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Prevailing wage · Ohio

Ohio prevailing wage rates

Ohio public improvements above the statutory thresholds pay county rates based on union agreements. Contractors give the public authority's prevailing wage coordinator a certified payroll within two weeks of the first payday and monthly after that, and file an affidavit of compliance before final payment.

Reviewed October 8, 2026 9 official sources cited
Agency
Ohio Dept. of Commerce
Building threshold
$250,000 new, $75,000 repair
Payroll to
Prevailing wage coordinator
Counties with federal rates
88
Active federal WDs
105

Two kinds of prevailing wage in Ohio

Federal (Davis-Bacon). Construction contracts over $2,000 paid for or assisted with federal money pay the rates in a federal wage determination for the county and construction type. Those rates are on this site, county by county, and the weekly certified payroll is usually the WH-347.

State (Ohio law). State and local public works pay the state's rates under Ohio Revised Code chapter 4115 and Ohio Administrative Code chapter 4101:9-4 [R.C. 4115]. The agency is the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance, Wage and Hour.

Ohio's law does not apply to projects where federal funds bring federal predetermined wages, so a federally funded Ohio project is usually Davis-Bacon only, with the weekly federal certified payroll (WH-347) to your prime or agency.

Ohio prevailing wage law at a glance

Which projects are covered

  • Thresholds for building work are set in the statute: $250,000 for new construction and $75,000 for reconstruction or repair. Road, bridge and sewer thresholds are adjusted every two years by the director of commerce [R.C. 4115.03] [R.C. 4115.034].
  • Exempt: projects that carry federal predetermined wages, public improvements by or for school boards and educational service centers, and some others [R.C. 4115.04].

How state rates are set

Rates come from the collective bargaining agreements in force when the contract was made "and collective bargaining agreements or understandings successor thereto," by county. Rates are not frozen at award: a change takes effect two weeks after the director receives the new agreement, and the public authority must tell contractors within seven working days [R.C. 4115.05].

Current rates are on the Department of Commerce's prevailing wage rates portal.

Overtime

After the first 40 hours worked for the employer on all projects, the employee is paid an extra half of the basic hourly rate from the rate schedule, on top of the prevailing wage [O.A.C. 4101:9-4-08].

Davis-Bacon wage rates by county in Ohio

Select a county for its federal wage determinations by construction type (building, residential, heavy, highway), with every classification's base and fringe rate.

Federal data: SAM.gov general wage determinations, fetched October 7, 2026. For state rates, use the agency link above.

Certified payroll in Ohio

Certified payroll to the prevailing wage coordinator: within two weeks of the first payday, then monthly. Within 2 weeks after the first payday, then monthly (weekly if the contract runs 4 months or less).

For Ohio projects LevelWage prepares the WH-347 package with the federal checks. The state payroll report is planned and not available yet.

Read the full Ohio certified payroll guide

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Ohio prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon?
Davis-Bacon is federal: it covers construction paid for or assisted with federal money, with rates from wage determinations on SAM.gov. Ohio's own law covers state and local public works, with rates set by the state. Ohio's law does not apply to projects where federal funds bring federal predetermined wages, so a federally funded Ohio project is usually Davis-Bacon only, with the weekly federal certified payroll (WH-347) to your prime or agency.
How often do I file certified payroll on an Ohio public improvement?
A certified payroll within two weeks after the first pay date, then monthly; weekly if the contract will last no more than four months [R.C. 4115.071(C)].
Do Ohio school projects pay prevailing wage?
No. Public improvements by or for school district boards of education and educational service centers are exempt [R.C. 4115.04].
Where do the county rates on this page come from?
From the active Davis-Bacon general wage determinations SAM.gov publishes for Ohio (105 of them, fetched October 7, 2026). Every county page shows the WD number, modification, publish date and a link to the source.

Sources

  1. Ohio R.C. 4115.03 (definitions and thresholds)
  2. Ohio R.C. 4115.034 (threshold adjustments)
  3. Ohio R.C. 4115.04 (exemptions)
  4. Ohio R.C. 4115.05 (rates)
  5. Ohio R.C. 4115.07 (affidavit, records)
  6. Ohio R.C. 4115.071 (certified payroll)
  7. Ohio R.C. 4115.10 and 4115.99 (penalties)
  8. Ohio Adm. Code 4101:9-4-08 (overtime)
  9. Ohio prevailing wage rates portal

LevelWage prepares reports for your review. This page explains the rules in plain words; it is not legal advice. When a rule matters to a decision, read the source and your contract.

Keep reading

Ohio

Certified payroll in Ohio

Certified payroll to the prevailing wage coordinator: within two weeks of the first payday, then monthly

Federal

The Davis-Bacon Act for subcontractors

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