What is the Davis-Bacon prevailing wage for a drywall finisher / taper in California?

There is no single figure. Active federal determinations for California publish 22 drywall finisher / taper classification rates ranging from $7.50 to $63.76 per hour before fringe benefits. The rate that applies depends on the county, the type of construction and the wage determination incorporated into the contract.

How many counties in California have a published drywall finisher / taper rate?

54 of the counties covered by active federal determinations list at least one drywall finisher / taper classification.

Do these rates apply to state-funded projects?

No. These are federal Davis-Bacon rates, which apply to federally funded or assisted construction. California may set its own prevailing wage rates for state and locally funded work; the state law summary is on the California prevailing wage page.

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Drywall Finisher / Taper prevailing wage rates in California

Federal Davis-Bacon rates published in 17 active determinations, 2026

Active federal Davis-Bacon determinations for California publish 22 drywall finisher / taper classification rates, across 17 determinations covering 54 counties.
Those published base rates run from $7.50 to $63.76 an hour before fringe benefits. Which one applies to a job depends on its county, its construction type and the determination written into the contract.
Construction types covered: Building, Heavy, Highway, Residential.
Last determination revision affecting drywall finisher / taper rates in California: 2026-09-03.

The official source: binding Davis-Bacon and Service Contract Act wage determinations are published by the U.S. Department of Labor at SAM.gov Wage Determinations. This site indexes them and links every determination to its official document - the determination incorporated into a contract governs.

This page collects every classification in California's active federal determinations that is a form of drywall finisher / taper work (taping, bedding and finishing gypsum board) and shows the rate published for it. Determinations name a classification the way the underlying union agreement or wage survey named it, so the wording varies between them; the rate and the fringe are reproduced exactly as published.

Published rates by determination

CA20260001 rev 3 · Building, Heavy, Highway, Residential · San Diego

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (1) BUILDING & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION	$43.59	24.80	PAIN0036-010 collectively bargained (union) rate
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (2) Residential Construction (Wood frame apartments, single family homes and multi-duplexes up to and including four stories)	$32.27	14.70	PAIN0036-010 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260001 on SAM.gov.

CA20260002 rev 4 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Imperial

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260002 on SAM.gov.

CA20260007 rev 5 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Alpine, Amador, Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn and 18 more

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (ALPINE, BUTTE, COLUSA, EL DORADO (WEST OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS), GLENN, LASSEN (WEST OF HWY. 395, EXCLUDING HONEY LAKE); MARIN, MODOC, NAPA, NEVADA (	$59.63	31.29	PAIN0016-005 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260007 on SAM.gov.

CA20260008 rev 1 · Residential · Butte

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL TAPER	$10.68	0.00	SUCA1988-001 DOL wage survey rate

Official document: CA20260008 on SAM.gov.

CA20260011 rev 1 · Residential · Kings

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL TAPER	$7.50	0.00	SUCA1982-003 DOL wage survey rate

Official document: CA20260011 on SAM.gov.

CA20260012 rev 5 · Building, Heavy, Highway · San Luis Obispo

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260012 on SAM.gov.

CA20260014 rev 6 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Santa Barbara

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260014 on SAM.gov.

CA20260015 rev 5 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Ventura

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260015 on SAM.gov.

CA20260016 rev 4 · Building · Tulare

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL TAPER	$13.08	0.00	SUCA1984-001 DOL wage survey rate

Official document: CA20260016 on SAM.gov.

CA20260017 rev 4 · Residential · Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo and 2 more

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER IMPERIAL, LOS ANGELES, ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, SAN BERNARDINO, SAN LUIS OBISPO, SANTA BARBARA AND VENTURA COUNTIES	$32.27	14.70	PAIN0036-011 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260017 on SAM.gov.

CA20260018 rev 7 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kings, Madera and 11 more

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER. (ALAMDEA, CONTRA COSTA, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN MATEO, & SANTA CLARA COUNTIES)	$63.76	32.69	PAIN0016-003 collectively bargained (union) rate
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER. (CALAVERAS, MARIPOSA, MERCED, MONTEREY, SAN BENITO, SAN JOAQUIN, SANTA CRUZ, STANISLAUS, & TUOLUMNE COUNTIES)	$59.63	31.29	PAIN0016-003 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260018 on SAM.gov.

CA20260019 rev 6 · Residential · Alameda, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Marin, Monterey, Napa and 12 more

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER: (AREA 1) AREA 1: ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, NAPA, SAN FRANCISCO, SAN SANTA CLARA, SOLANO AND SONOMA COUNTIES	$63.76	32.69	PAIN0016-011 collectively bargained (union) rate
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER: (AREA 2) AREA 2: EL DORADO COUNTY, MONTEREY, PLACER, SACRAMENTO, BENITO, SANTA CRUZ, SIERRA, SUTTER AND YUBA COUNTIES	$59.63	31.29	PAIN0016-011 collectively bargained (union) rate
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (EL DORADO AND PLACER COUNTIES) STEEPLEJACK-DRYWALL FINISHER OVER 40 FT WITH OPEN SPACE BELOW: $1.50 ADDITIONAL PER HOUR	$42.79	16.12	PAIN0567-011 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260019 on SAM.gov.

CA20260020 rev 5 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Inyo, Kern, Mono

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$45.20	26.82	PAIN0036-009 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260020 on SAM.gov.

CA20260022 rev 5 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Los Angeles

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (ANTELOPE VALLEY NORTH OF THE FOLLOWING BOUNDARY: KERN COUNTY LINE TO HWY. #5, SOUTH ON HWY. #5 TO HWY. N2, EAST ON N2 TO PALMDALE BLVD., TO HWY. #14, SOUTH	$45.20	26.82	PAIN0036-006 collectively bargained (union) rate
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER (REMAINDER OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY)	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-006 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260022 on SAM.gov.

CA20260024 rev 4 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Orange

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260024 on SAM.gov.

CA20260025 rev 4 · Building, Heavy, Highway · Riverside

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260025 on SAM.gov.

CA20260026 rev 4 · Building, Heavy, Highway · San Bernardino

Classification as published	Base rate	Fringes	Rate schedule
DRYWALL FINISHER/TAPER	$49.33	26.82	PAIN0036-008 collectively bargained (union) rate

Official document: CA20260026 on SAM.gov.

Where to go next

Drywall Finisher / Taper rates in every state · California prevailing wage and state law · California determinations by county · pay calculator

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