BRIEF.
| Special Edition · PA Act 101 |
| Special Edition · One Topic |
Pennsylvania’s Prevailing Wage Act has always covered labor on the job site. Starting December 21, it also covers custom work built in a shop for a public project, ductwork included. That’s Act 101 of 2026, signed October 22.
A lot of the contractors we talk to are just now hearing about it, so it’s our primary focus this month.
| The Local Desk |
Jul 8, 2025 Introduced in the Senate | Jun 10, 2026 Passes Senate, 37–13 | Oct 22, 2026 House 128–75; signed as Act 101 | Dec 21, 2026 Takes effect |
Passed with support from both parties Office of Sen. Tartaglione · October 22 Senate Bill 908 was sponsored by Sens. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) and Frank Farry (R-Bucks). The sponsors’ point: a lot of the plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and iron work on a public job is now built in a shop first, and the 1961 law didn’t reach it. Read more → |
New York tried something similar; a federal court put it on hold Bond, Schoeneck & King · June 15 New York’s version, which also covers HVAC duct, was due to start in June. Contractor groups sued, and the state agreed to hold it off until the court rules. No lawsuit against Pennsylvania’s law had been reported as of November 7. Read more → |
| ★ Special Focus · Act 101 of 2026 |
Dec 21 Takes effect | $25,000+ Public projects it applies to | No change For entirely private work |
| For you | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Price | Shop labor on custom duct for a public job gets priced at the project’s prevailing wage, not the shop’s normal rate. Fabricated duct on public work will likely cost more than the same duct on a private job. |
| Bidding | Your fabricator needs to know a job is public before pricing it. Plan to share the project’s wage rates with your duct quote request. |
| Paperwork | Fabricators on public jobs will need to provide certified payroll, the same as other subs on the project. |
| Jobs already running | Still unsettled. The law doesn’t say how it treats public work already under contract on December 21. If that affects you, it’s worth looking into further. |
The Department of Labor & Industry confirms the December 21 start date and says more guidance is coming. Until then, some of the details are still open. We’ll pass along what we learn.
Sources: SB 908 (PA General Assembly) · PA Dept. of Labor & Industry, Prevailing Wage
to Check.
1. Who is the customer? School districts, townships, authorities, and other public owners are the obvious ones. A private job with public money in it can count too, so ask before anyone prices it. |
2. Is the higher fab cost in your number? If your estimate carries duct at last year’s private-work pricing, it may come in short on a public job bid after December 21. Get your fab quote with the job’s wage rates in hand. |
3. Does the job cross December 21? Nobody can answer this one yet. If you’re carrying public work into the new year, it’s worth looking into further. |
Where we are: we’re working through the new requirements and watching for the state’s guidance. If you have questions on a public job, give us a call. Better. Metal. Faster.
| Numbers to Watch |
Hot-Rolled Coil $1,280/ton Nucor spot, Nov. 2. Up $10 on the week; up from $1,145 when we last wrote in August. | Diesel, Central Atlantic $6.49/gal Week of Nov. 2. Down a penny on the week, up $2.58 from a year ago. | Contractor Backlog 8.7 mo ABC, September survey. Data center contractors at 11.3 months, about three more than everyone else. |
Sources: Steel Market Update, Nov. 2 · EIA weekly diesel by region · ABC, Oct. 13, via Construction Business Owner
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