How to Fill Out and Submit SF-1444: Blocks, Denials, and Records

To fill out SF-1444, enter your contract’s identifying details in the header blocks (1 through 12), describe the proposed classification, hourly wage, and fringe benefits in Block 13, sign Block 15 as the prime contractor, and hand the form to your contracting officer for submission to the Department of Labor. The current version is dated October 2023 and is available as a fillable PDF from GSA.¹ The form is used to add a labor classification and wage rate to a federal contract when the applicable wage determination doesn’t list the job you need performed. It is required on Davis-Bacon Act construction work and available (but not mandatory) on Service Contract Act work.

When a Conformance Request Is the Right Move

File an SF-1444 only when your wage determination genuinely lacks a classification for the work. Under 29 CFR 5.5(a)(1)(iii), the Department of Labor will approve a conformance only if three conditions are all met: no existing classification on the wage determination covers the work, the proposed classification is one the local construction industry actually uses, and the proposed wage rate (including fringes) bears a reasonable relationship to the rates already on the schedule.²

You cannot use conformance to split an existing classification or invent a lower-paid variant of work already covered.³ If a listed classification covers the duties, that rate applies even when the title isn’t an exact match.

Helper classifications get extra scrutiny. DOL generally won’t approve one unless the duties are clearly distinct from every other classification on the wage determination, helpers are an established local practice, and the worker isn’t functioning as an informal trainee.

On Service Contract Act projects, the SF-1444 is available but not required, though a contracting officer may still ask you to use it. Under the SCA, the conformance must be initiated before the unlisted employee starts contract work, and a written report goes to the contracting officer no later than 30 days after work begins.⁴

Completing the Form Block by Block

The form’s substance sits in one place (Block 13), but the header blocks have to be right or the package stalls before anyone reviews the classification.⁵

Blocks 1 Through 12: Identifying the Contract

Block 1: name of the federal agency awarding the contract.
Block 2: the reporting office (usually the contracting agency’s office handling the submission).
Block 3: contractor name and address.
Block 4: date of the request.
Block 5: federal contract number. A transposed digit here delays processing, so verify it against the contract itself.
Block 6: project name and description.
Block 7: date of contract award.
Block 8: date contract work started.
Block 9: project location, by county and state.
Block 10: subcontractor name and address, if a subcontractor is involved.
Block 11: the applicable wage determination number.
Block 12: check the box indicating Davis-Bacon or Service Contract Act.

Block 13: The Proposed Classification

This is where the request is won or lost. Block 13 has three columns:

Column (a): the proposed classification title, a description of duties, and (for SCA projects) a rationale explaining why the classification is needed. Even on Davis-Bacon work, spell the duties out. Vague phrasing like “general support work” invites denial because reviewers can’t tell whether an existing classification already covers the job.
Column (b): the proposed hourly wage rate. Analysts compare this figure to similar skill levels already on the wage determination, so it needs to sit in a defensible place on that schedule.
Column (c): fringe benefits, broken out separately. Include health and welfare, pension, vacation, and any other applicable fringe amounts.

If you run out of room, use the reverse side of the form or attach additional sheets.

Blocks 14 Through 16: Signatures

Three signature lines sit at the bottom. Block 14 is the subcontractor representative’s signature and title, used only when a subcontractor is involved. Block 15 is the prime contractor’s signature and title, and it is always required. Block 16 is the affected employees’ signature line, typically signed by a union representative. It’s optional, but a signature here shows workforce agreement with the proposed classification and rate, which strengthens the submission.⁶

Below the signatures, the contracting officer signs and marks whether the agency agrees or disagrees with the proposal.

Submitting the Form

Do not send SF-1444 directly to the Department of Labor. Give the completed form to your contracting officer, who reviews the package, adds the agency’s agreement or disagreement, and forwards everything to the Wage and Hour Division.⁷ For Davis-Bacon projects, the current regulation directs the contracting officer to email the submission to DBAconformance@dol.gov.²

If the contracting officer disagrees with the rate or classification, the package still goes to DOL, with the agency’s written explanation attached. But an unsigned submission (one where the contracting agency hasn’t indicated its position) is treated as incomplete and DOL won’t act on it.³

Paying Workers While the Request Is Pending

Work does not stop while DOL reviews the request. Employees can start performing the duties immediately, but the contractor must pay at least the proposed wage rate from the first day of that work.⁸⁹

If DOL approves a higher rate than you proposed, the difference is owed retroactively to day one in that classification. Proposing an unrealistically low rate doesn’t save money; it creates back-pay liability.

What Happens After DOL Gets It

The Wage and Hour Division aims to approve, modify, or deny each request within 30 days of receipt. If the case is complex, DOL notifies the contracting officer within that window that more time is needed.²

Three outcomes are possible:

Approval. The new classification and rate become part of the contract, and workers get paid the approved rate from the first day they performed the work.
Modification. DOL accepts the classification but adjusts the wage rate or fringe benefits, usually upward. The modified rate applies retroactively to day one.
Denial. Typically because the duties are already covered by an existing classification or the proposed rate fails the reasonable-relationship test.

The contracting officer notifies the contractor of the decision, and the contractor then gives each affected worker a written copy of the determination or posts it with the wage determination at the worksite.

Common Reasons Requests Get Denied

An existing classification already covers the work. If DOL finds evidence that contractors in the area used a listed classification for the same duties on similar projects, the request is rejected.
The proposed rate doesn’t align with similar skill levels on the wage determination.
The request tries to add a helper classification that overlaps with a laborer or journeyman already on the schedule.
Incomplete documentation, most often a missing contracting agency signature or a vague duty description.

If You’re Denied

You can ask the Wage and Hour Division Administrator to reconsider under 29 CFR 5.13. Send a full statement of your position with supporting documentation (local wage data, project descriptions, evidence of area practice) by email to dba.rulingrequest@dol.gov or by mail to the Wage and Hour Division Administrator, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room S-3502, Washington, D.C. 20210.¹⁰ If reconsideration is unfavorable, any party can appeal to the DOL Administrative Review Board under 29 CFR Part 7; the Board sets deadlines through a Notice of Appeal and Briefing Order.

Records to Keep After Approval

Once approved, the classification and rate become a permanent part of the contract’s wage determination. Adjust payroll immediately to reflect the approved or modified rate, including any retroactive amounts owed.

Retain the SF-1444, the DOL determination, certified payrolls, and all related contract documents for at least three years after all work on the prime contract is completed.¹¹ The three-year clock starts when the last work on the prime contract finishes, not when the conformance-related work ends, and the requirement applies to prime contractors and subcontractors alike.

1
General Services Administration. Request for Authorization of Additional Classification and Rate
2
eCFR. 29 CFR 5.5 – Contract Provisions and Related Matters
3
U.S. Department of Labor. Davis-Bacon Conformance Process
4
U.S. Department of Labor. SCA Conformance Process
5
General Services Administration. SF 1444 – Request for Authorization of Additional Classification and Rate
6
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Use of Standard Form 1444 for DOL Wage Determination Conformance Requests
7
Acquisition.GOV. 48 CFR 22.406-3 – Additional Classifications
8
Acquisition.GOV. 52.222-6 Construction Wage Rate Requirements
9
Environmental Protection Agency. Conformances Under the Davis-Bacon Act
10
U.S. Department of Labor. Appeals of Davis-Bacon Wage Determinations and Conformance Actions
11
eCFR. 29 CFR 5.5 – Contract Provisions and Related Matters