Nevada Labor & Prevailing Wage
Public-works jobs carry prevailing-wage duties, and worker classification is scrutinized on every project. This chapter covers Nevada prevailing wage and the employee-versus-contractor test.
Prevailing wage on public works
On qualifying Nevada public-works projects, contractors must pay no less than the applicable prevailing wage. Under NRS Chapter 338, the Nevada Labor Commissioner determines and publishes those rates, and contractors on those jobs must pay at least the published rates and keep certified payroll records.
Employee versus independent contractor
The right to control the manner and means of the work - schedule, tools, and methods - makes a worker an employee under the IRS common-law test, regardless of a 1099. A framer paid hourly, told when to report, and given the contractor's tools is an employee, and misclassifying them exposes the contractor to back payroll taxes and penalties.
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State-specific details
State exam facts
- State regulator
- Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB)
- Prelicensing education
- Four years of relevant experience within the last fifteen years
- Passing score
- 75%
- Scored questions
- 60
- Time limit
- 120 minutes
Does Nevada require a state contractor license?
Yes. The Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) licenses contractors under NRS/NAC Chapter 624, using Class A (Engineering), Class B (Building), and Class C (specialty). The Board sets a monetary limit on each license, and the financial statement an applicant files depends on the limit sought (NAC 624.593): for $1,000,000 or more it must be reviewed or audited by a CPA.
What is on the Nevada Contractor Management Survey (CMS) exam?
The CMS Business & Law exam has 60 scored questions plus 3 unscored, runs 120 minutes plus 6 for the unscored questions, and requires 45 correct (75%) to pass. It is open book, and the only reference allowed is the Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada. Applicants must show four years of relevant experience within the last fifteen years. A separate trade exam for the license classification is also required.
How does Nevada protect residential customers?
Nevada maintains a Residential Recovery Fund, and under NRS 108.245 a Notice of Right to Lien may be given at any time after first furnishing, but the lien then reaches only the 31 days before the notice and what follows. Nevada has no personal or corporate income tax but does impose the Modified Business Tax.
Sources: https://www.nvcontractorsboard.com, https://test-takers.psiexams.com/api/content/bulletin/296
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