29 C.F.R. § 5.1
§ 5.1 Purpose and scope. (29 CFR Part 5)
Operative Text
(a) The regulations contained in this part are promulgated under the authority conferred upon the Secretary of Labor by Reorganization Plan No. 14 of 1950 (64 Stat. 1267, as amended, 5 U.S.C. appendix) and the Copeland Act (48 Stat. 948; 18 U.S.C. 874; 40 U.S.C. 3145) in order to coordinate the administration and enforcement of labor standards provisions contained in the Davis-Bacon Act (46 Stat. 1494, as amended; 40 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.) and its related statutes (“Related Acts”). (1) A listing of laws requiring Davis-Bacon labor standards provisions can be found at www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts or its successor website. (2) [Reserved] (b) Part 1 of this subtitle contains the Department's procedural rules governing requests for wage determinations and the issuance and use of such wage determinations under the Davis-Bacon Act and its Related Acts.
Section 5.1 of 29 CFR Part 5 establishes the legal foundation and scope for federal labor standards rules that govern construction and service contracts receiving federal funding. The authority for these regulations flows from Reorganization Plan No. 14 of 1950, the Copeland Act, and the Davis-Bacon Act, which together require that workers on covered projects be paid prevailing wages. A companion set of procedural rules in Part 1 of the same subtitle governs how wage determinations are requested, issued, and applied on those contracts.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and developers who receive federal financing or assistance for housing construction or rehabilitation projects should be aware that 29 CFR Part 5 § 5.1 signals that Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements may apply to their contracts. Compliant operators typically verify whether their funding source is among the Related Acts listed at the Department of Labor's website (www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts) and ensure that applicable wage determinations are incorporated into contractor agreements from the outset. Staying current with the wage determination procedures outlined in Part 1 of this subtitle is a standard part of administering federally assisted housing projects.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
For tenants living in or seeking housing in federally assisted developments, 29 CFR Part 5 § 5.1 is the foundational provision establishing that construction workers on those projects are entitled to prevailing wage protections under the Davis-Bacon framework. While this rule primarily governs contractor and employer obligations rather than tenant rights directly, understanding its scope can be relevant when evaluating whether a federally funded housing project was built or rehabilitated in compliance with federal labor standards. Tenants or advocates with questions about how these rules intersect with a specific housing program can consult the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division resources or a tenant-rights organization familiar with federally assisted housing.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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