August 6, 2025
Contractors working on federally funded or assisted construction projects with contracts worth over $2000 are subject to the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA). These laws ensure that workers on public works projects are paid fairly and transparently and that contractors follow strict requirements for prevailing wages and weekly certified payroll reporting.
As such, DBRA compliance can be complex. From understanding the correct wage determination to submitting weekly certified payroll reports, staying compliant demands accuracy, consistency, and time – especially when managing multiple subcontractors.
DSPTCH helps streamline Davis-Bacon compliance. Our platform is built for teams who need:
The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 requires contractors and subcontractors working on federal construction projects over $2,000 to pay their laborers and mechanics at least the prevailing wage in the local area and submit weekly certified payroll reports to the contracting agency that awarded the federally funded or assisted construction contract
Under DBRA, the “prevailing wage” refers to the total of the base hourly pay and any required fringe benefits for a given work classification, as outlined in the applicable wage determination. This full amount, including both wages and benefits, must be paid for all hours worked on the project site. These wages are determined and published at sam.gov.
Contractors can meet prevailing wage requirements in one of two ways:
(1) by paying the full prevailing wage amount, including fringe benefits, as cash wages.
(2) by paying part in cash and covering the remainder through contributions to legitimate fringe benefit plans or incurred benefit costs.
As a slight exception to the rule, contractors may pay apprentices less than the full prevailing wage, but only if strict conditions are met:
In addition to paying the correct wages, contractors must also keep detailed records and submit weekly certified payroll reports to demonstrate compliance.
These reports (typically filed using Form WH-347) must include each worker’s name, classification, daily and total hours worked, rate of pay (including fringe), gross wages, deductions, and net pay. Each submission must also include a signed Statement of Compliance, confirming that wages paid meet or exceed the required rates.
Certified payroll reports must be submitted every week work is performed and must be retained for at least three years after project completion. Failing to submit them accurately or on time can result in withheld payments, penalties, or even disqualification from future federally funded work.
Prevailing wage calculations, apprentice oversight, and weekly certified payroll reporting each come with their own set of rules and mistakes in any one area can result in withheld payments, back pay liability, or disqualification from future federally funded work.
DSPTCH is purpose-built to help contractors stay compliant with Davis-Bacon and Related Acts by reducing manual work, eliminating guesswork, and creating a transparent, auditable record of every hour worked – all in real-time.
DSPTCH automatically calculates your total prevailing wage obligation to help you stay ahead of any potential back-pay liabilities. Our customer success team works closely with you to configure the correct wage determinations for your project from the start. Once your time data is uploaded, DSPTCH calculates exactly what each worker is owed based on their classification, hours worked, and the applicable wage determination. Our platform can also integrate directly with your payroll system to verify that employees were paid accurately and flag any discrepancies before they become compliance issues.
Calculating the correct prevailing wage for apprentices is one of the more complex aspects of DBRA compliance, largely because the criteria for paying apprentices less than the full rate are highly specific. One of the most difficult pieces is tracking apprentice hours in alignment with the wage progression schedule outlined in their registered apprenticeship program. As apprentices reach certain hour-based milestones (e.g., 1,000 hours), their wage rate must increase regardless of when that occurs. That means a rate change could be triggered mid-week, mid-day, or even mid-shift, adding significant complexity to payroll.
DSPTCH eliminates this challenge by tracking apprentice hours in real time and automatically adjusting their wage rate the moment a threshold is reached. For example, if an apprentice hits 1,000 hours at 2:00 PM on a Wednesday, DSPTCH immediately applies the new wage rate from that point forward and incorporates it seamlessly into prevailing wage calculations.
Weekly certified payroll reporting is one of the most time-consuming and tedious aspects of DBRA compliance. Completing WH-347 forms manually can be error-prone and labor-intensive—especially when managing multiple crews or subcontractors. DSPTCH eliminates this burden by automatically generating fully completed WH-347 forms for each worker once all time data is uploaded. With just one click, you get accurate, audit-ready reports no manual entry required.
This significantly reduces administrative workload and ensures you stay compliant without the hassle.
DBRA compliance isn’t optional and it’s rarely simple. Between tracking wage determinations, enforcing apprentice ratios, and submitting accurate certified payroll reports week after week, even well-organized teams can find themselves stretched thin.
DSPTCH brings order to the chaos. From real-time wage calculations to fully filled-out WH-347 forms, our platform was built to make Davis-Bacon compliance easy, reliable, and audit-ready—without adding more manual work to your team’s plate.
If you're managing federally funded or assisted projects, it's time to leave spreadsheets behind. Let DSPTCH handle the complexity so you can focus on keeping your projects moving forward.
Want to see how it works? Book a demo or get in touch with our team today.
