor classifications for the work being performed..."
      Davis-Bacon Act 

"The housing crisis of the last decade has not slowed the steady trend towards bigger houses with more bathrooms and multi-car garages but these more spacious new homes are now on smaller lots.

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on characteristics of new housing for the Department of Housing and Urban Development using the Survey of Construction. Annual data from the survey show that the proportion of single-family homes completed in 2015 with four or more bedrooms and three or more bathrooms has been on the rise since 1987. The share of new homes that are 3,000 square feet or more has been increasing since 1999. The same upward pattern applies to homes that are even larger — 4,000 square feet or more..."
Housing

Characteristics of New Housing: 2013

 "This page provides national, annual data on the characteristics of new privately-owned residential structures, such as square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type of wall material, and sales prices. Many characteristics are available at the region level. The data are from the Survey of Construction (SOC), which is partially funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)..."
 New Housing

Characteristics of New Housing: 2012

"This page provides national, annual data on the characteristics of new privately-owned residential structures, such as square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type of wall material, and sales prices.."
Characteristics of New Housing

EPA Issues Rule to Reduce Water Pollution from Construction Sites
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today issued a final rule to help reduce water pollution from construction sites. The agency believes this rule, which takes effect in February 2010 and will be phased in over four years, will significantly improve the quality of water nationwide.

Construction activities like clearing, excavating and grading significantly disturb soil and sediment. If that soil is not managed properly it can easily be washed off of the construction site during storms and pollute nearby water bodies.

The final rule requires construction site owners and operators that disturb one or more acres to use best management practices to ensure that soil disturbed during construction activity does not pollute nearby water bodies.

In addition, owners and operators of sites that impact 10 or more acres of land at one time will be required to monitor discharges and ensure they comply with specific limits on discharges to minimize the impact on nearby water bodies. This is the first time that EPA has imposed national monitoring requirements and enforceable numeric limitations on construction site stormwater discharges..."

Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building a Safe Room Inside Your House, FEMA 320 CD, Edition 2.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Federal Emergency Management Adm.,
April 2006.
HS5.120:Sh 4/CD (cd-rom)

"Taking Shelter from the Storm, Building a Safe Room Inside Your House, FEMA 320, is a full-color guidance booklet for homeowners, contractors, and government officials that provides detailed information about wind hazards and in-residence wind shelters. The booklet explains and illustrates the hazards associated with extreme windstorms such as tornadoes and hurricanes, and it includes wind hazard maps and a worksheet that homeowners can use to assess their risk and decide how best to protect themselves. Also included are design drawings that contractors and skilled homeowners can use to construct in-residence shelters."