Colorado · Painter
Colorado painter prevailing wage, county by county
A painter's Davis-Bacon prevailing wage in Colorado runs from $15.19 an hour in Yuma County to $41.72 in City of Denver schedules. The median county is $15.19.
Main painter classification in each county, Davis-Bacon wage determinations on SAM.gov, as of October 25, 2026. A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)). Checked October 25, 2026.
How much does a painter make on prevailing wage in Colorado?
5 groups of counties with identical rates and 19 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- City of Denver schedules1 county$41.72
- Elbert County group2 counties$38.97
- Adams County1 county$38.97
- Arapahoe County1 county$38.97
- Boulder County1 county$38.97
- Broomfield County1 county$38.97
- Clear Creek County1 county$38.97
- Denver County1 county$38.97
- Douglas County1 county$38.97
- El Paso County1 county$38.97
- Jefferson County1 county$38.97
- Larimer County1 county$38.97
- Mesa County1 county$38.97
- Park County1 county$38.97
- Pueblo County1 county$38.97
- Teller County1 county$38.97
- Weld County1 county$38.97
- La Plata County group19 counties$15.19
- Morgan County group9 counties$15.19
- Otero County group9 counties$15.19
- Garfield County group7 counties$15.19
- Eagle County1 county$15.19
- Moffat County1 county$15.19
- Summit County1 county$15.19
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Denver schedules | PAINTER (BRUSH, ROLLER, AND SPRAY; EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $41.72 | $29.71 |
| Elbert County group, 2 localities: Elbert, Gilpin | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Adams County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Arapahoe County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Boulder County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Broomfield County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Clear Creek County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Denver County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Douglas County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, AND SPRAY | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| El Paso County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Jefferson County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Larimer County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Mesa County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Park County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER AND SPRAY (EXCLUDES DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Pueblo County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Teller County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| Weld County | PAINTER (SPRAY) | $38.97 | $27.41 |
| La Plata County group, 19 localities: Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Fremont, Gunnison, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Morgan County group, 9 localities: Cheyenne, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Yuma | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Otero County group, 9 localities: Baca, Bent, Costilla, Crowley, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, Prowers | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Garfield County group, 7 localities: Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Eagle County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Moffat County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
| Summit County | PAINTER: BRUSH, ROLLER, SPRAY (EXCLUDING DRYWALL FINISHING/TAPING) | $15.19 | $15.19 |
5 groups of counties with identical DOL rates, and 19 counties with rates of their own.
Questions about Colorado painter pay
What is the painter prevailing wage in El Paso County?
$38.97 an hour: a $27.41 base wage plus $11.56 in fringe benefits, under wage determination CO20260022, modification 1. Overtime and every painter classification in El Paso County.
Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In El Paso County the $38.97 total is a $27.41 base wage plus $11.56 in fringe benefits, about 30% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does painter prevailing wage pay overtime in Colorado?
Davis-Bacon rates are straight time. On contracts over $100,000, the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires 1½ times the basic rate for hours over 40 in a workweek (40 U.S.C. 3702). The fringe is owed for every hour at its straight-time amount.
Do apprentice painters get this rate?
Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).
Why do some counties have the same painter rate?
DOL often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across Colorado, the 65 counties with a painter rate fall into 24 distinct sets of rates, and 5 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 19 counties (the La Plata County group).