Public works bid cost: wages, apprentices, fringe and bonds in one number
Pick the WD rate, describe the crew and the contract, and get the minimum labor and bond cost to carry in your bid,
with every line shown.
Source: 29 CFR 5.5 Contract provisions and related matters. (eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10)
Starting values (Electrician, Travis County TX (TX20260271 mod 1)):
at least $69,330.60 in labor cost to carry, before a bond premium.
Every line is in the calculator and the worked example below.
How the number is built
- WagesStraight time up to 40 hours a week × base; hours over 40 × base × 1.5. Fringe and cash paid in lieu of fringe are never multiplied by 1.5.
- ApprenticesRegistered apprentices within the program ratio at their program rate; anyone over the ratio at the full journeyworker rate. Apprentice rules on public works.
- Fringe with annualizationEach hour carries the WD fringe. Your plan's credit is its annual cost ÷ all hours worked in the year; if the credit is lower, the difference is paid in cash. Fringe is never × 1.5.
- BurdenYour payroll taxes and insurance as a % of wages (optional).
- BondsOver $150,000, performance and payment bonds (and a bid guarantee of at least 20%, max $3 million); over $35,000, payment protection. Premium = your surety's rate × contract price, only when you enter it.
- Rounding, declaredEverything is counted in whole cents. Derived pay rates (apprentice %, overtime 1.5×) are rounded up to the cent, so they never fall below the minimum; the plan credit is rounded down, so it is never overstated; each line is hours × the rate shown, rounded half-up; the total is the sum of the lines. These are our conventions; the rules set none. Methodology.
“to work in excess of forty hours in such workweek unless such laborer or mechanic receives
compensation at a rate not less than one and one-half times the basic rate of pay for all hours
worked in excess of forty hours in such workweek.”
29 CFR 5.5 Contract provisions and related matters. · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“The act excludes amounts paid by a contractor or subcontractor for fringe benefits in the
computation of overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act,
the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act”
29 CFR 5.32 Overtime payments. · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“The allowable ratio of apprentices to journeyworkers on the job site in any craft classification
must not be greater than the ratio permitted to the contractor as to the entire work force under
the registered program”
29 CFR 5.5 Contract provisions and related matters. · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“any apprentice performing work on the job site in excess of the ratio permitted under this section
must be paid not less than the applicable wage rate on the wage determination for the work actually
performed.”
29 CFR 5.5 Contract provisions and related matters. · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“is allowed based on the effective rate of contributions or costs incurred for total hours worked
during the year (or a shorter time period)
by a laborer or mechanic.”
29 CFR 5.25 Rate of contribution or cost for fringe benefits. · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“requires performance and payment bonds for any construction contract exceeding $150,000”
FAR 28.102-1 General. (48 CFR) · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“for construction contracts greater than $35,000, but not greater than $150,000,
the contracting officer shall select two or more of the following payment protections”
FAR 28.102-1 General. (48 CFR) · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
“The bid guarantee amount shall be at least 20 percent of the bid price but shall not exceed $3
million.”
FAR 28.101-2 Solicitation provision or contract clause. (48 CFR) · eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
Worked example (the calculator's starting values) — Electrician, Travis County TX (TX20260271 mod 1)
| Journeyworker straight time: 960 h × $36.50 | $35,040.00 |
|---|---|
| Journeyworker overtime: 120 h × $54.75 (1.5 × $36.50) | $6,570.00 |
| Apprentice straight time: 480 h × $18.25 (50% of $36.50) | $8,760.00 |
| Apprentice overtime: 60 h × $27.38 (1.5 × $18.25, rounded up to the cent) | $1,642.80 |
| Fringe plan, all 1,620 h × $4.50 credit | $7,290.00 |
| Cash fringe, journeyworkers: 1,080 h × $6.19 ($10.69 − $4.50) | $6,685.20 |
| Cash fringe, apprentices: 540 h × $6.19 ($10.69 − $4.50) | $3,342.60 |
| Bond premium: not included — enter your surety's quote (premium estimator) | — |
| Minimum labor cost to carry, before bond premium | $69,330.60 |
4 journeyworkers and 2 apprentices at 50%, ratio 1:1, 45-hour weeks for 6 weeks;
plan cost $9,000.00 a year over 2,000 hours = credit $4.50/h (rounded down), below the WD fringe $10.69,
so the difference is paid in cash.
Bid $450,000.00: over $150,000, so performance and payment bonds are required and the bid guarantee (not a cost)
is at least $90,000.00.
No bond premium is added until you enter your surety's rate: we don't estimate it.
Related
Sources
- TX20260271 mod 1 on SAM.gov and the other WDs in the county list
- 29 CFR 5.5 and 29 CFR 5.25 — eCFR, current as of 2026-11-10
- FAR 28.101-2 and FAR 28.102-1 (48 CFR)