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New Castle County, DE · Plumber / Pipefitter
Plumber / Pipefitter prevailing wage in New Castle County, Delaware
$82.05an hour, fringe benefits included
One rate, fringe benefits included (DOL prints no split) · Building Construction
On Delaware public works in New Castle County, a plumber or pipefitter must be paid at least $82.05 an hour. DOL prints one rate with fringe benefits included, so there is no separate base wage.
Delaware DOL determinations effective March 13, 2026, effective March 13, 2026. A project uses the rates in effect when its specifications are published; if the contract isn't signed within 120 days, the rates at signing apply (Regulations 6.3). Checked against industrialaffairs.delaware.gov on October 25, 2026.
DOL lists 4 plumber or pipefitter rates for New Castle County, from $44.46 to $101.88 an hour. See all of them.
The posted determinations are a reference. For a specific project, request certified rates from Delaware DOL (request form).
One rate, fringe benefits included: $82.05
DOL publishes a single hourly figure that already includes fringe benefits. A contractor can pay it all as wages, or pay part as contributions to bona fide benefit plans for the worker, as long as the two add up to at least $82.05. DOL doesn't publish a base and fringe split, so this page doesn't invent one.
DOL's data note: Delaware publishes one hourly rate per classification that already includes fringe benefits (19 DE Admin. Code 1322 s.3.1.9 and 3.1.12). There is no base/fringe split to add up, so base and the fringe fields are null and total_straight_time is the printed rate.
When does this rate change?
- A project uses the rates in effect on the date its specifications are published, or the rates at contract signing if that is more than 120 days later (Regulations 6.3).
- DOL issues one set a year, on or before March 15; this one took effect March 13, 2026. Mid-year amendments only correct errors and don't change awarded contracts (Regulations 6.4).
Every plumber or pipefitter rate in New Castle County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERSHeavy Construction$101.88
- PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERSBuilding Construction$82.05
- SPRINKLER FITTERSBuilding Construction$77.63
- SPRINKLER FITTERSHeavy Construction$44.46
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERSBuilding Construction | incl. | incl. | $82.05 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| SPRINKLER FITTERSBuilding Construction | incl. | incl. | $77.63 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERSHeavy Construction | incl. | incl. | $101.88 | Mar 13, 2026 |
| SPRINKLER FITTERSHeavy Construction | incl. | incl. | $44.46 | Mar 13, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon plumber or pipefitter rate in New Castle County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
For building work, the matching Davis-Bacon classification is PLUMBER at $66.13 ($47.73 base + $18.40 fringe), from DE20260008 modification 1, published May 18, 2026, rate SUDE2014-005. Against DOL's $82.05: DOL's rate is $15.92 an hour higher. Note: the state prints one rate with fringes included, so only totals are compared.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | PIPEFITTER: INCLUDES HVAC PIPE INSTALLATION AND EXCLUDES INDUSTRIAL WORK FOOTNOTE A: PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY,INDEPENDENCE DAY, THANKSGIVING …PLUM0074-002 | $41.35 | $79.54 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | PIPEFITTER: INDUSTRIAL FOOTNOTE A: PAID HOLIDAYS: NEW YEAR'S DAY, MEMORIAL DAY,INDEPENDENCE DAY, THANKSGIVING DAY,LABOR DAY, CHRISTMAS DAY, AND GENERAL ELECTION DAYPLUM0074-003 | $56.43 | $99.78 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | SPRINKLER FITTER (FIRE SPRINKLERS)SFDE0669-002 | $46.47 | $76.03 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Building | PLUMBERSUDE2014-005 | $47.73 | $66.13 | DE20260008 Mod 1 |
| Residential | PLUMBER (NEW CASTLE COUNTY)SUDE1990-001 | $9.80 | $9.80 | DE20260001 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Delaware Davis-Bacon changes
How New Castle County compares
The main plumber or pipefitter rate in every county that has one. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Delaware
Rates nearby
- New Castle Countyfringes included$82.05
- Kent Countyfringes included$85.29
- Sussex Countyfringes included$78.26
Plumber / Pipefitter rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Rates are those "prevailing in the county in which the work is to be performed" (29 Del. C. §6960(a)).
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs New Castle County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERS | incl. | $85.29 | +$3.24 |
| New Castle County | PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERS | incl. | $82.05 | |
| Sussex County | PLUMBERS/PIPEFITTERS/STEAMFITTERS | incl. | $78.26 | −$3.79 |
Delaware plumber or pipefitter prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL DOL determination, page 1
- Delaware DOL's prevailing wage determinations
- Delaware prints one mechanic rate per classification. Registered apprentices get their agreement's percentage; anyone not registered is paid the mechanic's rate.
Are you being paid this rate?
Delaware's rate already includes fringe benefits, so compare your hourly wage plus what your employer pays into bona fide benefit plans for you with the rate. Payroll is filed weekly with DOL, and an underpaid worker can recover treble damages (§6960(d)–(i)). Office of Labor Law Enforcement: (302) 318-2769.
Source
Department of Labor (DOL), DOL determination DE-OLLE-20260313-building, issued March 13, 2026, effective March 13, 2026, page 1: industrialaffairs.delaware.gov/hubfs/Prevailing_Wage_Determination_Building_Construction2025.pdf
Delaware's determinations are scanned images. We read every cell by OCR and re-read every number independently. Each figure is the printed rate. How we check · Download New Castle County as CSV · Report an error