Construction workers in California have additional wage protections beyond those available to other industries. Prevailing wage requirements on public works projects, craft-specific wage rates, and specific apprenticeship rules all affect what construction workers are owed.
Prevailing Wage Basics
California’s prevailing wage law (Labor Code § 1720 et seq.) requires that workers on public works projects be paid the prevailing wage rate — a rate set by the Director of Industrial Relations based on local union scale. These rates are significantly higher than the general minimum wage. Contractors who pay below prevailing wage on public projects are stealing wages — and face additional penalties under the prevailing wage law.
Prevailing wage claims can be filed with the Labor Commissioner. A construction worker who believes they were paid below prevailing wage on a public project can file a complaint with the DLSE. The Labor Commissioner has specific enforcement authority over prevailing wage violations. The California Wage Theft Recovery System includes a prevailing wage claim checklist.
The California Wage Theft Recovery System gives workers the exact tools and templates to document violations, calculate what they’re owed, and file the right claims — without paying an attorney to get started. Request your free evaluation here.
California Wage Theft Recovery System 
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