Home / North Carolina / Buncombe County / Plumber / Pipefitter
Buncombe County, NC · Plumber / Pipefitter
Plumber / Pipefitter prevailing wage in Buncombe County, North Carolina
$35.05an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum) · PLUMBER
$27.50 base wage + $7.55 fringe benefits
PLUMBER · SUNC2018-016
$18.02an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$18.02 base wage + $0.00 fringe benefits
PLUMBER · SUNC2016-022
Buncombe County uses the same plumber or pipefitter rates as 3 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On federally funded or assisted building construction in Buncombe County, a plumber or pipefitter working as plumber must be paid at least $35.05 an hour: a $27.50 base wage plus $7.55 in fringe benefits, under wage determination NC20260016 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $35.05 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination NC20260016, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUNC2018-016 (August 8, 2023). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
On federally funded or assisted residential construction in Buncombe County, a plumber or pipefitter must be paid at least $18.02 an hour: a $18.02 base wage plus $0.00 in fringe benefits, under wage determination NC20260113 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $18.02 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination NC20260113, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for residential construction; rate identifier SUNC2016-022 (February 22, 2019). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). North Carolina has no state prevailing wage law (DOL state table).
DOL lists 3 plumber or pipefitter rates for Buncombe County, from $18.02 to $47.44 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $27.50 + $7.55
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) | $27.50 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $7.55 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $35.05 |
Base wage and fringe benefits: $18.02 + $0.00
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) | $18.02 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $18.02 |
When does this rate change?
- 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 North Carolina change log lists what each one changed.
Every plumber or pipefitter rate in Buncombe County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- PIPEFITTERBuilding · PLUM0421-006$47.44
- PLUMBERBuilding · SUNC2018-016$35.05
- PLUMBERResidential · SUNC2016-022$18.02
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIPEFITTERBuildingPLUM0421-006 | $33.96 | $13.48 | $47.44 | NC20260016 Mod 1 |
| PLUMBERBuildingSUNC2018-016 | $27.50 | $7.55 | $35.05 | NC20260016 Mod 1 |
| PLUMBERResidentialSUNC2016-022 | $18.02 | $0.00 | $18.02 | NC20260113 Mod 1 |
How Buncombe County compares
The main plumber or pipefitter rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in North Carolina
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Buncombe Countybase $27.50$35.05
- Madison Countybase $27.50$35.05
- Henderson Countybase $27.50$35.05
- Yancey Countybase $17.51$19.84
Plumber / Pipefitter 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.
DOL's plumber or pipefitter rates for Buncombe County are the same as in 3 other counties: Haywood, Henderson, Madison.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Buncombe County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | PLUMBER | $27.50 | $35.05 | |
| Madison County | PLUMBER | $27.50 | $35.05 | same |
| Henderson County | PLUMBER | $27.50 | $35.05 | same |
| Haywood County | PLUMBER | $27.50 | $35.05 | same |
| Yancey County | PLUMBER, EXCLUDES HVAC UNIT INSTALLATION | $17.51 | $19.84 | −$15.21 |
| McDowell County | PLUMBER, EXCLUDES HVAC UNIT INSTALLATION | $17.51 | $19.84 | −$15.21 |
| Polk County | PLUMBER, EXCLUDES HVAC UNIT INSTALLATION | $17.51 | $19.84 | −$15.21 |
North Carolina plumber or pipefitter prevailing wage by county, with a map
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 NC20260016 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/NC20260016/1
We read every active North Carolina 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 Buncombe County as CSV · Report an error