Does Colorado require prevailing wages on public works?

Yes, on state public projects of $500,000 or more; projects of $1 million or more also require apprenticeship utilization (C.R.S. §24-92-115).

How is public works construction procured in Colorado?

By competitive sealed bidding under C.R.S. Article 24-92; the formal-bid dollar limit is set by each public body.

Does Colorado require multiple-prime contracts?

No. Colorado has no statewide multiple-prime mandate, unlike New York (Wicks Law) or Pennsylvania (Separations Act).

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Colorado

Colorado public works bidding requirements

Jurisdiction: State of Colorado

View change history

Summary of record

Verified Jul 8, 2026

Competitive bidding threshold (public work): Competitive sealed bidding
Governing statute: C.R.S. Article 24-92
Award standard: Lowest responsible bidder
Multiple-prime required?: No statewide mandate
Prevailing wage: $500,000+ (state projects)
Addenda distribution: To all bidders

Compare Colorado with every state

Competitive bidding threshold

Public projects are competitively bid under C.R.S. Article 24-92 (Construction Bidding for Public Projects); the dollar trigger for formal bidding is set by each public body.¹

Confirm the specific public body's bid limit — Colorado sets the method by statute, but limits vary by agency.

Award standard

Contracts go to the lowest responsible bidder.

Multiple-prime contracts

Colorado has no statewide multiple-prime mandate. Unlike New York's Wicks Law or Pennsylvania's Separations Act, a single general contract is permitted.

Prevailing wage

Colorado requires prevailing wage on state public projects of $500,000 or more.² Public projects of $1 million or more also carry apprenticeship-utilization requirements under C.R.S. §24-92-115.

Document distribution & addenda

Colorado DOT §102.02 requires pre-bid revisions to be posted to all bidders through the Department's bid-opening web page, B2GNow, and the Electronic Bid System, and a bid is irregular if it fails to acknowledge every current revision.⁴

Record of change

Colorado applies prevailing wage to state public projects of $500,000 and up, and adds apprenticeship-utilization requirements at $1 million — a relatively recent expansion of public-project labor standards.

Verified
Jul 8, 2026

Added document-distribution source: Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction §102.02, §102.07.
Verified
Jul 7, 2026

Page created and verified against C.R.S. Article 24-92 and the CDLE prevailing-wage program.

Sources

1. Colorado Legislature — C.R.S. Title 24 (procurement; Article 24-92 public projects). law.justia.com
2. CO Dept. of Labor & Employment — Prevailing wages on public projects. cdle.colorado.gov
3. CO Office of the State Architect — Prevailing wage and apprenticeship. osa.colorado.gov
4. Colorado DOT (CDOT) — Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction §102.02, §102.07. www.codot.gov

Frequently asked

Does Colorado require prevailing wages on public works?: Yes, on state public projects of $500,000 or more; projects of $1 million or more also require apprenticeship utilization (C.R.S. §24-92-115).
How is public works construction procured in Colorado?: By competitive sealed bidding under C.R.S. Article 24-92; the formal-bid dollar limit is set by each public body.
Does Colorado require multiple-prime contracts?: No. Colorado has no statewide multiple-prime mandate, unlike New York (Wicks Law) or Pennsylvania (Separations Act).

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Not legal advice. This page summarizes public law from primary sources for reference. Thresholds can change; always confirm the current requirement with the governing agency before relying on it for a specific procurement.