Federal Wage Compliance Authority

Stay audit-ready, penalty-free, and confident on every certified payroll.

FWCA guides federal construction contractors through Davis-Bacon, prevailing wage, and certified payroll — from a consultant who has worked both sides of the audit table.

Fourteen years across federal disaster recovery, DOL enforcement, and contractor-side compliance.
Both sides

Experience as a DOL-side investigator and as the contractor defending against investigation.

14 years

Inside the federal compliance ecosystem — from disaster recovery to prevailing wage.

Any system

Platform-agnostic. FWCA works inside the payroll and reporting tools you already run.

Why it matters

Because a DOL audit is not the time to learn the rules.

Prevailing wage enforcement is unforgiving, and the prime contractor is liable for every subcontractor on the job. A single misclassification or late certified payroll can put an entire contract at risk.

$13,500+

Civil penalties

Fines can exceed $13,500 per violation — and violations multiply fast across workers and weeks.

Back wages

Withheld payments

Agencies withhold contract payments and assess back wages until findings are resolved.

3 years

Debarment

Serious or repeated violations can bar a contractor from federal work for up to three years.

Criminal

Willful exposure

Falsified certifications carry criminal liability — a signature on a certified payroll is a legal attestation.

The cost of getting compliance right is a fraction of the cost of getting it wrong. Start with a consultation →

About FWCA

We have audited the contractors — and defended them.

Kim X Riggle has spent fourteen years inside the federal compliance ecosystem. She began by managing large-scale, federally funded disaster recovery, moved to the enforcement side conducting investigations, and now advises the contractors who face that same scrutiny. That dual vantage point is the heart of FWCA.

When Kim reviews your certified payroll or prepares you for a Wage and Hour investigation, she already knows exactly what the reviewer on the other side is looking for — because she has been that reviewer. She has read the wage determinations, computed the back wages, and worked the remediation from both directions.

Prevailing wage compliance is not accounting, and it is not something your CPA was trained for. It is a specialized discipline — and it is the only thing FWCA does. Kim works platform-agnostic, inside whatever payroll and reporting systems you already run, so nothing has to change on your end to get compliant.

Areas of practice

  • Davis-Bacon & Related Acts
  • Federally assisted projects
  • Certified payroll / WH-347
  • Prevailing wage determinations
  • Fringe benefit compliance
  • Worker classification
  • CWHSSA & Copeland Act
  • FLSA wage & hour
  • Apprenticeship compliance
  • State prevailing wage laws
  • DOL WHD audit support
  • Remediation & debarment defense
Kim X Riggle, Founder & Principal Consultant of FWCA
Kim X Riggle
Founder & Principal Consultant
Enforcement + defense Est. FWCA
Services

Compliance handled — one project or ongoing.

Every engagement is scoped to your contracts and your exposure. Pricing is confirmed in a short discovery consultation, so you only pay for what you actually need.

01

Compliance Risk Assessment

A proactive review of your certified payrolls, classifications, and fringe calculations to surface exposure before the DOL does. You get a clear picture of where you stand and what to fix first.

Request scope & pricing
02

Audit & Investigation Defense

Direct support through DOL Wage and Hour investigations — from responding to findings to back-wage computation, remediation, and protecting you against payment holds and debarment.

Request scope & pricing
03

Certified Payroll Management

Ongoing preparation and review of your weekly WH-347 reports and statements of compliance, so every submission is accurate, on time, and audit-ready. Available as a monthly retainer.

Request scope & pricing
04

Compliance Program & Training

Build the systems and train the people who keep you compliant on every future contract — classification playbooks, recordkeeping standards, and staff who understand the rules.

Request scope & pricing
05

Bid & Wage Determination Support

Compliance built in before you bid. FWCA helps you read SAM.gov wage determinations, classify labor correctly, and price fringe accurately — so your bid is competitive and your margins survive the contract. First federal contract or your fiftieth, you go in knowing the rules.

Request scope & pricing
Who we help

Built for contractors working where compliance is non-negotiable.

If your work touches federal funding or prevailing wage requirements, FWCA is built for you — at any company size, on your first contract or your hundredth.

Construction contractors

General contractors and subcontractors on Davis-Bacon and federally assisted construction projects.

Subcontractors & lower-tier

Subcontractors on Davis-Bacon projects whose compliance rolls up to a prime holding them accountable.

First-time federal bidders

Operators pursuing their first federally funded contract who need to get compliance right from day one.

Any operator with exposure

Firms facing an active audit, penalty exposure, or chronic certified payroll errors that need resolving.

Common questions

Davis-Bacon compliance, answered.

Straight answers to what federal construction contractors ask most. Have a situation of your own? A consultation is the fastest way to a clear answer.

Does the Davis-Bacon Act apply to my project?

The Davis-Bacon Act generally applies to federal and federally assisted construction contracts over $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings or public works. If your project is funded in whole or part by federal dollars, prevailing wage requirements likely apply. The specifics turn on the funding source and the nature of the work, which is worth confirming before you bid.

What are the penalties for Davis-Bacon violations?

Penalties can include back wages owed to workers, civil monetary penalties, withholding of contract payments, contract termination, and debarment from federal contracts for up to three years. Willful falsification of certified payroll records can carry criminal liability, because the certification is signed under penalty of perjury.

Are prime contractors responsible for subcontractor compliance?

Yes. Under Davis-Bacon, the prime contractor is liable for the prevailing wage compliance of every subcontractor on the project. If a subcontractor underpays its workers, the prime can be held responsible, which is why prime contractors have a direct interest in every sub's certified payroll.

How often is certified payroll (WH-347) submitted?

Certified payroll on Form WH-347 is submitted weekly to the contracting agency, generally within seven days after each pay date. A no-work report is required even for weeks in which no covered work was performed, so submissions should be continuous for the life of the contract.

In their words

Results contractors trust.

Collaborating with Kim Riggle on our Texas General Land Office (GLO) housing rehabilitation project was an outstanding experience. Because this was a federally funded CDBG-DR project, we were subject to strict labor compliance, including Davis-Bacon and certified payroll standards. As this was REAL Inc.’s first time navigating a GLO project, Kim’s specialized expertise was critical. She seamlessly trained our staff on these complex requirements, ensuring our property met every standard. Kim’s professionalism and dedication made our project a total success — we could not have done it without her.

Gloria Ramos
Executive Director, R.E.A.L. Inc.

MGroup recently completed a housing rehabilitation project with the Texas General Land Office (GLO) under the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. Working with Kim Riggle was, hands down, the best experience. Her deep knowledge of Davis-Bacon, certified payrolls, and labor standards was an absolute game-changer for us. Kim kept our construction project moving seamlessly through the entire review process and served as our guide every step of the way, ensuring we met all regulatory requirements to get the project successfully across the finish line. We are incredibly grateful to have had her expertise on this project. Thank you, Kim!

Ofelia Elizondo
Office Manager, MGroup Holdings, Inc.

We have had a positive experience working with this company for our prevailing wage compliance needs. Kim is knowledgeable, responsive, and thorough in ensuring all required documentation is completed accurately and on time.

Kim has been instrumental in helping us navigate prevailing wage reporting and compliance regulations. Her attention to detail and prompt communication have made the compliance process much more efficient and reduced the administrative burden for our company. She has also taught our compliance department the processes of navigating through prevailing wage certification forms.

We appreciate Kim’s professionalism, expertise, and commitment to providing excellent customer service. We would confidently recommend their services to any company seeking reliable prevailing wage compliance support.

S. O’Connell
PUC Construction
Get started

Compliant contractors win more federal work.

Compliance is not just protection — it is the qualification that lets you bid, deliver, and grow. Start with a free consultation. We will review your exposure and map the fastest path to audit-ready.

Book a free consultation

A 20-minute call to understand your contracts, surface your risk, and scope the right engagement.

Schedule your call
✉  kim@federalwagecompliance.com ☎  (206) 459-4678 📍  Serving federal contractors nationwide