Prevailing wage in North Carolina

Who and what this applies to

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Community Development Block Grant–Infrastructure (CDBG-I) construction program, as described in its January 2025 implementation manual. These are program requirements, not a claim about every North Carolina public contract.

Thresholds and scope

The manual applies these labor standards to CDBG-funded construction, rehabilitation, installation and repair contracts exceeding $2,000. It describes an exception for residential rehabilitation under one ownership containing fewer than eight units when completed.

The rules

• Covered contractors must pay laborers and mechanics at least the applicable U.S. Department of Labor prevailing wage and fringe-benefit rates for the project type and location and submit weekly certified payrolls. Source
• The manual excludes grantee force-account employees and professional services from these construction labor provisions; it also identifies an exclusion for utility employees who only extend service to the property. Source

Deadlines

Submit certified payrolls weekly for covered work under the program manual.

Primary sources

• NC DEQ, CDBG-I Program Implementation Manual, January 2025, Chapter 7, pp. 81–82

Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. This guide covers the projects and rules stated above.

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