Insulator (Heat & Frost / Asbestos Worker) prevailing wage in San Luis Obispo County, California

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 SC-3-5-1-2026-1, 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.

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).

Source: DIR increase PDF, DIR increase PDF

Every insulator rate in San Luis Obispo County

As DIR lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.

Davis-Bacon insulator rate in San Luis Obispo 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 ASBESTOS WORKERS/INSULATOR (INCLUDES THE APPLICATION OF ALL INSULATING MATERIALS, PROTECTIVE COVERINGS, COATINGS, AND FINISHES TO ALL TYPES OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS) at $82.84 ($56.32 base + $26.52 fringe), from CA20260012 modification 5, published September 3, 2026, rate ASBE0005-002. Against DIR's $91.30: DIR's rate is $8.46 an hour higher. On a job covered by both, the higher rate applies.

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 Luis Obispo County compares

The main insulator rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.

Insulator (Heat & Frost / Asbestos 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.

DIR's insulator rates for San Luis Obispo County are the same as in 10 other counties: Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and 2 more.

California insulator 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 5.5% of employee's gross wage for dues/service fee check-off plus $0.25 for supplemental dues.
• b Includes $0.01 for Occupational Health Plan.
• c Pursuant to Labor Code Sections 1773.1 and 1773.8, the amount paid for the employer payment may vary resulting in a lower taxable Basic Hourly Rate, but the Total Hourly Rates for Straight Time and Overtime may not be less than the general prevailing rate of per diem wages.
• d Rate applies to the first 2 overtime hours. Applies to all daily overtime hours on maintenance and asbestos abatement projects.
• e Rate applies to all other Daily and Saturday overtime hours.
• f Rate applies to first 8 hours worked on new construction. Applies to all Saturday hours on maintenance and asbestos abatement projects.
• g $218.82 per hour for work on Labor Day. For maintenance and asbestos abatement projects, Sundays and observed holidays may be worked at the time and one-half rate.

DIR's other marks: # means an apprenticeable craft, * means in effect until superseded, ** means the next rate is already set.