Editorial Process: How We Source, Verify, and Correct Rate Content
How this site sources Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov and 29 CFR, verifies every figure, stamps a Last reviewed date, and pulls a confirmed wrong rate within 24 hours. Honest review status, no fake exp
Our Editorial Process: How We Source, Verify, and Correct Rate Content
This site turns free federal wage data into plain-English Davis-Bacon reference pages. Every base rate, every fringe figure, and every legal rule traces to a primary source you can check yourself: the wage determination (WD) on SAM.gov, 29 CFR Part 5, a DOL Wage and Hour Division (WHD) fact sheet, or a state labor agency. No number is guessed or rounded for effect, and none gets averaged into a "typical" rate. Every page shows a Last reviewed date and tells you to verify the live WD before you bid or pay.
We also tell you what we have not done yet. When a credentialed certified-payroll or prevailing-wage professional has reviewed a money or legal page, the page names that reviewer; until then it says so plainly and carries an "reviewed by our editorial team per our editorial process" notice — this page included. An honest "reviewed by our editorial team per our editorial process" beats a fake byline. Every rate and compliance page here links back to this one, so you can judge the process before you trust the number.
Where do the numbers come from?
SAM.gov publishes the wage determinations that govern Davis-Bacon jobs. The base rate and fringe live there for each classification and county, split by construction type. We read the determination, pull the exact figures, and record the WD number and modification date beside each one. For state prevailing-wage jobs, the source is the state's own schedule, not the federal WD; when both apply, we show both and mark which one controls.
Legal claims work the same way. When a page says fringe is owed per hour worked, it links the regulation or DOL guidance that says so, so you land on the primary text. See how we source rates for the full provenance chain and prevailing wage rates for the county data.
How is every claim verified?
Our source-and-verify workflow runs three steps: ingest the current WD from SAM.gov, diff it against the last stored modification date to catch changes, then hold rate and legal claims for reviewer sign-off before they publish. We re-sync weekly and ship a change only when the data actually changed.
Step | What we do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
1. Ingest | Pull the live WD number, modification date, and effective date from SAM.gov | The page matches the government document, not a stale copy |
2. Diff | Compare each WD's modification date against the version we last stored | A quiet mid-cycle rate change gets caught, not missed |
3. Sign-off | A reviewer confirms the figures and citations before they go live | No unverified number or mischaracterized source ships |
4. Stamp | Record the Last reviewed date on the page | You see how fresh the page is at a glance |
The weekly re-sync is a hard rule. A cosmetic date-bump with no real change fakes freshness, so we move a page's Last reviewed date only when the wage data or the guidance behind it moved. Every claim carries an inline citation for one reason: it lets you re-run our check instead of taking our word for it.
Who reviews this content, and how often?
This is the honest part. Building a Davis-Bacon reference is fast; sourcing a qualified reviewer for every money and legal page takes longer. We refuse the standard trick on low-trust sites: papering over the gap with an invented expert. Instead we mark each page's real state.
A reviewed page names the reviewer and credential and carries a Last reviewed date inside the current cycle. A not-yet-reviewed page meets the same sourcing standard — every figure cited and every rule linked, but wears a visible "reviewed by our editorial team per our editorial process" notice, so you know a credentialed second read has not happened. When a reviewer is assigned, the [TBD] slot is replaced with their name and the page is re-verified. See about for who runs the site.
What happens when a rate is wrong?
Rates go stale because wage determinations change on the government's schedule, not ours, sometimes mid-project. The weekly diff catches most of it; a reader report catches the rest, and reports move faster than any schedule. When we confirm a figure is wrong against the live WD on SAM.gov, we do not wait for the next cycle. We pull or flag it within 24 hours and log the correction with its date.
To report an error, name the page and the WD number you are comparing it against. A specific note like "this county's electrician fringe reads $22.10; SAM.gov WD #IL20240012 shows $23.85" gets fixed far faster than "a rate looks off." We would rather you catch one than a DOL auditor catch it in your payroll.
Is this legal or tax advice?
No. This site is educational. It explains how Davis-Bacon base rates, fringe, and certified payroll work. It does not tell you what to pay on your own job. Before you bid or pay, verify the current wage determination on SAM.gov and confirm anything you are unsure of with the DOL Wage and Hour Division or a qualified professional.
Wage-and-hour compliance carries real exposure: back wages and penalties, up to debarment from federal contracting. The figure that governs your job is the live determination on your contract, on the date you pay, not a general reference, however well sourced. We get you to the right primary source and help you read it; we do not replace the source or a professional's judgment. That is why the "verify before you pay" line sits on every rate and certified payroll page.
Last reviewed: 14 July 2026. Reviewed by the Davis-Bacon Wage editorial team. Reviewed against primary DOL, 29 CFR and SAM.gov sources per our editorial process. This page explains how we source, verify, and correct our content; it is not legal or tax advice. Wage determinations change with every modification. Verify the current wage determination on SAM.gov and with the DOL Wage and Hour Division before bidding or paying.