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Rhode Island carpenter prevailing wage, county by county
A carpenter's prevailing wage on Rhode Island public works is $78.38 an hour in every county that has one (5), for the main classification.
Main carpenter classification in each county (Carpenter: includes soft floor layer (work on free-standing stacks, concrete silos & public utility electrical power houses, which are over 35 ft. in height when constructed: $.50 per hour additional. work on exterior concrete shear wall gang forms, 45 ft. or more above ground elevation or on setback: $.50 per hour additional.)), Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. Rates are set at award, then adjusted every July 1 for the life of the contract (RIGL 37-13-8). Checked October 25, 2026.
How much does a carpenter make on prevailing wage in Rhode Island?
1 group of counties with identical rates and 1 with rates of their own, highest main rate first. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Providence County group4 counties · CARPENTER: INCLUDES SOFT FLOOR LAYER (WORK O$78.38
- Newport County1 county · CARPENTER: INCLUDES SOFT FLOOR LAYER (WORK O$78.38
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County group, 4 localities: Bristol, Kent, Providence, Washington | CARPENTER: INCLUDES SOFT FLOOR LAYER (WORK ON FREE-STANDING STACKS, CONCRETE SILOS & PUBLIC UTILITY ELECTRICAL POWER HOUSES, WHICH ARE OVER 35 FT. IN HEIGHT WHEN CONSTRUCTED: $.50 PER HOUR ADDITIONAL. WORK ON EXTERIOR CONCRETE SHEAR WALL GANG FORMS, 45 FT. OR MORE ABOVE GROUND ELEVATION OR ON SETBACK: $.50 PER HOUR ADDITIONAL.) | $78.38 | $47.88 |
| Newport County | CARPENTER: INCLUDES SOFT FLOOR LAYER (WORK ON FREE-STANDING STACKS, CONCRETE SILOS & PUBLIC UTILITY ELECTRICAL POWER HOUSES, WHICH ARE OVER 35 FT. IN HEIGHT WHEN CONSTRUCTED: $.50 PER HOUR ADDITIONAL. WORK ON EXTERIOR CONCRETE SHEAR WALL GANG FORMS, 45 FT. OR MORE ABOVE GROUND ELEVATION OR ON SETBACK: $.50 PER HOUR ADDITIONAL.) | $78.38 | $47.88 |
1 group of counties with identical DLT rates, and 1 county with rates of its own.
Davis-Bacon schedules list journeyworker rates only. Registered apprentices (RIGL 28-45) may be paid a percentage of the base rate per their apprenticeship agreement, but the fringe may not be reduced (DLT FAQ); unregistered or out-of-ratio apprentices get the full journeyworker rate (260-RICR-30-15-3.4(E)).
Questions about Rhode Island carpenter pay
What is the carpenter prevailing wage in Providence County?
$78.38 an hour: a $47.88 base wage plus $30.50 in fringe benefits, under Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. Overtime and every carpenter classification in Providence County.
Does carpenter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Providence County the $78.38 total is a $47.88 base wage plus $30.50 in fringe benefits, about 39% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does carpenter prevailing wage pay overtime in Rhode Island?
Over 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week is overtime, "calculated on the base rate only and then the fringe benefit rate is added" (DLT FAQ; RIGL 37-13-10). Rhode Island sets no Saturday, Sunday or holiday premium.
Do apprentice carpenters get this rate?
Davis-Bacon schedules list journeyworker rates only. Registered apprentices (RIGL 28-45) may be paid a percentage of the base rate per their apprenticeship agreement, but the fringe may not be reduced (DLT FAQ); unregistered or out-of-ratio apprentices get the full journeyworker rate (260-RICR-30-15-3.4(E)).
Why do some counties have the same carpenter rate?
DLT often publishes the same carpenter rates for several counties. Across Rhode Island, the 5 counties with a carpenter rate fall into 2 distinct sets of rates, and 1 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 4 counties (the Providence County group).