Oregon Prevailing Wage

Oregon enforces a robust prevailing wage law (ORS 279C.800-279C.870) administered by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). It applies to public works projects of $50,000 or more, so almost any meaningful public job in Oregon must be bid at BOLI's published rates. Those rates are derived from collective bargaining agreements and wage surveys and are updated regularly, so when you estimate you must pull the correct rate for each trade classification and apply the full base wage plus fringe. Misclassifying a worker or pricing to open-shop wages is the fastest way to lose money or a protest on an Oregon public bid.

Certified payroll is required, and you must report weekly for yourself and every subcontractor. Build that administrative cost into your bid and verify that subs are licensed and capable of complying. Where a project also receives federal funding, both Oregon's law and federal Davis-Bacon apply, and you must pay the higher of the two rates for each classification. Estimators should compare the state determination against the federal wage determination class by class rather than assuming one always controls.

The compliance stakes are real. Violations can bring back-wage liability, civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation, and debarment from public contracts for up to three years. A debarment can end your access to public work entirely, so the cost of getting payroll wrong dwarfs any short-term savings. Bid Oregon public work by confirming the current BOLI rate book, locking subcontractor rates to the same determination, and pricing certified-payroll administration and fringe obligations into your number from the start.