U.S. Department of Labor Launches Construction Wage Survey in Southeast Texas – Industry Participation Critical by August 29
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is calling on employers and stakeholders throughout Southeast Texas’ building and heavy construction sectors to participate in a vital wage survey that will directly influence how prevailing wages are determined for federal and federally assisted projects in the region.
This initiative, administered by the DOL’s Wage and Hour Division, is designed to collect accurate, up-to-date wage and fringe benefit data from projects that took place between May 5, 2024, and August 5, 2025, in 35 Southeast Texas counties. These include:
Austin, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Chambers, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Matagorda, Milam, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Polk, Robertson, San Jacinto, Trinity, Tyler, Waller, Washington, and Wharton.
Employers who have completed building or heavy construction projects—whether or not the project was federally funded—are strongly encouraged to participate. The data collected from this survey will be used to determine prevailing wage rates and fringe benefits under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA), which apply to many publicly funded construction projects.
Why This Matters
Participating in the survey ensures that the wage data used to set federal project rates accurately reflect real-world pay practices in Southeast Texas. These prevailing wage rates directly impact:
- Contractor competitiveness on federal bids
- Compliance with labor standards
- Worker pay equity across public works
- Reduced administrative burden on contractors by minimizing requests for additional labor classifications
The results of this survey help protect workers, level the playing field for contractors, and improve efficiency in labor classification processes.
According to the Department of Labor, collecting this data is essential not only to establish fair wages, but also to minimize misclassification and the need for future wage determinations on a project-by-project basis. When contractors fail to report, it may result in outdated or incomplete wage determinations that can impact bidding, compliance, and project delivery timelines.
How to Participate
To be included in this survey, employers must complete the WD-10 data collection form online by August 29, 2025.
Online completion is strongly encouraged for ease and accuracy.
Complete the survey here:
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction/surveys/wd10
If completing the survey by mail is preferred, participants must first call the Wage and Hour Division at (202) 343-2005 to request a hard copy of the form.
Who Should Respond?
Contractors, subcontractors, general contractors, and other employers who performed building or heavy construction work in the designated counties during the survey period are eligible and encouraged to respond.
Participation is not limited to companies that worked on federally funded projects—all relevant wage data is helpful in painting a complete and representative picture of compensation practices in the region.
For more information or questions about the survey, visit the DOL website or contact the Wage and Hour Division directly.