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Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates in Buffalo County, Wisconsin
4 Davis-Bacon wage determinations cover Buffalo County for building, residential, highway and heavy construction, with 123 rates across 24 trades. Of each trade's main rate, insulator is the highest at $89.37 an hour and painter the lowest at $15.97, base plus fringe.
The Department of Labor modifies these determinations on SAM.gov in weekly batches through the year; the latest Wisconsin modification we hold is dated May 18, 2026. A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). Wisconsin repealed its local law from January 1, 2017 and its state law for projects bid after September 23, 2017 (2017 Act 59; WisDOT).
Buffalo County rates by trade, highest first
Each trade's main rate, highest first, split into the base wage and the fringe benefits DOL lists. All bars share one scale. The table below lists the same rates A to Z with classifications.
- Heat & Frost Insulator$89.37
- Ironworker$83.21
- Boilermaker$81.15
- Plumber / Pipefitter$76.92
- Carpenter$71.42
- Pile Driver$71.42
- Millwright$70.85
- Bricklayer$68.19
- Cement Mason$65.09
- Plasterer$64.85
- Telecom Technician$58.71
- Laborer$57.67
- Abatement Laborer$56.62
- Sheet Metal Worker$52.64
- Electrician$51.25
- Utility Lineman$40.74
- Landscape Laborer$40.46
- Operating Engineer$27.97
- Glazier$22.07
- Teamster (Truck Driver)$20.06
- Roofer$18.73
- Fence Builder$17.37
- Water Well Driller$16.52
- Painter$15.97
All trades and classifications, A to Z
One main rate per trade, with its classification and base wage. Open a trade for its other classifications, dated steps and DOL's notes. Click a column heading to sort.
| Trade | Main classification | Base + fringe | Base | Rates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asbestos & Lead Abatement Laborer · Grant County group | LABORER: ASBESTOS/HAZARDOUS MATERIAL REMOVER | $56.62 | $36.65 | 2 |
| Boilermaker · Walworth County group | BOILERMAKER (BOILERMAKER) | $81.15 | $46.52 | 2 |
| Bricklayer | BRICKLAYER (BARRON, BUFFALO, BURNETT, CHIPPEWA, DUNN, EAU CLAIRE, PEPIN, PIERCE, POLK, RUSK, ST. CROIX, SAWYER AND WASHBURN COUNTIES) | $68.19 | $39.50 | 2 |
| Carpenter | CARPENTER: INCLUDING ACOUSTICAL WORK & DRYWALL HANGING (DOOR, FLORENCE (EXCEPT AREA BORDERING MICHIGAN), KEWAUNEE, MARINETTE (EXCEPT N.E. CORNER), MENOMINEE, OCONTO, AND SHAWANO (WESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY) COUNTIES) | $71.42 | $41.43 | 4 |
| Cement Mason · Vernon County group | CEMENT MASON/CONCRETE FINISHER (BUFFALO, CRAWFORD, JACKSON, JUNEAU, MONROE, POLK, RICHLAND, TREMPEALEAU, AND VERNON COUNTIES) | $65.09 | $37.25 | 4 |
| Electrical Utility Lineman · Milwaukee County group | LINE CONSTRUCTION: (6) GROUNDSMAN | $40.74 | $26.14 | 12 |
| Electrician · Grant County group | ELECTRICIANS: TELEDATA SYSTEM INSTALLER/TECHNICIAN. LOW VOLTAGE CONSTRUCTION, INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND REMOVAL OF TELEDATA FACILITIES (VOICE, DATA, AND VIDEO) INCLUDING OUTSIDE PLANT, TELEPHONE AND DATA INSIDE WIRE, INTERCONNECT, TERMINAL EQUIPMENT, CENTRAL OFFICES, PABX, FIBER OPTIC CABLE AND EQUIPMENT, MICRO WAVES, V-SAT, BYPASS, CATV, WAN (WIDE AREA NETWORKS), LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORKS), AND ISDN (INTEGRATED SYSTEMS DIGITAL NETWORK) | $51.25 | $31.17 | 13 |
| Fence Builder · Walworth County group | FENCE INSTALLERS | $17.37 | $15.00 | 1 |
| Glazier · Walworth County group | GLAZIER | $22.07 | $20.21 | 1 |
| Insulator (Heat & Frost / Asbestos Worker) · Barron County group | ASBESTOS WORKERS/INSULATOR: INCLUDES THE APPLICATION OF ALL INSULATING MATERIALS; PROTECTIVE COATINGS, COVERINGS, AND FINISHES TO ALL TYPES OF MECHANICAL SYSTEMS. INCLUDES PREPARATION, WETTING, STRIPPING, REMOVAL, SCRAPPING, VACUUMING, BAGGING AND DISPOSING OF ALL INSULATION MATERIALS FROM MECHANICAL SYSTEMS WHETHER THEY CONTAIN ASBESTOS OR NOT (BARRON, BUFFALO, DUNN, PEPIN, AND POLK COUNTIES) | $89.37 | $55.34 | 1 |
| Ironworker · Barron County group | IRONWORKER (BARRON, BUFFALO, CLARK, DUNN, JACKSON, PEPIN, POLK, RUSK, TAYLOR AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES) | $83.21 | $46.35 | 7 |
| Laborer · Grant County group | LABORER, GENERAL (BUFFALO, CRAWFORD, GRANT, JACKSON, JUNEAU, MONROE, RICHLAND, TREMPEALEAU (SOUTHERN PART), AND VERNON COUNTIES) | $57.67 | $37.70 | 14 |
| Landscape & Irrigation Laborer · Walworth County group | LANDSCAPE LABORER | $40.46 | $21.52 | 1 |
| Millwright · Fond du Lac County group | MILLWRIGHT (ADAMS, ASHLAND, BARRON, BAYFIELD (EASTERN 2/3), BUFFALO, BURNETT, CLARK, COLUMBIA, CRAWFORD, DODGE, DOOR, DUNN, FLORENCE, FOND DU LAC, FOREST, GRANT, GREEN, GREEN LAKE, IOWA, IRON, JACKSON, JEFFERSON, JUNEAU, KEWAUNEE, LAFAYETTE, LANGLADE, LINCOLN, MANITOWOC, MARINETTE, MARQUETTE, MENOMINEE, MONROE, OCONTO, ONEIDA, PEPIN, POLK (E. OF HWY. 35, 48 & 65), PORTAGE, PRICE, RICHLAND, RUSK, SAUK, SAWYER, SHAWANO, TAYLOR, TREMPEALEAU, VERNON, VILAS, WALWORTH, WASHBURN, WAUPACA, WAUSHARA | $70.85 | $42.00 | 3 |
| Operating Engineer · Walworth County group | POWER EQUIPMENT OPERATOR (FRONT END LOADER) | $27.97 | $23.36 | 19 |
| Painter · Vernon County group | PAINTERS: SPRAY | $15.97 | $13.72 | 5 |
| Pile Driver | PILEDRIVERMAN (DOOR, FLORENCE (EXCEPT AREA BORDERING MICHIGAN), KEWAUNEE, MARINETTE (EXCEPT N.E. CORNER), MENOMINEE, OCONTO, AND SHAWANO (WESTERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY) COUNTIES) | $71.42 | $41.43 | 3 |
| Plasterer · Monroe County group | PLASTERER (BUFFALO, CRAWFORD, JACKSON, JUNEAU, MONROE, POLK, RICHLAND, TREMPEALEAU, AND VERNON COUNTIES) | $64.85 | $39.75 | 1 |
| Plumber / Pipefitter · Grant County group | PLUMBER/PIPEFITTER: INCLUDING HVAC WORK (BARRON, BUFFALO, CLARK, CRAWFORD, DUNN, FLORENCE, FOREST, GRANT, JACKSON, JUNEAU, LANGLADE, LINCOLN, MONROE, ONEIDA, PEPIN, PIERCE, POLK, PORTAGE, PRICE, RUSK, TAYLOR, TREMPEALEAU, VERNON, VILAS, AND WOOD COUNTIES) | $76.92 | $50.94 | 6 |
| Roofer · Walworth County group | ROOFER | $18.73 | $15.52 | 1 |
| Sheet Metal Worker · Dunn County group | SHEET METAL WORKER (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) | $52.64 | $31.97 | 3 |
| Teamster (Truck Driver) · Dunn County group | TRUCK DRIVER (3-AXLE) | $20.06 | $15.28 | 9 |
| Telecommunications Technician · Jefferson County group | SOUND & COMMUNICATIONS: TECHNICIAN (DODGE (AREA EAST OF HWY 26 INCLUDING CHESTER TWP BUT EXCLUDING EMMET TWP), FOND DU LAC (EXCEPT WAUPUN), AND MANITOWOC (SCHLESWIG) COUNTIES) | $58.71 | $37.13 | 8 |
| Water Well Driller · Milwaukee County group | WELL DRILLER | $16.52 | $16.52 | 1 |
Wage determinations for Buffalo County
The WD that applies depends on the kind of construction. Every rate on this page names its WD and modification.
| Construction | Wage determination | Modification | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | WI20260011 | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| Residential | WI20260022 | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| Highway | WI20260010 | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
| Heavy | WI20260015 Excluding Tunnel, Sewer, and Water Lines | 1 | May 18, 2026 |
Specialty WDs also cover Buffalo County for narrow kinds of work, and don't stand in for the rates above: WI20260008 (Tunnel, Sewer & Water Line Construction Projects).
Questions about Buffalo County rates
How much does an electrician make on prevailing wage in Buffalo County?
$51.25 an hour: a $31.17 base wage plus $20.08 in fringe benefits, for the main classification, under wage determination WI20260011, modification 1. Overtime and every electrician rate in Buffalo County.
What is the prevailing wage for a laborer in Buffalo County?
$57.67 an hour: a $37.70 base wage plus $19.97 in fringe benefits, for the main classification, under wage determination WI20260011, modification 1. Overtime and every laborer rate in Buffalo County.
Does the prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. The rate is a base wage plus fringe benefits, and the employer owes both for every hour. For insulator, the highest-paid trade in Buffalo County, the $89.37 total is a $55.34 base wage plus $34.03 in fringe benefits.
Which Davis-Bacon wage determination covers Buffalo County?
It depends on the kind of construction: WI20260011 (modification 1, May 18, 2026) for building construction, WI20260022 (modification 1, May 18, 2026) for residential construction, WI20260010 (modification 1, May 18, 2026) for highway construction and WI20260015 (modification 1, May 18, 2026) for heavy construction. Your contract names the one that applies.
Does Buffalo County share its rates with other counties?
For 21 of its 24 trades, yes: DOL sets the same rates, row for row, in other counties too. Electrician rates, for example, are the same in 9 counties (the Grant County group). The other 3 are Buffalo County's own.