Every Service Contract Act contract over $2,500 must contain a wage determination (29 CFR 4.4(a)(1)). When you scope a market, or want to start pricing before the solicitation is out, you need to find that WD yourself. A search by county often returns more than one, and picking the wrong one can put every labor rate in your bid off.
This guide covers where to look, why a county shows several WDs, and how to confirm the one your bid must use.
1. The WD in the solicitation is the one that counts
The contracting agency, not the bidder, gets the WD. It must do so before it issues an invitation for bids or a request for proposals, starts negotiations, or exercises an option (29 CFR 4.4(a)(1)). It can request one from DOL's Wage and Hour Division through the e98 process or select one itself, and it stays responsible for the choice (29 CFR 4.4(a)(2)). DOL puts it plainly: the wage rates and fringe benefits required are the ones in the WD included in the contract.
So the search below is for scoping and for checking. When the solicitation is out, price from the WD number and revision it names. If the e98 system picks up a revision in time to affect the procurement, the agency gets an amended response (29 CFR 4.4(b)(1)), so watch for amendments that swap in a new revision. More on late revisions and disputes in how to read an SCA wage determination.
2. Search by state and county
DOL publishes SCA wage determinations on SAM.gov. Choose the Service Contract Act WDs, filter by state and county, and limit the results to active WDs. Open a WD to see its latest revision and full text.
Our free WD lookup runs the same search: pick a state and county and it lists the active WDs for that county, standard ones first, with every occupation rate, H&W, vacation and holidays in one table.
3. Why one county shows several WDs
On November 10, 2026, a search for active SCA WDs in Harris County, Texas returned five:
| WD | Type | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-5233 rev 35 | Standard | Area WD for nine counties around Houston, with the full occupation list |
| 1977-0193 rev 108 | Non-standard | Mail hauling, with the Houston area as one of many localities |
| 2002-0261 rev 53 | Non-standard | Diving services, 31 Texas counties |
| 1977-1427 rev 77 | Non-standard | Forestry, land management, cleaning of public use areas and timber inventory |
| 1996-0223 rev 70 | Non-standard | Oil spill, hazardous waste and related cleanup, across most states |
A standard WD is the general area WD with the full occupation list. A non-standard WD is issued for a specific type of contract, and each one says on its first page what it is for. Janitorial, guard or facility work at a federal building in Houston would normally fall under the standard WD. The solicitation still decides.
4. Locality follows the work, not your office
A WD applies to a locality, which is usually a county or a cluster of counties that make up a metropolitan area. It can also be a city, a state or, rarely, a region (29 CFR 4.54(a)). Search by the county where the work will be done, not where your company is based, and check that county in the WD's Area line.
Some contracts are performed at the contractor's own site, so the place is not known when the solicitation goes out. In that case the agency gets a WD for each location the bidders name, and the WD in the resulting contract applies to all the work, even if the contractor moves later (29 CFR 4.4(a)(3)(i) and 4.54(b)).
5. Check the revision and the date
Every WD has a number and a revision number, and the header shows the date of last revision. SAM.gov shows the latest revision, which may be newer than the one in your solicitation. Price from the solicitation's revision, and note the newer one: the agency must obtain a WD again before it exercises an option (29 CFR 4.4(a)(1)(iv)), and the new rates are what FAR 52.222-43 lets you recover after award.
6. When the incumbent has a union contract
If the incumbent pays under a collective bargaining agreement, the agency references the CBA on its e98, and DOL issues a WD based on the CBA (29 CFR 4.4(b)(5)). That WD can be far from the area rates. See SCA successor contractors and CBA wages.
Worked example: checking a Houston janitorial solicitation
The solicitation names WD 2015-5233 rev 35 and the place of performance is in Harris County. Before pricing, check each line:
| Check | Where on the WD | This example |
|---|---|---|
| Number and revision match the solicitation | Header | 2015-5233, rev 35 |
| Date of last revision | Header | 8/22/2026 |
| Your county is in the area | Area line | Harris, one of nine counties |
| Rate for each class you staff | Occupation table | Janitor (11150), $14.74 |
| H&W, standard and EO 13706 | Fringe benefits | $5.92 and $5.42 an hour |
| Vacation | Fringe benefits | 2 weeks after 1 year, 3 after 5, 4 after 15 |
| Holidays | Fringe benefits | 11 named holidays |
The H&W on this revision matches the 2026 rates effective August 10, 2026. Details, including Hawaii, are in SCA health and welfare rates for 2026. With these lines confirmed, you can build the burdened rate.
Look up your county now
Pick a state and county to see the active WDs and every occupation rate, H&W, vacation and holidays.
Open the free WD lookupFrom the WD to a bid price.
SCA Bid Pricing Pro takes the rates from your WD and builds burdened labor rates, a base + 4 option-year price, and your FAR 52.222-43 adjustment after award.
Related guides
Sources
- SAM.gov: Wage Determination 2015-5233, revision 35
- SAM.gov: Service Contract Act wage determination search
- eCFR: 29 CFR part 4, sections 4.4 and 4.54
- DOL Wage and Hour Division: Service Contract Act FAQ
Last reviewed: November 2026. This guide is a pricing aid and general information, not legal advice.