Hawaii prevailing wage law
Whether Hawaii requires prevailing wages on public construction, from what contract size, who sets the rates, and what contractors file. Each fact links its official source and the date it was checked.
Prevailing wage in Hawaii at a glance
- State prevailing wage law
- In forceHaw. Rev. Stat. chapter 104
- Contract threshold
- Over $2,000
- Certified payroll
- Weekly
- Federal work
- Davis-Bacon, over $2,000
Hawaii prevailing wage rules
- The law
- Hawaii's Wages and Hours of Employees on Public Works law (HRS chapter 104) applies to every public works construction contract over $2,000.Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes § 104-2 (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated September 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Who it covers
- All State and county construction projects over $2,000, by any method of procurement or financing (DLIR); a governmental contracting agency includes any person or entity that directly or indirectly causes a public work to be built, and any public-private partnership (HRS 104-2(a)).Source: Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Prevailing Wages on Public Works (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Threshold
- Applies to every contract in excess of $2,000 for construction of a public work project; not to housing under section 46-15 or chapter 201H costing less than $500,000 when the bidder or developer is a private nonprofit corporation (HRS 104-2(a)).Source: Hawaii Revised Statutes § 104-2 (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated September 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Agency
- Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Wage Standards Division (opens in a new tab)Source: Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Prevailing Wages on Public Works (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Rates
- Rate determinations (opens in a new tab)The DLIR Wage Rate Schedule.Source: Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Prevailing Wages on Public Works (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Certified payroll
- A certified copy of all payrolls is submitted weekly to the contracting agency; the contractor submits its subcontractors' payrolls too (HRS 104-3(a); HAR 12-22-10).Filed with: the contracting agency.Source: Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Summary of Chapter 104, HRS (H104-3, rev. 05/24) (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Registration
- Not confirmed
- Apprentices
- Apprentices on a public work may not exceed the ratio allowed by the apprenticeship standards registered with or recognized by DLIR; apprentices must be registered with DLIR by name (HAR 12-22-6).Source: Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Summary of Chapter 104, HRS (H104-3, rev. 05/24) (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
Not confirmed: no official source settled it on the check date, so none is shown.
Federally funded work in Hawaii
On a project whose federal funding carries Davis-Bacon, the federal rules apply whatever the state law says. Whether Hawaii's own law applies as well is in its coverage above: some state laws leave federally funded projects out.
- Davis-Bacon
- Federal Davis-Bacon labor standards apply to contracts over $2,000 for the construction, alteration or repair of public buildings or public works, or of work financed with federal funds under a law that requires Davis-Bacon, one of the Related Acts (29 CFR 5.5(a)).Source: 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Certified payroll
- On Davis-Bacon work, each contractor and subcontractor submits certified payrolls weekly, for each week of covered work; the prime contractor is responsible for its subcontractors' payrolls (29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)).Source: 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
More for Hawaii contractors
WORKLIO HCM
Prevailing wage and certified payroll in Worklio HCM
Set up prevailing wage rates by project, location and classification: your team assigns each worker's classification and apprentice step, and payroll applies the rates. Fringe benefits are calculated as cash or plan contributions, union dues and benefit packages are deducted with remittance reports by local, apprentices are paid at progressive rates by level, and WH-347 certified payroll reports carry job costing segments. Workers' comp class codes are set per job and employee. Union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll is available as an add-on to any plan.
See the union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll add-on
Prevailing wage in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
The statute, agency page or federal rule behind each fact, as checked.
- Hawaii Revised Statutes § 104-2 (opens in a new tab), read from an archived copy dated September 23, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Prevailing Wages on Public Works (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Hawaii DLIR Wage Standards Division, Summary of Chapter 104, HRS (H104-3, rev. 05/24) (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your advisor. You remain responsible for paying the required rates and filing on time.