Maryland Prevailing Wage

The short version

Maryland's Prevailing Wage Law is administered by the Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Prevailing Wage Unit. MD runs a full digital Prevailing Wage Portal where rates are searched, certified payroll is submitted, and contractors and subcontractors register before working on covered public works projects. The governing statute lives in the State Finance and Procurement Article (SFP).

MD's model sits closer to PA and NJ than to DE — rates are accessible digitally and payroll reporting is online — but with an additional distinctive requirement: contractor and subcontractor registration is mandatory before bidding or working on a covered project.

Where to get the rates, register, and file certified payroll

Primary source: Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Labor and Industry, Prevailing Wage Unit — the canonical hub is labor.maryland.gov/labor/prev.

From that hub, the working destinations you will need:

• Prevailing Wage Portal — the digital system for rates, classifications, and project management.
• Contractor/Subcontractor Registration — mandatory before bidding or working on a covered project. Register before anything else.
• Prevailing Wage Rates — search existing rates and determinations.
• Supplemental Rate Request Form — when a needed classification isn't already published.
• Submit a Certified Payroll Report — weekly certified payroll on covered projects.
• Prevailing Wage Complaint Form — for underpayment, misclassification, or non-compliance disputes.

The primary-source library

• Maryland Prevailing Wage Law — State Finance and Procurement Article (SFP), Title 17, Subtitle 2. The governing statute, linked from the Prevailing Wage Unit's "What is the Prevailing Wage Law?" explainer.
• Implementing regulations — Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) Title 09, Subtitle 12, Chapter 07 covers the Division of Labor and Industry's Prevailing Wage rules.
• Direct contact: dldliprevailingwage-labor@maryland.gov — the Prevailing Wage Unit's published mailbox. Use when a classification or coverage question needs a direct answer.

Which projects trigger Maryland prevailing wage?

MD prevailing wage applies to public works contracts above the statutory threshold defined in the State Finance and Procurement Article. Coverage includes state and certain political-subdivision construction, alteration, and repair work. The specific current threshold, the definition of "public work," and the covered-project scope should be verified directly against the current statute and COMAR regulations linked above. Thresholds have been amended; do not rely on a general summary for a specific bid.

The contractor/subcontractor registration requirement

Unique among the four states covered in our Delaware Valley navigator set, Maryland requires contractors and subcontractors to register with the Prevailing Wage Unit before bidding or working on a covered public works project. The registration is handled through the Prevailing Wage Portal. Out-of-state contractors landing their first MD public-works project routinely miss this step — do it first, not last.

How Maryland prevailing wage differs from federal Davis-Bacon

• Publication model. Davis-Bacon rates are published on sam.gov by county and construction type. MD rates are issued through the Prevailing Wage Portal with MD-specific classifications and the ability to request supplemental rates.
• Jurisdiction trigger. Davis-Bacon follows federal funding and federal thresholds. MD prevailing wage follows MD state (and certain local) funding and MD's own statutory threshold under SFP.
• Classification schema. MD uses its own craft classifications. Overlap with Davis-Bacon exists; it is not 1:1.
• Registration requirement. Davis-Bacon does not require a pre-bid contractor registration. MD does. Do not skip.

How Maryland differs from Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey

• Registration. MD's mandatory pre-bid contractor/subcontractor registration is more explicit than DE/PA/NJ's comparable requirements. Check MD's portal before touching a covered bid.
• Rate access. DE is per-project request only. PA has open search. NJ has a dedicated Wage Hub for reporting. MD has a unified Portal for rates + registration + payroll + complaints in one system.
• Statutory location. MD's Prevailing Wage Law lives in the State Finance and Procurement Article, distinct from DE/PA/NJ which keep their prevailing wage laws in labor-specific statutes.
• For a project straddling states, file with each jurisdiction separately. An MD Portal submission does not satisfy DE, PA, or NJ obligations, and vice versa.

See also: Delaware · Pennsylvania · New Jersey.

The practical workflow (MD)

1. Confirm the project triggers MD prevailing wage under the SFP Article threshold.
2. Register as a contractor or subcontractor through the Prevailing Wage Portal. Do this before bid.
3. Search rates on the Portal for the applicable classifications. If a needed classification isn't published, submit the Supplemental Rate Request Form.
4. Include the rates in bid documents / contract as applicable.
5. Pay the rates; file weekly certified payroll through the Portal.
6. Maintain records per the COMAR retention period.
7. If a dispute arises, file the Prevailing Wage Complaint Form from the hub.

When to get direct help

For classification ambiguity or coverage questions on a specific project, email dldliprevailingwage-labor@maryland.gov — the published mailbox for the Prevailing Wage Unit. Keep records of any written guidance you receive.

Why we built this

The Hive builds tools for working construction and engineering professionals across the Delaware Valley. Maryland's pre-bid registration requirement is the step most out-of-state contractors miss — and missing it on a Baltimore or Bel Air project can disqualify a bid entirely. This page makes the primary sources easier to find and the workflow easier to understand. It does not replace the Prevailing Wage Law, and it does not issue rates.

If something is missing that an MD public-works contractor would need, email us and we'll add it.