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Colorado Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage Rules

Colorado is one of the states that layers its own prevailing wage law over federal Davis-Bacon. Here is what a contractor working there actually has to track.

✓ HAS ITS OWN PREVAILING WAGE LAW

Federal Davis-Bacon is not the only rule that applies here. Applies to state government contracts of $500,000 or more, and every subcontract awarded under them. That runs on top of, not instead of, the federal WH-347 whenever the project also has federal money in it.

Colorado at a glance

  • The Colorado Works Act (C.R.S. § 8-17-101 et seq., Senate Bill 19-085) reinstated state prevailing wage in 2019 after a multi-decade suspension.
  • Applies to state government contracts of $500,000 or more, and every subcontract awarded under them.
  • Certified payroll is filed weekly with the contracting public agency, listing each worker's name, classification, hours per day, total hours, wage rate, and fringe.
  • Enforced by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (CDLE).

Colorado CDLE: Prevailing Wages

What this means for your paperwork

Federal money on a Colorado job does not excuse the WH-347. It runs alongside whatever Colorado itself requires. Certified Payroll only handles the federal side: it checks the rate against the live SAM.gov wage determination and fills out the WH-347 with its Statement of Compliance. It does not file Colorado's own state form, so budget for that as a separate step if this project needs it.

Frequently asked

Does Colorado have its own prevailing wage law?+

Yes. The Colorado Works Act (C.R.S. § 8-17-101 et seq., Senate Bill 19-085) reinstated state prevailing wage in 2019 after a multi-decade suspension.

Does Certified Payroll file Colorado's state certified payroll form?+

No. Certified Payroll files the federal WH-347 under Davis-Bacon, not Colorado's own state form. The moment a Colorado project is also federally funded, it checks the rate and fills out the WH-347 automatically. The state form is still a separate filing.

This is a general informational summary, not legal advice, and covers state-level rules only. Verify current requirements with Colorado's labor department or a qualified compliance advisor before relying on it.

Certified Payroll checks every rate against the live wage determination as you enter hours, then generates the completed WH-347 with its Statement of Compliance.

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