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Whatcom County · Metal Fabricator (In Shop)
Metal Fabricator (In Shop) prevailing wage in Whatcom County, Washington
$33.09an hour, base wage + fringe benefits
$23.50 base wage + $9.59 fringe benefits
On Washington public works in Whatcom County, an in-shop metal fabricator must be paid at least $33.09 an hour in total: $23.50 in wages plus $9.59 in fringe benefits for health, pension, vacation, training and other plans. L&I's rate took effect March 3, 2021.
L&I published this rate on February 1, 2021 and it took effect March 3, 2021. 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.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $23.50 + $9.59
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) | $23.50 |
| Health and welfare | $6.35 |
| Pension | $3.24 |
| Total straight-time hourly rate | $33.09 |
Set from: collective bargaining agreement, Agreement by and between Reinke Fabrication, Inc. and International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, Welders and Helpers of America, AFL-CIO, Local No. 104. (expired but still active in Whatcom). 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 February 1, 2021 and took effect March 3, 2021.
Davis-Bacon in-shop metal fabricator rate in Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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 15G:
Holidays: New Year's Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, The Friday After Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and the last working day before after Christmas day. If any of the listed holidays falls on a Sunday, the day observed by the Nation shall be considered a holiday and compensated accordingly. (9)
How Whatcom 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
Base wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Whatcom Countybase $23.50$33.09
- Skagit Countybase $15.16$17.13
- Snohomish Countybase $29.60$37.56
- San Juan Countybase $15.16$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 Whatcom County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snohomish County | Journey Level | $29.60 | $37.56 | +$4.47 |
| Whatcom County | Journey Level | $23.50 | $33.09 | |
| Skagit County | Fitter | $15.16 | $17.13 | −$15.96 |
| San Juan County | Fitter | $15.16 | $17.13 | −$15.96 |
| Island County | Fitter | $15.16 | $17.13 | −$15.96 |
| Chelan County | Fitter | $15.04 | $17.13 | −$15.96 |
| Okanogan County | Fitter | $12.76 | $17.13 | −$15.96 |
Washington in-shop metal fabricator prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from L&I on this rate
- Scope of work, WAC 296-127-01352: 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 $33.09. 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, Whatcom County, Metal Fabrication (In Shop) (META), L&I wage record 144557, published February 1, 2021, effective March 3, 2021: 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 Whatcom County as CSV · Report an error