# Wage Calculator MCP

> Prevailing Wage Calculator finds Davis-Bacon Act compliant wage rates and fringe benefits for specific construction trades. Just input the occupation, state, and county to get precise hourly base rates needed for federal and state project compliance.

## Overview
- **Category:** finance
- **Price:** Free
- **Tags:** wage, labor, construction, davis-bacon, compliance, usa

## Description

Getting accurate labor costs for construction projects used to be a headache of cross-referencing government websites. Now, you can use this MCP to calculate prevailing wage rates and associated fringe benefits. By providing the specific occupation, state, and county, your agent retrieves reliable labor cost data directly aligned with the Davis-Bacon Act requirements. You'll get precise hourly base rates for various trades needed on federal or state projects. If you find yourself juggling multiple compliance checks across different regions, connecting through Vinkius makes it easy to access this calculator alongside thousands of other specialized tools in one place.

## Tools

### get_supported_locations
Retrieves a list of states and counties that have wage data available for calculation.

### list_available_trades
Shows all the specific construction trades recognized by the system, like plumber or carpenter.

### lookup_prevailing_wage
Calculates the precise hourly rate and fringe benefits using a specified trade, state, and county.

## Prompt Examples

**Prompt:** 
```
What is the prevailing wage for a carpenter in Los Angeles, CA?
```

**Response:** 
```
$45.50 per hour with $12.00 in fringe benefits.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
List all available construction trades.
```

**Response:** 
```
The supported trades are: carpenter, electrician, plumber, laborer, and ironworker.
```

**Prompt:** 
```
Are there any supported locations in California?
```

**Response:** 
```
Yes, supported counties in California include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego.
```

## Capabilities

### Check supported locations
It provides a list of states and counties where wage data is available.

### List construction trades
You can pull up every construction trade that the system tracks wages for.

### Find specific hourly rates
It returns the required base wage and fringe benefits for a given job, location, and trade.

## Use Cases

### Bidding on a new government contract
A project estimator needs to bid on work in Los Angeles. They ask their agent to first list all available trades and then run the `lookup_prevailing_wage` tool for 'carpenter' in LA County, getting both the base wage and fringe benefit amount immediately.

### Verifying compliance across state lines
A PM is managing a multi-state job. They use `get_supported_locations` to confirm that both Florida and Georgia are covered, then run individual lookups for each site's specific labor needs.

### Initial project scoping
A new employee joins the team and doesn't know which trades are tracked. They simply ask to `list_available_trades` to get a comprehensive list, making them productive right out of the gate.

### Correcting an outdated bid
An engineer realizes their old estimate for plumbers in San Francisco is wrong. Running the `lookup_prevailing_wage` tool with updated parameters gives them the correct, compliant cost to submit today.

## Benefits

- Stop guessing on labor costs. By using the `lookup_prevailing_wage` tool, you get exact hourly base rates plus fringe benefits for specific projects.
- Avoid compliance fines upfront. You can first use `get_supported_locations` to make sure your project site and state are covered before estimating anything.
- Save time listing trades. Instead of searching through manuals, the `list_available_trades` tool gives you a clean list of every recognized construction occupation.
- Quickly check scope. You don't have to jump between multiple government websites; this MCP keeps all the necessary wage data in one place.
- Precision over estimates. The results are based on specific parameters (trade, state, county), giving you verifiable figures for your bids.

## How It Works

The bottom line is that you get accurate compliance numbers without leaving your chat window.

1. First, you ask your AI client to find out what locations or trades are supported.
2. Next, you provide the specific occupation, state, and county for the project site.
3. The MCP processes this data and delivers the required hourly wage rate and fringe benefit figures.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**How does the Prevailing Wage Calculator MCP find fringe benefits?**
The tool calculates both components in a single lookup. When you use `lookup_prevailing_wage`, it returns not just the hourly base rate but also the specific dollar amount for required fringe benefits.

**Do I need to know the county code before using Prevailing Wage Calculator?**
No, that's what the MCP helps with. You can first run `get_supported_locations` to see which counties are available for lookup.

**What if my trade isn't listed in list_available_trades?**
If a trade isn't on the list, you'll need to check your project plans or call the relevant authority. The MCP can only provide rates for recognized occupations.

**Can Prevailing Wage Calculator handle different states?**
Yes. You just specify the state and county in your prompt when using `lookup_prevailing_wage`, and it pulls the correct data set for that location.