A reference on California construction wage & hour law.
A neutral guide to the statutes, wage orders, and decisions that govern construction pay — written for the litigators, contractors, and executives who rely on getting them exactly right.
One reference, built for how you use it.
Every track draws from the same cited source material — framed for the decisions you actually have to make.
For litigators & counsel
Start with coverage, the governing date, and the applicable exception. These sources identify the tests that shape a construction wage claim.
Sources for litigators →For contractors & builders
Follow the work from contract and crew classification through timekeeping, breaks, and payroll. Use the linked authorities to check the rule that applies to the project.
Compliance references →For executives & risk officers
Trace the exposure to the operational decision that creates it. These references connect project type, subcontracting, pay systems, and exceptions to the governing sources.
Risk references →Construction wage-and-hour issues, specifically.
The rules that govern a jobsite paycheck differ from the standard ones. Each topic states the rule and cites where it comes from.
Prevailing wage
Covered public works require prevailing wages, including applicable benefit components, based on the work performed and the project’s location.
Daily overtime
Covered nonexempt employees generally earn overtime after 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day.
Travel & commute time
Employer-mandated travel after the first required reporting location is compensable under Wage Order 16, subject to its applicable CBA provision.
Meal & rest breaks
Covered employees generally receive a 30-minute meal period on shifts over 5 hours and paid 10-minute rest periods for each 4 hours or major fraction.
Piece-rate pay
Employees paid by the unit must also receive separate compensation for rest and recovery periods and other nonproductive time.
Misclassification
Employee or independent-contractor status follows the applicable legal test; a 1099 or contract label does not establish the result.
Direct-contractor liability
A direct contractor can be responsible for a subcontractor’s covered labor debts on private works; the governing statute depends on the contract date.
CBA exemptions
A qualifying collective-bargaining agreement can alter overtime and construction meal-period rules, but each exemption has its own conditions.
Follow each topic to its governing sources, practical distinctions, and related references.