What is the Building and Construction Award?
The Building and Construction Award is an industrial award in Australia that sets out the minimum terms and conditions of employment for workers in the building and construction industry, including tradespeople, labourers, and apprentices.
It covers matters such as wages, hours of work, leave entitlements, allowances, and other benefits.
The award is administered by the Fair Work Commission and applies to employers and employees who are engaged in on-site work in the building and construction industry.
Who is entitled to the Building and Construction Award?
The Building and Construction Award covers employers in the building and construction industry and their employees who fit within the classifications of the award.
The building and construction industry means work done on-site, including:
- general building and construction
- civil construction
- metal and engineering construction
General building and construction
- any construction, alteration, extension, restoration, repair, maintenance, demolition or dismantling of buildings, structures or works that form part of land
- site clearance work including earth-moving, excavation and site restoration work
- any landscaping work or installation work associated with a general building and construction project.
Civil construction
Civil construction includes any construction, repair, maintenance or demolition of:
- civil and mechanical engineering projects
- car parks (except car park buildings and car parks that are within a building)
- power transmission, light, television, radio, communication, radar, navigation and observation towers or structures
- power houses, chemical plants or hydrocarbons and/or oil treatment plants or refineries
- silos
- sports and entertainment complexes.
It includes the following work if it is in connection with civil construction work as defined above:
- traffic management
- dredging and sluicing work
- construction work for landscape gardens
- batch plants and precast yards.
Civil construction also includes the construction of:
- roads, railways and tramways
- water and sewerage works
- dams, channels, wate works and pipe tracks
- bridges and tunnels
- drains or conduits.
Metal and engineering construction
Metal and engineering construction includes metal trades work where it is for construction, fabrication, erection and/or installation work related to:
- power stations, oil refineries, terminals and depots, and chemical, petro-chemical and hydrocarbon plants
- major industrial and commercial undertakings and associated plant , plant facilities and equipment
- plant, plant facilities and equipment for chemicals and minerals
- transmission towers, lines and associated plant, plant facilities and equipment
- lifts and escalators.
It also includes maintenance, repair and servicing work (not including minor work) in connection with contracts for on-site metal and engineering construction work.
To determine whether your staff fall under the Building and Construction Award, it’s recommended to visit the Fair Work website.
Building and Construction Award pay rates
Workstem has developed a comprehensive guide to help compliance with the Building and Construction Award Rates.
If you’re uncertain about the applicable classifications, this guide can help you understand how to comply with Fair Work legislation, classify your employees correctly, and pay penalties and allowances in accordance with the Building and Construction Award.
Minimum rates
| Level | Minimum weekly rate |
Minimum hourly rate |
|
Level 9 (ECW 9) |
1164.10 | 30.63 |
|
Level 8 (CW/ECW 8) |
1144.00 | 30.11 |
|
Level 7 (CW/ECW 7) |
1116.80 |
29.39 |
| Level 6 (CW/ECW 6) | 1085.80 |
28.57 |
| Level 5 (CW/ECW 5) | 1057.60 |
27.83 |
|
Level 4 (CW/ECW 4) |
1026.30 | 27.01 |
|
Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) |
995.00 | 26.18 |
|
Level 2 (CW/ECW 2) |
966.80 | 25.44 |
|
Level 1 (CW/ECW 1)—CW/ECW 1 (level d) |
947.80 |
24.94 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1)—CW/ECW 1 (level c) | 931.10 |
24.50 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1)—CW/ECW 1 (level b) | 918.70 |
24.18 |
| Level 1 (CW/ECW 1)—CW/ECW1 (level a) | 901.00 |
23.71 |
Overtime rates
The overtime rate payable to an employee depends on the time at which the overtime is worked:
|
For overtime worked on |
Overtime rate(% of ordinary hourly rate) |
|
Monday to Friday – First 2 hours |
150% |
|
Monday to Friday – After 2 hours |
200% |
| Work during meal break |
200% |
| Consecutive hours off duty |
200% |
| Public Holiday |
250% |
Penalty rates
When an employee works ordinary hours on the following days, they are entitled to the following penalty rates:
|
Time of ordinary hours worked |
Full-time and part-time employees(% of minimum hourly rate of pay) |
|
Saturday |
150% for the first 2 hours and 200% thereafter |
|
After Saturday 12:00 pm |
200% |
| Saturday following Good Friday |
250% |
| Sunday |
200% |
| Public holiday |
250% |
Allowance
Wage-related allowances
|
Allowance |
% of weekly standard rate | $ | Payable |
|
Industry allowances |
|||
|
General building and construction industry allowance* |
6.0 | 59.70 | per week |
|
Civil construction industry allowance* |
6.0 | 59.70 | per week |
| Metal and engineering construction industry allowance* | 6.0 | 59.70 |
per week |
| Residential building and construction industry* | 4.8 | 47.76 |
per week |
|
All sectors |
|||
|
Mobile cranes capacity adjustment formula (Level 5 (CW/EW5) and above) |
2.4 | 23.88 | per week for each additional 40 tonnes over max limit |
|
Underground allowance (other than Operator classification)* |
1.8 | 17.91 | per week |
|
Underground allowance—no more than 4 days/shifts in ordinary week |
0.4 | 3.98 | per day or shift |
| First aid allowance—minimum qualifications | 0.36 | 3.58 |
per day |
| First aid allowance—higher first aid certificate | 0.57 | 5.67 |
per day |
| Air-conditioning industry and refrigeration industry allowances | 7.9 | 78.61 |
per week |
|
Electrician’s licence allowance* |
3.2 | 31.84 | per week |
| In charge of plant allowance | 4.7 | 46.77 |
per week |
|
Lift industry |
|||
| Lift industry allowance* | 14.8 | 147.26 |
per week |
*This allowance applies for all purposes of the award.
*The weekly minimum rate as stated for a Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) employee in clause 19.1= $995.00.
Hourly wage-related allowances
The following wage-related allowances are based on the standard rate as defined in clause 2—Definitions as
|
Allowance |
% of hourly standard rate | $ | Payable |
|
All sectors |
|||
|
Multistorey allowance—structure without regular storey levels—work above 15 metres |
3.2 | 0.84 | per hour |
|
Multistorey allowance—structure without regular storey levels—work above each additional 15 metres |
3.2 | 0.84 | per hour for each additional 15 metres |
|
Multistorey allowance—commencement of building to 15th floor level |
2.6 | 0.68 |
per hour |
| Multistorey allowance—16th to 30th floor level—where structural or reinforcing steel, boxing or walls rise above 16th floor | 3.1 | 0.81 |
per hour |
| Multistorey allowance—31st to 45th floor level—where structural or reinforcing steel, boxing or walls rise above 31st floor | 4.8 | 1.26 |
per hour |
|
Multistorey allowance—46th to 60th floor level—where structural or reinforcing steel, boxing or walls rise above 46th floor |
6.2 | 1.62 | per hour |
|
Multistorey allowance—61st floor level onward—where structural or reinforcing steel, boxing or walls rise above 61st floor |
7.6 | 1.99 | per hour |
|
Multistorey allowance—service core—work more than 15 metres above main structure |
3.2 | 0.84 |
per hour |
| Multistorey allowance—service core—work above each additional 15 metres | 3.2 | 0.84 |
per hour for each additional 15 metres |
| Laser safety officer allowance | 13.4 | 3.51 |
per day or part thereof |
| Carpenter-diver allowance1 | 4.5 | 1.18 |
per hour |
|
General building and construction sector |
|||
|
Computing quantities allowance |
23.3 | 6.10 |
per day or part thereof |
| Scaffolding or rigging certificate allowance | 3.2 | 0.84 |
per hour |
*This allowance applies for all purposes of the award.
*The hourly minimum rate as stated for a Level 3 (CW/ECW 3) employee in clause 19.1= $26.18.
Automatic adjustment of wage–related allowances
The amount of each wage-related allowance is the percentage of the standard rate specified for the allowance and will automatically adjust to reflect the specified percentage when the standard rate is varied.
Expense-related allowances
|
Allowance |
$ |
Payable |
|
Tool allowance—artificial stoneworker, carpenter and/or joiner, carpenter-diver, carver, bridge and wharf carpenter, floor sander, letter cutter, marble and slate worker, stonemason or tilelayer* |
37.32 | per week |
|
Tool allowance—caster, fixer, floorlayer specialist or plasterer* |
30.87 | per week |
|
Tool allowance—refractory bricklayer or bricklayer* |
26.49 |
per week |
| Tool allowance—roof tiler, slate-ridger or roof fixer, tradespersons in the metals and engineering construction sector* | 19.54 |
per week |
|
Tool allowance—signwriter, painter or glazier* |
8.96 |
per week |
| Meal allowance—all employees—overtime of at least one and a half hours | 17.57 |
per meal |
|
Meal allowance—operator employee—after completion of each 4 hours’ overtime |
17.57 | per meal |
|
Compensation for clothes and tools |
2164 | maximum |
|
Living away from home allowance—Distant work—Entitlement |
100.22 | per day |
| Camping allowance—per complete week | 241.63 |
per week |
| Camping allowance—broken parts of the week | 34.48 |
per day |
| Meal allowance—forward journey | 17.57 |
per meal |
|
Return journey—additional for daily hire employees |
25.31 | per journey |
|
Weekend return home |
42.89 | per occasion |
|
Fares and travel pattern allowance |
21.19 |
per day |
| Travelling between construction sites—employee’s own vehicle | 0.95 |
per km |
| Distant work—employee’s own vehicle | 0.57 |
per km |
*This allowance applies for all purposes of the award.
Adjustment of expense-related allowances
|
Allowance |
Applicable Consumer Price Index figure |
|
Tools and protective or other clothing or equipment allowance |
All groups |
|
Compensation for clothes and tools |
All groups |
|
Meal allowance |
Meals out and take away foods sub-group |
|
Living away from home—distant work |
Domestic holiday travel and accommodation sub-group |
| Camping |
Average of Food and non-alcoholic beverages, housing and transport groups |
| Fares and travel patterns allowance |
Transport group |
| Weekend return home |
Transport group |
| Transport and transporting tools |
Transport group |
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Customise attendance entitlements, auto-track attendance data, streamline the payment process and keep compliance with Fair Work award through our AI Engine. Workstem provides a complete solution for efficient payroll management and regulatory compliance.
FAQs
Q: Do Building and Construction employers be required to pay Award minimum wage?
A: Yes, the Award minimum wage is the minimum legal requirement that an employee must be paid if they are covered through the Building and Construction Award. Employers are legally bound to comply with this.
Q: How can employers and employees stay up-to-date with any changes or updates to the BACA award?
A: Employers and employees can stay up-to-date with any changes or updates to the Building and Construction General On-Site Award (BACA) [MA000020] in Australia by signing up and subscribing to Workstem email alerts.
Read more: Building and Construction General On-site Award Guide [MA000020]