Determine whether the Davis-Bacon Act or the Service Contract Act governs prevailing wages on a public landscape contract
domain: dol.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Classify the work: DBA covers construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings/public works contracts over $2,000; SCA covers service contracts over $2,500 whose principal purpose is furnishing services.
Apply DBA when landscaping is performed as an integral, conditional part of a new construction contract (i.e., before the agency accepts the building/project).
Apply SCA when landscaping/grounds maintenance is performed after construction is complete and the agency has already accepted the site — routine maintenance is generally SCA-covered, not DBA-covered.
Pull the correct wage determination from SAM.gov for the applicable act and locality/classification before bidding.
Pay covered workers no less than the applicable prevailing wage plus required fringe benefits as listed on the wage determination.
Known gotchas
The same physical task (e.g., mulching, planting) can fall under either act depending solely on contract timing/purpose — a landscaping subcontract tied to new construction is DBA, while a standalone grounds-maintenance contract on an already-accepted facility is SCA; get this wrong and you'll pull the wrong wage determination.
Alterations/renovation work is DBA-covered construction even though it sounds like maintenance — only routine, preventative maintenance work is SCA-covered.
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