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Cowlitz County · Metal Fabricator (In Shop)

Metal Fabricator (In Shop) prevailing wage in Cowlitz County, Washington

$25.33an hour, base wage + fringe benefits · Fitter

$19.29 base wage + $6.04 fringe benefits

On Washington public works in Cowlitz County, an in-shop metal fabricator working as fitter must be paid at least $25.33 an hour in total: $19.29 in wages plus $6.04 in fringe benefits for health, pension, vacation, training and other plans. L&I's rate took effect March 3, 2013.

L&I published this rate on February 1, 2013 and it took effect March 3, 2013. L&I hasn't changed it since, so it is still current in period 2026-2. Checked against L&I's wage lookup on October 24, 2026.

L&I lists 3 commercial in-shop metal fabricator rates for Cowlitz County, from $25.33 to $25.33 an hour. See all of them.

Base wage and fringe benefits: $19.29 + $6.04

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)	$19.29
Health and welfare	$3.55
Pension	$1.74
Vacation and holiday	$0.75
Total straight-time hourly rate	$25.33

Set from: collective bargaining agreement, Agreement between Wayron, LLC. and International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, Local 104; The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Lodge 160, Local 1350 and The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council Number 5. (expired but still active in Cowlitz). 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).

Overtime

L&I overtime code 1B:

Overtime Calculations are based on the hourly rate actually paid to the worker. On public works projects, the hourly rate must be not less than the prevailing rate of wage minus the hourly rate of the cost of fringe benefits actually provided for the worker.

ALL HOURS WORKED IN EXCESS OF EIGHT (8) HOURS PER DAY OR FORTY (40) HOURS PER WEEK SHALL BE PAID AT ONE AND ONE-HALF TIMES THE HOURLY RATE OF WAGE.

All hours worked on Saturdays shall be paid at one and one-half times the hourly rate of wage. All hours worked on Sundays and holidays shall be paid at double the hourly rate of wage.

Washington has no single overtime rule for prevailing wage. Each rate carries its own L&I code, copied here as published.

Labor cost calculator: a crew's straight-time wage and fringe cost over the job dates.

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 February 1, 2013 and took effect March 3, 2013.

Every in-shop metal fabricator rate in Cowlitz County

As L&I lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.

Fitter$25.33
Machine Operator$25.33
Welder$25.33

Total hourly rate of each in-shop metal fabricator classification in Cowlitz County, highest first, split into base wage and fringe benefits.

Classification	Base wage	Fringe benefits	Total rate	Effective
Fitter	$19.29	$6.04	$25.33	Mar 3, 2013
Machine Operator	$19.29	$6.04	$25.33	Mar 3, 2013
Welder	$19.29	$6.04	$25.33	Mar 3, 2013

Davis-Bacon in-shop metal fabricator 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 in-shop metal fabricator 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 7S:

Paid Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday After Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, The Day After Christmas, And A Floating Holiday (9). If any of the listed holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the day observed by the Nation shall be considered a holiday and compensated accordingly.

How Cowlitz County compares

The main in-shop metal fabricator 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

Cowlitz $25.33322

$17.13Adams$43.03Clark

CowlitzNearby: Clark $43.03, Lewis $17.13, Wahkiakum $17.13Each column is a group of counties with about the same main rate; its height is how many. 6 counties pay more than Cowlitz, 0 the same, 32 less.

Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby

Cowlitz Countybase $19.29$25.33
Clark Countybase $33.19$43.03
Lewis Countybase $15.16$17.13
Wahkiakum Countybase $16.99$17.13

Metal Fabricator (In Shop) 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).

County	Classification	Base wage	Total rate	vs Cowlitz County
Clark County	Fitter	$33.19	$43.03	+$17.70
Thurston County	Fitter	$20.56	$27.10	+$1.77
Cowlitz County	Fitter	$19.29	$25.33
Lewis County	Fitter	$15.16	$17.13	−$8.20
Wahkiakum County	Fitter	$16.99	$17.13	−$8.20
Skamania County	Fitter	$16.99	$17.13	−$8.20
Pacific County	Fitter	$15.16	$17.13	−$8.20

Washington in-shop metal fabricator prevailing wage by county, with a map

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 $25.33. 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, Metal Fabrication (In Shop) (META), L&I wage record 138440, published February 1, 2013, effective March 3, 2013: 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