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Bell County, KY · Carpenter
Carpenter prevailing wage in Bell County, Kentucky
$29.74an hour, base + fringe
$20.69 wage + $9.05 fringe benefits · Building · SUKY2015-001
On federally funded or assisted building construction in Bell County, a carpenter must be paid at least $29.74 an hour: a $20.69 base wage plus $9.05 in fringe benefits, under wage determination KY20260019 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $29.74 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination KY20260019, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUKY2015-001 (June 2, 2015). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). Kentucky repealed its law in 2017 (HB 3), which also bars local prevailing wage rules (17RS HB 3).
DOL lists 5 carpenter rates for Bell County, from $13.20 to $57.95 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $20.69 + $9.05
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $20.69 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $9.05 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $29.74 |
When this rate changes
- 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)).
- DOL changes a WD by publishing a numbered modification on SAM.gov. This page reads the modification named in the Source line; the Kentucky change log lists what each one changed.
Every carpenter rate in Bell County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)Heavy · CARP0064-007$57.95
- CARPENTERHighway · SUKY2015-047$39.40
- CARPENTER, EXCLUDES DRYWALL HANGING, METAL STUD INSTALLATION, AND FORM WORKBuilding · SUKY2015-001$37.32
- CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)Building · SUKY2015-001$29.74
- CARPENTERResidential · SUKY2010-037$13.20
| Classification | Base + fringe | Base | Fringe benefits | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARPENTER, EXCLUDES DRYWALL HANGING, METAL STUD INSTALLATION, AND FORM WORKBuildingSUKY2015-001 | $37.32 | $25.25 | $12.07 | KY20260019 Mod 1 |
| CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)BuildingSUKY2015-001 | $29.74 | $20.69 | $9.05 | KY20260019 Mod 1 |
| CARPENTERHighwaySUKY2015-047 | $39.40 | $24.90 | $14.50 | KY20260107 Mod 2 |
| CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY)HeavyCARP0064-007 | $57.95 | $33.89 | $24.06 | KY20260060 Mod 1 |
| CARPENTERResidentialSUKY2010-037 | $13.20 | $13.20 | $0.00 | KY20260003 Mod 1 |
How Bell County compares
The main carpenter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Kentucky
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Bell Countybase $20.69$29.74
- Knox Countybase $32.25$50.34
- Harlan Countybase $20.69$29.74
- Whitley Countybase $32.25$50.34
Carpenter rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Davis-Bacon rates are set for groups of counties, so neighbours often share them; the county where the work is done decides.
| County | Classification | Base + fringe | Base | vs Bell County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | CARPENTER (EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, DRYWALL HANGING, AND METAL STUD INSTALLATION) | $50.34 | $32.25 | +$20.60 |
| Whitley County | CARPENTER (INCLUDES FORM WORK; EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION, DRYWALL HANGING, AND METAL STUD INSTALLATION) | $50.34 | $32.25 | +$20.60 |
| Laurel County | CARPENTER (INCLUDES FORM WORK, EXCLUDES ACOUSTICAL CEILING INSTALLATION) | $50.34 | $32.25 | +$20.60 |
| Bell County | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY) | $29.74 | $20.69 | |
| Harlan County | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY) | $29.74 | $20.69 | same |
| Leslie County | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY) | $29.74 | $20.69 | same |
| Clay County | CARPENTER (FORM WORK ONLY) | $29.74 | $20.69 | same |
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL wage determination
- SAM.gov wage determinations
- 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)).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base pay to the fringe your employer pays for you, in cash or into plans, and compare the sum with the total. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division takes complaints: 1-866-487-9243, or dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.
Source
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (DOL), wage determination KY20260019 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/KY20260019/1
We read every active Kentucky Davis-Bacon wage determination from SAM.gov's own data and check every number with a second, independent read of the same file. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download Bell County as CSV · Report an error