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Cowlitz County · Fence Builder
Fence Builder prevailing wage in Cowlitz County, Washington
$60.14an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · Fence Erector
$42.05 base wage + $18.09 fringe benefits
Cowlitz County uses the same fence builder rates as 4 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Washington public works in Cowlitz County, a fence builder working as fence erector must be paid at least $60.14 an hour in total: $42.05 in wages plus $18.09 in fringe benefits for health, pension, vacation, training and other plans. L&I's rate took effect September 2, 2026.
L&I published this rate on August 3, 2026 and it took effect September 2, 2026. Checked against L&I's wage lookup on October 24, 2026.
L&I lists 2 commercial fence builder rates for Cowlitz County, from $60.14 to $60.14 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $42.05 + $18.09
The wage is the taxable hourly rate. The other lines are what Washington law calls "usual benefits": contributions to health, pension, vacation and holiday, apprenticeship and similar plans. A contractor that doesn't provide a benefit pays its value as wages instead (RCW 39.12.010).
| Base wage (taxable) | $42.05 |
| Health and welfare | $8.80 |
| Pension | $6.80 |
| Vacation and holiday | $1.06 |
| Training | $1.10 |
| Other benefits | $0.33 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $60.14 |
Set from: collective bargaining agreement, 2024-2027 Laborers Heavy/Highway, Building and Utility Master Labor Agreement Covering SW Washington Between Oregon-Columbia Chapter The Associated General Contractors of America and The Washington & Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers. Where a county has a collective bargaining agreement, L&I adopts its wage and benefits; with more than one, the higher rate prevails. Otherwise L&I uses wage surveys (RCW 39.12.015).
When does this rate change?
- Rates lock at the bid date. A project uses “the rates that are in effect on the date when bids by prime contractors are due”, and they stay for the life of the contract. If the contract isn't awarded within six months of the bid date, the award-date rates apply. Contracts without bids use the date they're signed (WAC 296-127-011).
- L&I publishes on the first business day of February and August, and rates take effect 30 days later. Corrections can be published at any time and also take effect 30 days later (WAC 296-127-011(1); L&I publications and corrections). L&I's next set is due February 1, 2027, effective March 3, 2027.
- L&I doesn't republish every rate each period. A rate stays until L&I changes it, so each one has its own date. This one was published August 3, 2026 and took effect September 2, 2026.
Every fence builder rate in Cowlitz County
As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fence Erector | $42.05 | $18.09 | $60.14 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Fence Erector: Fence Laborer | $42.05 | $18.09 | $60.14 | Sep 2, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon fence builder rate in Cowlitz County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. 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.
We don't put a federal figure next to L&I's here, because the federal determinations split this trade into groups that don't line up with L&I's. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base wage | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highway | LABORER: ZONE 1: GROUP 2 BATCH WEIGHMAN; CRUSHER FEEDER; FENCE LABORER; FLAGMAN; PILOT CAR (CLALLAM, GRAYS HARBOR, JEFFERSON, KITSAP, LEWIS, MASON, PACIFIC …LABO0252-010 | $40.88 | $57.60 | WA20260001 Mod 4 |
| Highway | LABORER: GROUP 2 FENCE BUILDERS AND TRAFFIC FLAGGERS (CLARK, COWLITZ, KLICKITAT, PACIFIC (SOUTH OF A STRAIGHT LINE MADE BY EXTENDING THE NORTH BOUNDARY LINE OF …LABO0335-022 | $40.56 | $56.16 | WA20260001 Mod 4 |
| Heavy | LABORER: FENCE ERECTORSUWA2018-023 | $30.21 | $30.21 | WA20260123 Mod 1 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Washington Davis-Bacon changes
Holidays
L&I holiday code 6Z:
Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (7). Any holiday which falls on a Sunday shall be observed as a holiday on the following Monday. Any holiday which falls on a Saturday shall be observed as a holiday on the preceding Friday.
How Cowlitz County compares
The main fence builder rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Washington
Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Cowlitz Countybase $42.05$60.14
- Clark Countybase $42.05$60.14
- Lewis Countybase $42.89$60.82
- Wahkiakum Countybase $42.05$60.14
Fence Builder rates in nearby counties
Current L&I rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done. The statute defines “locality” as “the largest city in the county wherein the physical work is being performed”, and L&I publishes rates county by county (RCW 39.12.010).
L&I's fence builder rates for Cowlitz County are the same as in 4 other counties: Clark, Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Cowlitz County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | Fence Erector | $42.89 | $60.82 | +$0.68 |
| Thurston County | Fence Erector | $42.89 | $60.82 | +$0.68 |
| Pacific County | Fence Erector | $42.89 | $60.82 | +$0.68 |
| Cowlitz County | Fence Erector | $42.05 | $60.14 | |
| Clark County | Fence Erector | $42.05 | $60.14 | same |
| Wahkiakum County | Fence Erector | $42.05 | $60.14 | same |
| Skamania County | Fence Erector | $42.05 | $60.14 | same |
Washington fence builder prevailing wage by county, with a map
Notes on this rate
L&I's notes, in L&I's words. Some add premiums for hazardous work, special shifts or certifications.
- 9O Effective August 31, 2012 – A Traffic Control Supervisor shall be present on the project whenever flagging or spotting or other traffic control labor is being utilized. Flaggers and Spotters shall be posted where shown on approved Traffic Control Plans or where directed by the Engineer. All flaggers and spotters shall possess a current flagging card issued by the State of Washington, Oregon, Montana, or Idaho. This classification is only effective on or after August 31, 2012. Any laborer working in Live Sewers shall receive forty dollars ($40.00) per day in addition to regular pay.
More from L&I on this rate
- Scope of work, WAC 296-127-01328: which tasks this trade covers. L&I says the right classification “depends upon determinations published by L&I” (L&I).
- L&I's prevailing wage lookup, for any county, trade and bid date
- Apprentices: registered apprentices are paid L&I's apprentice rate for the trade. Anyone without a registered agreement counts as a journey-level worker (RCW 39.12.021).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $60.14. Each contractor files an L&I-approved Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages before it's paid, and an Affidavit of Wages Paid when the job is accepted (RCW 39.12.040). On contracts over $10,000 the approved intent and L&I's contact details are posted on the job site (RCW 39.12.020).
Source
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, prevailing wage lookup, Cowlitz County, Fence Erectors (FENC), L&I wage record 149952, published August 3, 2026, effective September 2, 2026: secure.lni.wa.gov/wagelookup/
Each figure comes from L&I's lookup and is checked against L&I's CSV export and a second, separate query. How we check · Download Cowlitz County as CSV · Report an error