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Minnesota · Drywall Finisher · 6 counties
Drywall Finisher prevailing wage, St. Louis County group, Minnesota (6 counties)
DLI sets the same drywall finisher rates, row for row, in 6 counties: Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis. Every figure on this page applies in each of them.
$69.82an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · DRYWALL TAPER
$41.77 base wage + $28.05 fringe benefits
On Minnesota public works in each of these 6 counties, a drywall finisher working as drywall taper must be paid at least $69.82 an hour: a $41.77 base wage plus $28.05 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 benefits: $41.77 + $28.05
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) | $41.77 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $28.05 |
| Total hourly rate, as printed | $69.82 |
When does this rate change?
- 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.
Dated rates for this classification
DLI prints more than one dated line for DRYWALL TAPER (726). The one in force on October 25, 2026 leads this page; scheduled lines take effect on their date.
| Effective | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 22, 2025 | $66.82 ($38.77 + $28.05) | Earlier |
| May 4, 2026 | $69.82 ($41.77 + $28.05) | In force |
Davis-Bacon drywall finisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260035 Mod 2 | same |
| Cook County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260042 Mod 2 | same |
| Itasca County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260057 Mod 2 | same |
| Koochiching County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260062 Mod 2 | same |
| Lake County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260064 Mod 2 | same |
| St. Louis County | DRYWALL TAPER | $69.82 | MN20260098 Mod 2 | same |
How the St. Louis County group compares
The main drywall finisher 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
- St. Louis County groupbase $41.77$69.82
- Lake Countybase $41.77$69.82
- Itasca Countybase $41.77$69.82
- Aitkin Countybase $37.47$63.09
Which county is in which drywall finisher group
Every Minnesota county with a drywall finisher rate. Counties DLI treats alike share one page; the rest have their own.
| Counties | Main classification | Base wage | Total rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin County group, 10 localities: Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Scott, Washington, Wright | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $46.47 | $77.34 |
| Sherburne County group, 2 localities: Pine, Sherburne | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $46.47 | $77.34 |
| Kanabec County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $46.47 | $77.34 |
| McLeod County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $46.47 | $77.34 |
| St. Louis County group, 6 localities: Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, St. Louis | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $41.77 | $69.82 |
| Stearns County group, 11 localities: Aitkin, Benton, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Meeker, Morrison, Pope, Stearns, Stevens, Swift, Todd | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $37.47 | $63.09 |
| Big Stone County group, 3 localities: Big Stone, Chippewa, Mille Lacs | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $37.47 | $63.09 |
| Olmsted County group, 7 localities: Dodge, Fillmore, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Winona | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.94 | $61.43 |
| Wabasha County group, 2 localities: Houston, Wabasha | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.94 | $61.43 |
| Goodhue County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.94 | $61.43 |
| Redwood County group, 12 localities: Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Lincoln, Martin, Murray, Nicollet, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Watonwan | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.55 | $61.03 |
| Blue Earth County group, 5 localities: Blue Earth, Brown, Lyon, Nobles, Waseca | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.55 | $61.03 |
| Le Sueur County group, 2 localities: Lac qui Parle, Le Sueur | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.55 | $61.03 |
| Sibley County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.55 | $61.03 |
| Yellow Medicine County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $34.55 | $61.03 |
| Clay County group, 10 localities: Clay, Clearwater, Kittson, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Traverse, Wilkin | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $35.92 | $60.93 |
| Crow Wing County group, 9 localities: Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing, Grant, Hubbard, Otter Tail, Roseau, Wadena | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $35.92 | $60.93 |
| Polk County group, 2 localities: Polk, Red Lake | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $33.76 | $57.60 |
| Freeborn County | DRYWALL TAPER (726) | $33.00 | $42.88 |
13 groups of counties with identical DLI rates, and 6 counties with rates of their own.
Minnesota drywall finisher prevailing wage by county, with a map
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: Carlton · Cook · Itasca · Koochiching · Lake · St. Louis
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:
- Carlton: DLI-C-09-2025-12-22, page 83
- Cook: DLI-C-16-2025-12-22, page 147
- Itasca: DLI-C-31-2025-12-22, page 284
- Koochiching: DLI-C-36-2025-12-22, page 329
- Lake: DLI-C-38-2025-12-22, page 347
- St. Louis: DLI-C-69-2025-12-22, page 628
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