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Wisconsin public works bidding requirements

Jurisdiction: State of Wisconsin
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Summary of record

Verified Jul 8, 2026
Competitive bidding threshold (public work)
More than $25,000
Governing statute
Wis. Stat. §62.15
Award standard
Lowest responsible bidder
Multiple-prime required?
No statewide mandate
Prevailing wage
Repealed (2017)
Addenda distribution
To all prospective bidders
Compare Wisconsin with every state

Competitive bidding threshold

Public construction over $25,000 must be competitively bid — for cities under Wis. Stat. §62.15 and for villages under §61.54.1

Award standard

Contracts go to the lowest responsible bidder.1

Multiple-prime contracts

Wisconsin 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

Wisconsin repealed its state prevailing-wage law — for local governments effective January 1, 2017 and for state building projects effective September 23, 2017 (2017 Act 59).2 Only federal Davis-Bacon rates apply, and only to federally funded work.

Document distribution & addenda

Wisconsin DOT §102.12(3) notifies all prospective bidders of changes by addendum or public notice, and announces any postponement of the bid time the same way.3

The Department may postpone the bid time for emergencies or unforeseen conditions, announced by addendum or public notice.

Record of change

2017 Law

Wisconsin repealed its prevailing-wage law in 2017 — local effective January 1, state effective September 23 (2017 Act 59). Public construction over $25,000 must still be competitively bid.

  1. Verified

    Added document-distribution source: Standard Specifications §102, §102.12(3).

  2. Verified

    Page created and verified against Wis. Stat. §62.15 and the DWD prevailing-wage repeal.

  3. Law

    State prevailing wage repealed for state building projects (2017 Act 59); local repeal took effect Jan 1, 2017.

Sources

  1. 1. Wisconsin Legislature — Wis. Stat. §62.15 (city public works). docs.legis.wisconsin.gov
  2. 2. WI Dept. of Workforce Development — Prevailing wage overview (repeal). dwd.wisconsin.gov
  3. 3. Wisconsin DOT (WisDOT) — Standard Specifications §102, §102.12(3). wisconsindot.gov

Frequently asked

What is the competitive bidding threshold for public works in Wisconsin?
More than $25,000 for public construction — cities under Wis. Stat. §62.15, villages under §61.54.
Does Wisconsin require prevailing wages on public works?
No. Wisconsin repealed its state prevailing-wage law in 2017; only federal Davis-Bacon applies, and only to federally funded work.
Does Wisconsin require multiple-prime contracts?
No. Wisconsin 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.