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Sheet Metal Worker prevailing wage in Los Angeles County, California
$96.98an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$65.31 base wage + $31.67 fringe benefits
On California public works in Los Angeles County, a sheet metal worker must be paid at least $96.98 an hour in total: $65.31 in wages plus $31.67 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $129.64 and Sunday and holiday work is $162.29.
DIR general determination 166-102-1, issued August 22, 2026. Expires June 30, 2027. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 2 sheet metal worker rates for Los Angeles County, from $84.59 to $96.98 an hour. See all of them.
This rate covers only part of Los Angeles County. DIR's wording: “Applies to that portion of the county south of a straight line drawn between gorman and big pines.” Rates for the rest of the county are in the table below.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $65.31 + $31.67
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 $96.98 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) (footnote M) | $65.31 |
| Health and welfare | $12.02 |
| Pension (footnote BR) | $18.01 |
| Training | $0.92 |
| Other payments | $0.72 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $96.98 |
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 166-102-1, issued August 22, 2026; DIR's expiration date for it is June 30, 2027.
Scheduled increases
DIR has scheduled an increase for this rate, but it's in a regional PDF we haven't matched to this classification yet. The amounts are in DIR's increase file.
The double asterisk after DIR's expiration date means the next rate is already set. If the work runs past that date you have to pay the new rate, and DIR says to build it into contracts signed now (DIR FAQ, Q8).
Every sheet metal worker rate in Los Angeles County
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheet Metal Worker Applies to that portion of the county south of a straight line drawn between gorman and big pines | $65.31 | $31.67 | $96.98 | $129.64 | 166-102-1 |
| Sheet Metal Worker: Sheet Metal Worker Applies to that portion of the county north of a straight line drawn between gorman and big pines including the cities of lancaster and palmdale | $54.13 | $30.46 | $84.59 | $111.66 | 166-108-998 |
Davis-Bacon sheet metal worker rate in Los Angeles 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).
For highway and heavy work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is SHEET METAL WORKER (KERN (EXCLUDING PORTION EAST OF HWY 395) & LOS ANGELES (NORTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE DRAWN BETWEEN GORMAN AND BIG PINES INCLUDING CITIES OF LANCASTER AND PALMDALE) COUNTIES) at $75.22 ($45.98 base + $29.24 fringe), from CA20260022 modification 5, published August 6, 2026, rate SHEE0105-004. Against DIR's $96.98: DIR's rate is $21.76 an hour higher. On a job covered by both, the higher rate applies. Note: federal rate covers only part of the county (see federal classification text); state rate covers only part of the county: APPLIES TO THAT PORTION OF THE COUNTY SOUTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE DRAWN BETWEEN GORMAN AND BIG PINES.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | SHEET METAL WORKER: (1) LIGHT COMMERCIAL: WORK ON GENERAL SHEET METAL AND HEATING AND AC UP TO 4000 SQ FT. (LOS ANGELES (SOUTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE BETWEEN …SHEE0105-002 | $35.57 | $46.20 | CA20260022 Mod 5 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | SHEET METAL WORKER: (1) COMMERCIAL - NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODEL WORK (LOS ANGELES (SOUTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE DRAWN BETWEEN GORMAN AND BIG PINES)AND CATALINA …SHEE0105-003 | $59.31 | $89.74 | CA20260022 Mod 5 |
| Residential | SHEET METAL: TECHNICIAN IMPERIAL SHEET METAL TECHNICIAN - SCOPE: A. EXISTING RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, BOTH SINGLE AND MULTI-FAMILY, WHERE EACH UNIT IS HEATED …SHEE0206-003 | $38.65 | $48.96 | CA20260017 Mod 5 |
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 Los Angeles County compares
The main sheet metal worker 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
- Los Angeles Countybase $65.31$96.98
- Ventura Countybase $59.54$97.09
- Orange Countybase $65.31$96.98
- Kern Countybase $54.13$84.59
Sheet Metal Worker 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 Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $59.54 | $97.09 | +$0.11 |
| Santa Barbara County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $59.54 | $97.09 | +$0.11 |
| Los Angeles County | Sheet Metal Worker | $65.31 | $96.98 | |
| Orange County | Sheet Metal Worker | $65.31 | $96.98 | same |
| San Bernardino County | Sheet Metal Worker | $65.31 | $96.98 | same |
| San Diego County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $58.73 | $91.44 | −$5.54 |
| Kern County | Sheet Metal Worker | $54.13 | $84.59 | −$12.39 |
California sheet metal worker 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.
- M Includes amount withheld for working dues.
- BR 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.
- BS Rate applies for the first 4 overtime hours Monday through Friday and the first 12 hours worked on Saturday. All other time is paid at the Sunday/holiday rate. Saturdays in the same workweek may be worked at straight-time if job is shut down during the normal workweek due to inclement weather.
- BQ Applies to that portion of the county south of a straight line drawn between gorman and big pines.
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 $96.98. 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 166-102-1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/LOS.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 Los Angeles County as CSV · Report an error