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Minnesota · Carpenter · 9 counties
Carpenter prevailing wage, Stearns County group, Minnesota (9 counties)
DLI sets the same carpenter rates, row for row, in 9 counties: Blue Earth, Freeborn, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Rice, Stearns and Steele. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.
$71.99an hour, total
$42.55 wage + $29.44 fringe
On Minnesota public works in each of these 9 counties, a carpenter must be paid at least $71.99 an hour: a $42.55 base wage plus $29.44 in fringe.
DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026); this rate, effective May 4, 2026. The rates "must be ascertained before the state asks for bids" and written into the contract, with their dated steps (Minn. Stat. 177.43). Checked against dli.mn.gov on October 25, 2026.
Base wage and fringe: $42.55 + $29.44
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DLI prints the fringe 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) | $42.55 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $29.44 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $71.99 |
Davis-Bacon carpenter rates in these counties
The counties share DLI's rates, but not always the same federal wage determination. 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.
| County | Federal classification | Base + fringe | WD | vs DLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Earth County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260033 Mod 2 | same |
| Freeborn County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260050 Mod 2 | same |
| Meeker County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260073 Mod 2 | same |
| Mille Lacs County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260074 Mod 2 | same |
| Morrison County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260075 Mod 2 | same |
| Mower County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260076 Mod 2 | same |
| Rice County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260092 Mod 2 | same |
| Stearns County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260099 Mod 2 | same |
| Steele County | CARPENTER | $71.99 | MN20260100 Mod 2 | same |
Dated rates for this classification
DLI prints more than one dated line for CARPENTERS (704). The one in force on October 25, 2026 leads this page; scheduled lines take effect on their date.
| Effective | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2025 | $68.99 ($39.55 + $29.44) | Earlier |
| May 4, 2026 | $71.99 ($42.55 + $29.44) | In force |
When this rate changes
- Minnesota rates are set before bids and written into the contract, including their dated steps (Minn. Stat. 177.43, subd. 3–4). The schedule in your bid documents controls.
- DLI certifies rates at least once a year from a survey of the previous 12 months, and may certify changes at any time (Minn. R. 5200.1020, 5200.1120). Highway/heavy was certified November 3, 2025 and commercial December 22, 2025, with revisions through February 9, 2026.
How the Stearns County group 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 Minnesota
Wage and fringe, nearby
- Stearns County groupbase $42.55$71.99
- Meeker Countybase $42.55$71.99
- Benton Countybase $44.47$54.86
- Kandiyohi Countybase $39.14$67.12
Which county is in which carpenter group
Every Minnesota county with a carpenter rate. Counties DLI treats alike share one page; the rest have their own.
| Counties | Main classification | Total | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County group, 10 localities: Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Washington, Wright | CARPENTERS (704) | $81.40 | $51.56 |
| Sherburne County group, 2 localities: Pine, Sherburne | CARPENTERS (704) | $81.40 | $51.56 |
| Fillmore County group, 3 localities: Fillmore, Houston, Wabasha | CARPENTERS (704) | $74.21 | $46.81 |
| Olmsted County group, 3 localities: Dodge, Olmsted, Winona | CARPENTERS (704) | $74.21 | $46.81 |
| Goodhue County | CARPENTERS (704) | $74.21 | $46.81 |
| St. Louis County group, 4 localities: Carlton, Cook, Lake, St. Louis | CARPENTERS (704) | $73.03 | $44.29 |
| Stearns County group, 9 localities: Blue Earth, Freeborn, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Rice, Stearns, Steele | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.99 | $42.55 |
| Faribault County group, 2 localities: Faribault, Nicollet | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.99 | $42.55 |
| Le Sueur County | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.99 | $42.55 |
| McLeod County | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.99 | $42.55 |
| Sibley County | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.99 | $42.55 |
| Itasca County group, 3 localities: Aitkin, Itasca, Koochiching | CARPENTERS (704) | $71.18 | $42.61 |
| Kandiyohi County group, 13 localities: Brown, Chippewa, Douglas, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lyon, Martin, Pope, Renville, Rock, Stevens, Swift, Todd | CARPENTERS (704) | $67.12 | $39.14 |
| Redwood County group, 8 localities: Big Stone, Grant, Lincoln, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood, Traverse, Watonwan | CARPENTERS (704) | $67.12 | $39.14 |
| Lac qui Parle County | CARPENTERS (704) | $67.12 | $39.14 |
| Crow Wing County group, 8 localities: Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Marshall, Otter Tail, Red Lake | CARPENTERS (704) | $63.80 | $36.85 |
| Polk County group, 8 localities: Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Wadena, Wilkin | CARPENTERS (704) | $63.80 | $36.85 |
| Waseca County | CARPENTERS (704) | $61.94 | $40.97 |
| Cottonwood County | CARPENTERS (704) | $60.38 | $60.38 |
| Nobles County | CARPENTERS (704) | $60.38 | $34.19 |
| Kanabec County | CARPENTERS (704) | $59.30 | $48.50 |
| Benton County | CARPENTERS (704) | $54.86 | $44.47 |
| Becker County | CARPENTERS (704) | $45.78 | $42.07 |
| Beltrami County | CARPENTERS (704) | $43.45 | $35.85 |
| Roseau County | CARPENTERS (704) | $41.97 | $36.00 |
| Yellow Medicine County | CARPENTERS (704) | $37.36 | $33.00 |
12 groups of counties with identical DLI rates, and 14 counties with rates of their own.
More from DLI on this rate
- DLI's prevailing wage rates
- DLI lists journeyworker rates. Registered apprentices get their program's rate; "trainee" or "helper" titles are not substitutes (Minn. R. 5200.1070).
Every trade's rates, county by county: Blue Earth · Freeborn · Meeker · Mille Lacs · Morrison · Mower · Rice · Stearns · Steele
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your basic rate to what your employer pays into fringe plans for you, and compare it with the total. Contractors post the rates on site and give payroll copies to the contracting agency within 14 days of each pay period (Minn. Stat. 177.43). DLI Prevailing Wage: 651-284-5091.
Source
Department of Labor and Industry (DLI), DLI certifications of Nov 3 and Dec 22, 2025 (revised to Feb 9, 2026). For the row this page leads with:
- Blue Earth: DLI-C-07-2025-12-22, page 64
- Freeborn: DLI-C-24-2025-12-22, page 219
- Meeker: DLI-C-47-2025-12-22, page 427
- Mille Lacs: DLI-C-48-2025-12-22, page 436
- Morrison: DLI-C-49-2025-12-22, page 446
- Mower: DLI-C-50-2025-12-22, page 455
- Rice: DLI-C-66-2025-12-22, page 600
- Stearns: DLI-C-73-2025-12-22, page 665
- Steele: DLI-C-74-2025-12-22, page 675
We read DLI's consolidated commercial and highway/heavy PDFs line by line and check every number with a second, separate reader. Basic plus fringe equals DLI's printed total on every priced row. How we check · Download every Minnesota rate as CSV · Report an error