Oregon

Oregon has no threshold for the payment of prevailing wage, but major renovations are only considered public works if over $50,000. Further, any project that uses $750,000 of public funds is a public work regardless of the contracting entity. Oregon passed its prevailing wage rate (PWR) law, sometimes referred to as the “Little Davis-Bacon Act,” in 1959. As the nickname implies, the Act is modeled after the federal “Davis-Bacon” prevailing wage laws. Today, Oregon continues to update and refine its PWR law to reflect changes in the industry and to make it more like its federal counterpart.

Compliance Tips:

  • Contractors and subcontractors must file a $30,000 public works bond with the Construction Contractors Board (CCB) before beginning work on a public works project. The public works bond must provide that the contractor or subcontractor will pay claims ordered by the bureau to workers on public works projects.
  • Before allowing a subcontractor to start work on a public works project, the contractor must ensure the subcontractor has filed a public works bond with the CCB. This information can be found on CCB’s website at www.oregon.gov/ccb (under the Contractor License Search section).
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Helpful Forms
Helpful Forms