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Santa Barbara County · Sheet Metal Worker
Sheet Metal Worker prevailing wage in Santa Barbara County, California
$97.09an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$59.54 base wage + $37.55 fringe benefits
Santa Barbara County uses the same sheet metal worker rates as 2 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On California public works in Santa Barbara County, a sheet metal worker must be paid at least $97.09 an hour in total: $59.54 in wages plus $37.55 in employer payments to health, pension, training and other funds. Daily overtime is $126.86 and Sunday and holiday work is $156.63.
DIR general determination 166-273-1, issued August 22, 2026. Expires July 31, 2028. Checked against dir.ca.gov on October 24, 2026.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $59.54 + $37.55
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 $97.09 or more.
| Basic hourly rate (taxable wage) (footnote H) | $59.54 |
| Health and welfare | $11.50 |
| Pension (footnote BH) | $22.30 |
| Training | $2.17 |
| Other payments | $1.58 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $97.09 |
Vacation and holiday is $0.00 in DIR's table. Footnote BI 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 166-273-1, issued August 22, 2026; DIR's expiration date for it is July 31, 2028.
Rate history since 2024
Total hourly rate for this classification in each DIR release.
| Release | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2 | $90.59 | |
| 2025-1 | $90.59 | no change |
| 2025-2 | $93.84 | +$3.25 |
| 2026-1 | $93.84 | no change |
| 2026-2 | $97.09 | +$3.25 |
Davis-Bacon sheet metal worker rate in Santa Barbara 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 SHEET METAL WORKER (HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, PRESIDENT'S DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPDENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, VETERANS DAY,THANKISGIVING DAY & FRIDAY AFTER, CHRISTMAS DAY) at $91.19 ($55.32 base + $35.87 fringe), from CA20260014 modification 7, published October 15, 2026, rate SHEE0273-002. Against DIR's $97.09: DIR's rate is $5.90 an hour higher. On a job covered by both, the higher rate applies.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Highway, Heavy | SHEET METAL WORKER (HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, PRESIDENT'S DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPDENDENCE DAY, LABOR DAY, VETERANS …SHEE0273-002 | $55.32 | $91.19 | CA20260014 Mod 7 |
| Residential | SHEET METAL WORKER (WORK ON GENERAL SHEET METAL AND HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SIGNLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, TRACK HOMES AND APARTMENT …SHEE0105-001 | $29.54 | $48.63 | CA20260017 Mod 5 |
| Residential | SHEET METAL WORKER (WORK ON GENERAL SHEET METAL AND HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SIGNLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, TRACK HOMES AND APARTMENT …SHEE0105-001 | $33.10 | $43.91 | CA20260017 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 |
| Residential | SHEET METAL WORKER (SAN LUIS OBISPO, SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA) HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY, PRESIDENT'S DAY, GOOD FRIDAY, MEMORIAL DAY, …SHEE0273-001 | $55.32 | $91.19 | 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 Santa Barbara 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
- Santa Barbara Countybase $59.54$97.09
- San Luis Obispo Countybase $59.54$97.09
- Ventura Countybase $59.54$97.09
- 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.
DIR's sheet metal worker rates for Santa Barbara County are the same as in 2 other counties: San Luis Obispo, Ventura.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Santa Barbara County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County | Sheet Metal Worker | $47.93 | $102.42 | +$5.33 |
| Santa Barbara County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $59.54 | $97.09 | |
| San Luis Obispo County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $59.54 | $97.09 | same |
| Ventura County | Sheet Metal Worker (HVAC) | $59.54 | $97.09 | same |
| Los Angeles County | Sheet Metal Worker | $65.31 | $96.98 | −$0.11 |
| Monterey County | Metal Deck & Siding | $52.95 | $94.70 | −$2.39 |
| Kern County | Sheet Metal Worker | $54.13 | $84.59 | −$12.50 |
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.
- H Includes amount withheld for dues check off.
- BH Includes an amount per hour worked for cola fund.
- BI Included in straight-time hourly rate.
- AW Saturdays in the same work week may be worked at straight-time if job is shut down during the normal workweek due to inclement weather.
- BJ Rate applies to the first 4 daily overtime hours and the first 8 hours worked on Saturday. All other time is paid at the Sunday and holiday overtime 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 $97.09. 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 166-273-1: www.dir.ca.gov/oprl/2026-2/PWD/Determinations/Subtrades/STB.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 Santa Barbara County as CSV · Report an error