Start with the project documents, not the newest rate book
Oregon BOLI publishes prevailing wage rate books and amendments on its official Prevailing Wage Rates page. The newest book is not automatically the right book for every active project. Public works specifications normally identify the applicable BOLI publication, and the governing date is tied to the project's procurement history. Check the bid documents or contract before choosing a rate.
Do not guess from today's date. A project awarded under an earlier publication may still use that publication. Amendments and corrected rates can also affect the answer. The public agency's specifications and BOLI guidance control.
The five facts needed before calculating
- Applicable rate-book publication. Record the publication date named in the project documents and check whether an amendment applies.
- Project location. Rates can vary by geographic area, county, group, or zone. Use the location where the work is performed.
- Work classification. Classification follows the work actually performed, not simply the employee's job title.
- Base and fringe rates. These are separate figures. Enter them separately because fringe is not multiplied by 1.5 for overtime.
- Required hourly premiums. Include applicable zone, shift, or hazard premium pay with the base before applying the overtime multiplier.
Step-by-step lookup
1. Identify the applicable publication
Open the bid advertisement, specifications, wage-rate attachment, or contract and find the BOLI rate publication it incorporates. If the documents are unclear or conflict, ask the contracting public agency or BOLI rather than choosing whichever publication produces the expected number.
2. Open the official BOLI rate page
Use BOLI's rate page, not an uploaded copy from a contractor or search result. BOLI generally publishes books on January 5, April 5, July 5, and October 5, with amendments or corrections as needed. The official page is the place to check the publication and amendment history.
3. Match the geographic area
Find the county, region, group, or zone covering the worksite. A worker's home address and the employer's office address do not choose the rate. The work location does.
4. Match the actual work
Select the classification based on tasks performed. A person can perform more than one classification during a week. If there is a dispute about scope, do not force the work into the closest-sounding title; consult BOLI's classification guidance or request a determination.
5. Copy every rate component
Record the base hourly rate, hourly fringe rate, and any zone, shift, hazard, or other required premium. Keep the source page and publication date with the payroll record. The PWR overtime calculator has separate fields for base, required hourly premium, and fringe.
Why base and fringe stay separate
For one classification, BOLI's overtime structure is:
Fringe is paid for all hours worked, including overtime hours, but it is excluded from the overtime-rate base. Combining base and fringe before multiplying by 1.5 overstates the result. Leaving an applicable hourly premium out of the base understates it.
Multiple classifications need a weighted method
If a worker performs multiple classifications at different base rates, the overtime premium is based on a weighted average of the applicable base rates. Straight-time earnings and fringe are still tracked by classification. The single-rate calculator cannot reliably model that week from one base/fringe pair.
Common lookup mistakes
- Using the newest book instead of the publication incorporated into the project.
- Choosing a classification from the job title rather than the work performed.
- Using the employer's location instead of the project location.
- Ignoring an amendment, correction, group, or zone note.
- Combining base and fringe into one rate before calculating overtime.
- Omitting required zone, shift, or hazard premium pay.
- Applying standard PWR overtime to an ORS 352.002 public-university contract or a controlling collective bargaining agreement.
When to stop and ask BOLI
Contact BOLI when the contract does not clearly identify a publication, the classification is disputed, work spans classifications or geographic zones, apprentice status is involved, federal Davis-Bacon and Oregon PWR requirements overlap, or a collective bargaining agreement may control. This guide helps locate inputs; it does not make those determinations.