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San Diego County · Drywall Finisher
Drywall Finisher prevailing wage in San Diego County, California
$68.39an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$43.59 base wage + $24.80 fringe benefits
On California public works in San Diego County, a drywall finisher must be paid at least $68.39 an hour in total: $43.59 in wages plus $24.80 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $90.19 and Sunday and holiday work is $90.19.
DIR general determination 830-200-4, issued February 22, 2025 and still current in DIR's 2026-2 release. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
DIR's expiration date for this determination was March 31, 2025. DIR hasn't issued a replacement, so this rate still applies, which is what the single asterisk on DIR's table means. A project keeps the rates in effect on its bid advertisement date for the life of the job.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $43.59 + $24.80
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 $68.39 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) (footnote K) | $43.59 |
| Health and welfare | $8.80 |
| Pension | $10.01 |
| Vacation and holiday | $5.07 |
| Training | $0.92 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $68.39 |
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 830-200-4, issued February 22, 2025.
Rate history since 2024
Total hourly rate for this classification in each DIR release.
| Release | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2 | $64.19 | |
| 2025-1 | $68.39 | +$4.20 |
| 2025-2 | $68.39 | no change |
| 2026-1 | $68.39 | no change |
| 2026-2 | $68.39 | no change |
Davis-Bacon drywall finisher rate in San Diego 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 DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (1) BUILDING & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION at $68.39 ($43.59 base + $24.80 fringe), from CA20260001 modification 3, published May 18, 2026, rate PAIN0036-010. Against DIR's $68.39: The two totals are the same.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (1) BUILDING & HEAVY CONSTRUCTIONPAIN0036-010 | $43.59 | $68.39 | CA20260001 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (2) Residential Construction (Wood frame apartments, single family homes and multi-duplexes up to and including four stories)PAIN0036-010 | $32.27 | $46.97 | CA20260001 Mod 3 |
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 San Diego County compares
The main drywall finisher 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
- San Diego Countybase $43.59$68.39
- Riverside Countybase $52.33$83.82
- Orange Countybase $52.33$83.82
- Imperial Countybase $52.33$83.82
Drywall Finisher 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 San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside County | Drywall Finisher | $52.33 | $83.82 | +$15.43 |
| Orange County | Drywall Finisher | $52.33 | $83.82 | +$15.43 |
| Imperial County | Drywall Finisher | $52.33 | $83.82 | +$15.43 |
| San Bernardino County | Drywall Finisher | $52.33 | $83.82 | +$15.43 |
| Ventura County | Drywall Finisher | $52.33 | $83.82 | +$15.43 |
| Los Angeles County | Drywall Finisher | $48.20 | $79.69 | +$11.30 |
| San Diego County | Drywall Finisher | $43.59 | $68.39 |
California drywall finisher 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.
- K Basic hourly rate and employer payments are based on the davis-bacon wage determination for this craft.
- L Rate applies to all time worked in excess of 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.
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 $68.39. 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 830-200-4: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/SDI.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 San Diego County as CSV · Report an error