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Merced County · Plumber / Pipefitter
Plumber / Pipefitter prevailing wage in Merced County, California
$101.11an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$59.25 base wage + $41.86 fringe benefits
Merced County uses the same plumber or pipefitter rates as 4 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On California public works in Merced County, a plumber or pipefitter must be paid at least $101.11 an hour in total: $59.25 in wages plus $41.86 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $130.74 and Sunday and holiday work is $160.36.
DIR general determination 204-X-3, issued August 22, 2026. Expires December 31, 2026. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR lists 6 plumber or pipefitter rates for Merced County, from $34.65 to $101.11 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $59.25 + $41.86
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 $101.11 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) | $59.25 |
| Health and welfare | $13.38 |
| Pension | $23.86 |
| Training | $1.90 |
| Other payments | $2.72 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $101.11 |
Vacation and holiday is $0.00 in DIR's table. Footnote F says where that money is counted.
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-X-3, issued August 22, 2026; DIR's expiration date for it is December 31, 2026.
Scheduled increases
DIR has already set these increases. Work on or after each date is paid the higher rate. DIR often leaves part of an increase "to be allocated to wages and/or employer payments" and confirms the split when it comes due, and it can reduce a scheduled increase in a later notice, so check DIR's increase page before you pay it.
| Takes effect | Increase per hour | Total after increase |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2027 | +$2.75 | $103.86 |
| July 1, 2027 | +$1.25 | $105.11 |
| January 1, 2028 | +$2.80 | $107.91 |
| July 1, 2028 | +$1.25 | $109.16 |
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).
Rate history since 2024
Total hourly rate for this classification in each DIR release. The chart above draws the same figures with the increases that follow.
| Release | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2 | $93.46 | |
| 2025-1 | $96.01 | +$2.55 |
| 2025-2 | $97.26 | +$1.25 |
| 2026-1 | $99.81 | +$2.55 |
| 2026-2 | $101.11 | +$1.30 |
Every plumber or pipefitter rate in Merced County
As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC)$101.11
- Fire Sprinkler Fitter (Protection and Control Systems, Overhead and Underground)$82.74
- Underground Utility Pipefitter$54.96
- Underground Utility Assistant Journeyman$40.76
- Pipe Tradesman$36.30
- Underground Utility Tradesman$34.65
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Daily OT | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber: Fire Sprinkler Fitter (Protection and Control Systems, Overhead and Underground) | $52.72 | $30.02 | $82.74 | $109.10 | 204-669-1 |
| Pipe Tradesman | $23.70 | $12.60 | $36.30 | $48.15 | 204-X-3 |
| Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $41.86 | $101.11 | $130.74 | 204-X-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 Merced 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 building, highway and heavy work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is PLUMBER & STEAMFITTER (CALAVERAS, MARIPOSA, MERCED, SAN JOAQUIN, STANISLAUS & TUOLUMNE COUNTIES) at $97.19 ($58.45 base + $38.74 fringe), from CA20260018 modification 8, published September 17, 2026, rate PLUM0442-001. Against DIR's $101.11: DIR's rate is $3.92 an hour higher. On a job covered by both, the higher rate applies.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | PLUMBER AND STEAMFITTER: (2) ALL OTHER WORK (CONTRA COSTA COUNTY)PLUM0159-001 | $68.57 | $117.61 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | PLUMBER: PIPE TRADESMAN. (PIPE TRADESMAN SCOPE OF WORK: INSTALLATION OF CORRUGATED METAL PIPING FOR DRAINAGE, AS WELL AS INSTALLATION OF CORRUGATED METAL …PLUM0246-004 | $13.00 | $23.74 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | PLUMBER & STEAMFITTER (CALAVERAS, MARIPOSA, MERCED, SAN JOAQUIN, STANISLAUS & TUOLUMNE COUNTIES)PLUM0442-001 | $58.45 | $97.19 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Building, Highway, Heavy | SPRINKLER FITTER (CALAVERAS, FRESNO, KINGS, MADERA, MARIPOSA, MERCED, MONTEREY, SAN BENITO, SAN JOAQUIN, SANTA CRUZ, STANISLAUS AND TUOLUMNE COUNTIES)SFCA0669-011 | $49.69 | $79.41 | CA20260018 Mod 8 |
| Residential | PLUMBER: ALL OTHER WORK KERN COUNTYPLUM0460-001 | $48.83 | $71.56 | CA20260009 Mod 1 |
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 Merced 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
- Merced Countybase $59.25$101.11
- Stanislaus Countybase $59.25$101.11
- San Benito Countybase $83.57$138.04
- Mariposa Countybase $59.25$101.11
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.
DIR's plumber or pipefitter rates for Merced County are the same as in 4 other counties: Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Merced County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $83.57 | $138.04 | +$36.93 |
| Santa Clara County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $83.57 | $138.04 | +$36.93 |
| Merced County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $101.11 | |
| Stanislaus County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $101.11 | same |
| Mariposa County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $101.11 | same |
| Madera County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $55.50 | $101.11 | same |
| San Joaquin County | Plumber, Steamfitter, Refrigeration Fitter (HVAC) | $59.25 | $101.11 | same |
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.
- F Included in straight-time hourly rate.
- 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 $101.11. 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-X-3: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/MER.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 Merced County as CSV · Report an error