Under Labor Code §1771.5, a public agency may exempt a public works project from prevailing wage requirements only if the project does not exceed:
Explanation
Labor Code §1771.5(a) lets an awarding body skip prevailing wage only if the Director has approved it to run a labor compliance program, and then only on construction of $25,000 or less, or alteration, demolition, repair or maintenance of $15,000 or less. The $1,000 line is §1771's general floor: below it no prevailing wage is owed at all, so it is not an exemption the agency elects. The $50,000 and $100,000 figures appear nowhere in the statute, and small-business status waives nothing.
Law Reference: Labor Code §1771.5(a); §1771This topic, taught in full in the CSLB Law & Business guide. CSLB Law & Business — Complete Study Guide (2026) — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
Practice all 1632 questions free — no signup required.
Own the complete CSLB Law & Business guide — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 →
Related questions on this topic
- A contractor on a covered public works project must contract with an approved apprenticeship program by submitting which form to the program before starting work?
- If no apprenticeship program in the craft and county dispatches apprentices when requested by a public works contractor, the contractor must:
- Certified payroll records on a public works project must be retained by the contractor for at least how long?
- California's general prevailing wage requirement applies to public works projects exceeding what threshold?
- Under Labor Code §1775, what is the maximum statutory penalty per worker per day for a contractor's willful underpayment of prevailing wages on a public works project?
- On a California public works contract, after the awarding body accepts the work as complete, retention proceeds must generally be released to the prime contractor within:
Last reviewed: · editorial process