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Cowlitz County · Field Surveyor
Field Surveyor prevailing wage in Cowlitz County, Washington
$68.69an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person
$51.14 base wage + $17.55 fringe benefits
Cowlitz County uses the same field surveyor rates as 4 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Washington public works in Cowlitz County, a field surveyor working as construction site surveyor: chain person must be paid at least $68.69 an hour in total: $51.14 in wages plus $17.55 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 3 commercial field surveyor rates for Cowlitz County, from $68.69 to $77.63 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $51.14 + $17.55
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) | $51.14 |
| Health and welfare | $8.35 |
| Pension | $8.15 |
| Training | $1.05 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $68.69 |
Set from: collective bargaining agreement, Operating Engineers Master Labor Agreement between Oregon-Columbia Chapter Associated General Contractors of America Inc. and International Union of Operating Engineers Local #701. 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 field surveyor rate in Cowlitz County
As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
- Construction Site Surveyor: Party Chief$77.63
- Construction Site Surveyor: Instrument Person$71.91
- Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person$68.69
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person | $51.14 | $17.55 | $68.69 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Construction Site Surveyor: Instrument Person | $54.36 | $17.55 | $71.91 | Sep 2, 2026 |
| Construction Site Surveyor: Party Chief | $60.08 | $17.55 | $77.63 | Sep 2, 2026 |
Davis-Bacon field surveyor 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.
The federal determinations for Cowlitz County list no field surveyor classification.
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 7B:
Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day (8). 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 field surveyor 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 $51.14$68.69
- Clark Countybase $51.14$68.69
- Lewis Countybase $63.71$92.28
- Wahkiakum Countybase $51.14$68.69
Field Surveyor 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 field surveyor 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 | Construction Site Surveyor | $63.71 | $92.28 | +$23.59 |
| Thurston County | Construction Site Surveyor | $63.71 | $92.28 | +$23.59 |
| Pacific County | Construction Site Surveyor | $63.71 | $92.28 | +$23.59 |
| Cowlitz County | Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person | $51.14 | $68.69 | |
| Clark County | Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person | $51.14 | $68.69 | same |
| Wahkiakum County | Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person | $51.14 | $68.69 | same |
| Skamania County | Construction Site Surveyor: Chain Person | $51.14 | $68.69 | same |
Washington field surveyor 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.
- 9H One (1) person crew shall consist of a Party Chief. (Total Station or similar one (1) person survey system). Two (2) person survey party shall consist of a least a Party Chief and a Chain Person. Three (3) person survey party shall consist of at least a Party Chief, an Instrument Person, and a Chain Person
More from L&I on this rate
- Scope of work, WAC 296-127-01396: 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 $68.69. 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, Surveyors (SURV), L&I wage record 149920, 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