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Rhode Island painter prevailing wage, county by county
A painter's prevailing wage on Rhode Island public works is $66.17 an hour in every county that has one (5), for the main classification.
Main painter classification in each county (Painter (brush and roller)), 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 painter 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 · PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER)$66.17
- Newport County1 county · PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER)$66.17
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County group, 4 localities: Bristol, Kent, Providence, Washington | PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER) | $66.17 | $39.57 |
| Newport County | PAINTER (BRUSH AND ROLLER) | $66.17 | $39.57 |
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 painter pay
What is the painter prevailing wage in Providence County?
$66.17 an hour: a $39.57 base wage plus $26.60 in fringe benefits, under Davis-Bacon RI20260001 Mod 5 (Oct 1, 2026) and related decisions. Overtime and every painter classification in Providence County.
Does painter prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Providence County the $66.17 total is a $39.57 base wage plus $26.60 in fringe benefits, about 40% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Does painter 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 painters 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 painter rate?
DLT often publishes the same painter rates for several counties. Across Rhode Island, the 5 counties with a painter 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).