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Contra Costa County · Plumber / Pipefitter
Plumber / Pipefitter prevailing wage in Contra Costa County, California
$122.56an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$70.67 base wage + $51.89 fringe benefits
On California public works in Contra Costa County, a plumber or pipefitter must be paid at least $122.56 an hour in total: $70.67 in wages plus $51.89 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $157.90 and Sunday and holiday work is $193.23.
DIR general determination 204-159-1, issued August 22, 2026. Expires June 30, 2027. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 7 plumber or pipefitter rates for Contra Costa County, from $34.65 to $136.05 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $70.67 + $51.89
The basic hourly rate is the taxable wage. The other lines, the fringe benefits DIR calls employer payments, are what DIR expects the employer to pay into health, pension and other plans for each hour worked. An employer can pay part of that as extra wages instead, as long as the total per hour stays at $122.56 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) (footnote A) | $70.67 |
| Health and welfare | $24.11 |
| Pension (footnote AM) | $22.73 |
| Training | $3.00 |
| Other payments | $2.05 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $122.56 |
Straight time covers an 8-hour day.
When does this rate change?
- A project pays the rates in effect on its bid advertisement date for the life of the job, plus any increase DIR set in advance (DIR FAQ).
- DIR issues new determinations on February 22 and August 22, and they take effect 10 days later. This rate is from determination 204-159-1, issued August 22, 2026; DIR's expiration date for it is June 30, 2027.
Rate history since 2024
Total hourly rate for this classification in each DIR release.
| Release | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2 | $115.56 | |
| 2025-1 | $115.56 | no change |
| 2025-2 | $119.06 | +$3.50 |
| 2026-1 | $119.06 | no change |
| 2026-2 | $122.56 | +$3.50 |
Every plumber or pipefitter rate in Contra Costa County
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Steamfitter$136.05
- Sprinkler Fitter (Fire Protection and Fire Control Systems)$127.79
- Plumber, Pipe Fitter & Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC)$122.56
- Service Technician$121.67
- Underground Utility Pipefitter$54.96
- Underground Utility Assistant Journeyman$40.76
- Underground Utility Tradesman$34.65
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber, Pipe Fitter & Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $70.67 | $51.89 | $122.56 | $157.90 | 204-159-1 |
| Service Technician | $69.78 | $51.89 | $121.67 | $156.56 | 204-159-1 |
| Plumber: Sprinkler Fitter (Fire Protection and Fire Control Systems) | $85.54 | $42.25 | $127.79 | $170.56 | 204-483-1 |
| Plumber: Steamfitter | $84.90 | $51.15 | $136.05 | $182.88 | 204-342-3 |
| Plumber: Underground Utility Assistant Journeyman | $21.81 | $18.95 | $40.76 | $53.04 | 204-355-1 |
| Plumber: Underground Utility Pipefitter | $36.01 | $18.95 | $54.96 | $74.34 | 204-355-1 |
| Plumber: Underground Utility Tradesman | $18.95 | $15.70 | $34.65 | $45.50 | 204-355-1 |
Davis-Bacon plumber or pipefitter rate in Contra Costa County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a California awarding body runs a federally funded or assisted project, DIR's rates must be paid where they are higher than the Davis-Bacon rates (DIR public works FAQ).
We don't put a federal figure next to DIR's here, because the federal determination lists more than one rate for this trade here. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | PIPEFITTER (CONTRA COSTA COUNTY)PLUM0342-001 | $80.50 | $130.95 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | SPRINKLER FITTER: FIRE (ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN MATEO AND SANTA CLARA COUNTIES)SFCA0483-001 | $81.54 | $122.89 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Residential | PLUMBER, PIPEFITTER, STEAMFITTER (CONTRA COSTA COUNTY)PLUM0159-002 | $43.72 | $64.01 | CA20260019 Mod 6 |
| Residential | SPRINKLER FITTER (ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, MARIN, NAPA, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN MATEO, SANTA CLARA, SOLANO AND SONOMA COUNTIES:)SFCA0483-002 | $49.82 | $67.87 | CA20260019 Mod 6 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. California Davis-Bacon changes
How Contra Costa County compares
The main plumber or pipefitter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in California
Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Contra Costa Countybase $70.67$122.56
- Alameda Countybase $84.90$136.05
- Solano Countybase $73.85$115.37
- San Francisco Countybase $94.00$149.76
Plumber / Pipefitter rates in nearby counties
Current DIR rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done, even if your shop is somewhere else.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Contra Costa County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $94.00 | $149.76 | +$27.20 |
| Marin County | Plumber, Steamfitter | $94.00 | $149.76 | +$27.20 |
| Alameda County | Plumber, Pipefitter, Steamfitter | $84.90 | $136.05 | +$13.49 |
| San Mateo County | Plumber, Steamfitter | $91.75 | $134.63 | +$12.07 |
| Contra Costa County | Plumber, Pipe Fitter & Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $70.67 | $122.56 | |
| Solano County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $73.85 | $115.37 | −$7.19 |
| San Joaquin County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $101.11 | −$21.45 |
California plumber or pipefitter prevailing wage by county, with a map
Footnotes on this rate
DIR's footnotes, in DIR's words. Several change the rate itself: zone pay, a percentage added to the total, or which overtime hours get which rate.
- A Includes amount withheld for dues check off.
- AM Pursuant to Labor Code sections 1773.1 and 1773.8, the amount paid for this employer payment may vary resulting in a lower taxable basic hourly wage rate, but the total hourly rates for straight time and overtime may not be less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages.
- E Rate applies to the first 2 daily overtime hours and the first 10 hours on Saturday; all other time is paid at the Sunday and holiday overtime hourly rate.
DIR's other marks: # means an apprenticeable craft, * means in effect until superseded, ** means the next rate is already set.
More from DIR on this rate
- Holidays (DIR PDF)
- Scope of work: which tasks this rate covers
- Travel and subsistence
- Apprentice rates: DIR publishes these separately, by program. Look them up on DIR.
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your hourly wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $122.56. Plan payments only count if the money goes into the plan; your pay stub won't show them, but plan statements will. The training amount goes to the California Apprenticeship Council or an apprenticeship program, not to you. Check a week of pay.
Contractors on most public works jobs file certified payroll with the state, and anyone can look it up in DIR's CPR public search. If your total comes up short, you can file a public works complaint with the California Labor Commissioner.
Source
California Department of Industrial Relations, general prevailing wage determination 204-159-1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/CONTRA.html
Each figure is copied from DIR's file and checked by a second, separate reader. How we check · How to read a determination · Download Contra Costa County as CSV · Report an error