CAC training fund contribution calculator

Your contribution is the hours worked by journeymen and apprentices in an apprenticeable craft times the Training amount per hour on the prevailing wage determination, less anything you paid an approved apprenticeship program. The balance is due to the California Apprenticeship Council by the 15th of the next month, under Labor Code section 1777.5(m) and 8 CCR 230.2. Overtime hours count too, but that rule comes from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards, not from the statute or the regulation. Its public works FAQ says training contributions must be paid for every hour worked, including overtime.

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 against the sources it cites

The short answer

Multiply every hour worked by journeymen and apprentices in an apprenticeable craft by the Training amount per hour on the prevailing wage determination, then subtract what you paid an approved apprenticeship program. The overtime rule comes from DAS, not the statute: its public works FAQ says overtime hours count. Some determinations say in a footnote that Training is factored at the overtime rate, so read the footnotes on yours. Pay the balance to the California Apprenticeship Council by the 15th of the next month.

The rate is the Training amount per hour on the applicable prevailing wage determination, owed for each hour worked by journeymen and apprentices in each apprenticeable occupation, under 8 CCR 230.2(a).
Hours include overtime: DAS says training contributions must be paid for every hour worked by every journeyman and apprentice in an apprenticeable craft, per the DAS public works FAQ. Neither Labor Code section 1777.5(m) nor 8 CCR 230.2(a) mentions overtime. Some determinations say in a footnote that Training is factored at the overtime rate, as in the electrical utility lineman determination.
You may take as a credit any amounts you paid an approved apprenticeship program that can supply apprentices to the site, under Labor Code section 1777.5(m)(1).
Contributions are due on the 15th day of each month for work performed in the preceding month, paid by check with a completed CAC-2, under 8 CCR 230.2(b) and (c).
The online CAC-2 takes up to 20 lines, each with a county, a classification, hours from 0.5 to 9,999.99, and a rate from $0.01 to $9.99, on DIR's online CAC-2 form.

The formula

Amount due to the council equals hours times the Training amount per hour, added up for each craft and county, minus what you paid an approved apprenticeship program. Each input has a rule behind it.

Input	The rule	Source
Hours	Every hour worked by every journeyman and apprentice in an apprenticeable craft, overtime included	DAS public works page
Rate	The Training amount for that occupation on the applicable prevailing wage determination	8 CCR 230.2(a)
Credit	Amounts you paid an approved apprenticeship program that can supply apprentices to the site	Labor Code 1777.5(m)(1)
Due date	The 15th day of each month, for work performed in the preceding month	8 CCR 230.2(b)
Payment	By check, with a completed CAC-2 or the information the regulation lists	8 CCR 230.2(c)

Calculator

Enter one line for each craft and county. Hours are total hours for the month, overtime included. The rate is the Training amount per hour from your determination. The boxes start with the worked example further down.

Line 1 hours worked, overtime included Line 1 Training amount per hour ($)

Line 2 hours worked, overtime included Line 2 Training amount per hour ($)

Line 3 hours worked, overtime included Line 3 Training amount per hour ($)

Line 4 hours worked, overtime included Line 4 Training amount per hour ($)

Paid to an approved apprenticeship program for these hours ($) Month the work was performed

Amount due to the California Apprenticeship Council$528.80Hours: 500. Before credit: $528.80 ($435.20 + $93.60). Credit applied: $0.00. Due December 15, 2026, a Tuesday, for work performed in November 2026.

Use the credit box only for payments to an approved program for the hours on these lines. The calculator rounds each line to the cent. Write the check for the total the online CAC-2 form shows.

How to fill in each box

Hours. The DAS public works FAQ says training contributions must be paid for every hour worked by every journeyman and apprentice in an apprenticeable craft, including overtime, and that the money cannot go to the workers unless the craft is not apprenticeable. A # beside the craft name on a determination marks an apprenticeable craft, as in the carpenter determination. Total the hours from the same payroll records you use for certified payroll.
Training amount per hour. Read it off the determination for your craft and county. In the carpenter determination it is a column in the wage table. In the laborer determination it is a row in the Employer Payments table, listed as an amount per hour worked. Start at DIR's General Prevailing Wage Determinations page, or follow the steps in our training fund guide.
Which determination. Under 8 CCR 16204(a)(1), a call for bids put out on or after a determination's effective date must reflect it. Under (b), a single asterisk after the expiration date means a determination in effect on the date of advertisement for bids stays in effect for the life of the project. A double asterisk means rates for work after that date are predetermined, and if the work runs past it the new rate must be paid. Confirm yours against the contract.
Footnotes. In the electrical utility lineman determination, the Training column carries footnote b, which reads: "This amount is factored at the applicable overtime rate." The footnote does not give a rate. Work out the overtime-factored Training amount from the determination itself before you enter it, because the calculator multiplies hours by the one rate you type on each line.
Credit. Subdivision (m)(1) lets you take as a credit "any amounts paid" to an approved apprenticeship program that can supply apprentices to the site. The credit is what you paid the program, not what the determination lists. DAS calls it a full credit in its summary of requirements.
Month. Enter the month the work was performed. The calculator shows the 15th of the following month.

Worked example

Assume a San Francisco job where the August 22, 2026 determinations govern. In November 2026 your crew works 320 carpenter hours and 180 laborer hours, overtime included. The Carpenter (Area 1) line in the carpenter determination lists Training at $1.36 per hour. The laborer determination lists Training at $0.52 per hour worked.

Line	Hours	Training per hour	Amount
Carpenter (Area 1)	320	$1.36	$435.20
Laborer	180	$0.52	$93.60
Total	500		$528.80

No approved program. You owe the council $528.80. Under 8 CCR 230.2(b) it is due on December 15, 2026, the 15th of the month after the work month, by check with the CAC-2.

You paid the carpenters' program $435.20 for those 320 hours. That payment is a credit under section 1777.5(m)(1). Type 435.20 into the credit box and the amount due to the council drops to $93.60, the laborer line. If you had paid the program less than $435.20, your credit would be the smaller number.

When you owe nothing, or pay someone else

The craft is not apprenticeable. DAS says training funds can go to the workers only in a non-apprenticeable craft.
The contract is under $30,000. Subdivision (o) of section 1777.5 excludes contracts of general contractors, or of specialty contractors not bidding through a general or prime contractor, that involve less than $30,000. The DAS FAQ says that if the project is exempt, the training fund is paid to the employee. Our project thresholds guide covers the other dollar lines.
A local training trust fund applies to you. 8 CCR 230.2(a) sends contributions to the council from contractors who are neither required nor wish to pay the applicable local training trust fund.
You are a subcontractor. Subdivision (d) says "contractor" includes any subcontractor performing public works not excluded by subdivision (o), so your hours count. Subdivision (n) fixes responsibility for compliance with the prime contractor, so ask your prime how it wants proof of payment.

After you have the number

Fill in the online CAC-2. DIR's online form takes up to 20 lines. Each needs a county of work, a classification, hours from 0.5 to 9,999.99, and a rate from $0.01 to $9.99. If there is no Project ID number, enter None.
Print it and mail it with a check to Department of Industrial Relations, California Apprenticeship Council, P.O. Box 511283, Los Angeles, CA 90051-7838. The DAS summary of requirements gives the same P.O. Box and says other fillable CAC-2 PDFs on the web are obsolete and may take up to a maximum of 30 days to process and post.
Skip months with no work. The online form says you do not need a CAC-2 with a zero amount.
Check that it posted. DIR's Training Fund Search shows a contractor's council payments for the previous 48 months. Payments to an approved program do not show there, so keep your own proof.

Our training fund guide has the full steps, and the apprentice ratio calculator covers the separate hours-ratio duty.

Handing off the payroll side

Training funds are one of several monthly clocks on a public works job. WellStanding prepares the WH-347 and the eCPR from the payroll export you already run, and a person reviews every filing. You review the finished filing and sign the certification in one step, and nothing is filed until you have signed. The certification is always yours; we never sign for you. We also prepare the DAS 140 and DAS 142, covered in our DAS 140 and DAS 142 guide. We offer first filing free. The other dates on a job are in our certified payroll deadlines guide.

Questions

How do I calculate my CAC training fund contribution?

Add up the hours worked by journeymen and apprentices in each apprenticeable craft and county, overtime included. Multiply each total by the Training amount per hour on the applicable prevailing wage determination, then subtract any amounts you paid an approved apprenticeship program. The balance goes to the council by the 15th of the next month.

Do overtime hours count toward the contribution?

Yes. The DAS public works FAQ says training contributions must be paid for every hour worked by every journeyman and apprentice in an apprenticeable craft, including overtime. Check the determination footnotes too, because some say the Training amount is factored at the applicable overtime rate.

Where do I find the training fund rate for my craft?

On the prevailing wage determination for your craft and county, reached from DIR's General Prevailing Wage Determinations page. DAS says training fund amounts appear on the same determinations you use to set wages. In the August 22, 2026 determinations, Carpenter (Area 1) lists $1.36 per hour and the laborer Employer Payments table lists $0.52 per hour worked.

When is the training fund contribution due?

On the 15th day of each month for work performed in the preceding month, under 8 CCR 230.2(b). The DAS FAQ says you cannot wait until the end of the project to pay. If a month had no work, the online CAC-2 says you do not need to send one with a zero amount.

Do I owe training fund contributions if I have no apprentices?

Yes, if you employ journeymen or apprentices in an apprenticeable craft on the contract. Section 1777.5(m)(1) applies to a contractor who employs "journeymen or apprentices," so the duty does not wait for you to hire an apprentice. Hiring apprentices is a separate duty under the ratio rules.

Can I include training fund contributions in my bid?

Yes. Section 1777.5(m)(1) says the contractor may add the amount of the contributions in computing the bid for the contract. Run the calculator on your estimated hours by craft before you price the job.

What if I pay an apprenticeship program instead of the council?

You take the amount you paid the approved program as a credit against the council amount. DAS says those payments are not reflected on DIR's website, and that proof is your record of payment to the program's trust fund. Keep that record with your payroll files.

Sources

Every figure on this page links to its source where it first appears. The full list, in order:

Labor Code section 1777.5 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
8 CCR 230.2 dir.ca.gov
public works FAQ dir.ca.gov
electrical utility lineman determination dir.ca.gov
online CAC-2 form dir.ca.gov
DAS public works page dir.ca.gov
carpenter determination dir.ca.gov
laborer determination dir.ca.gov
General Prevailing Wage Determinations page dir.ca.gov
8 CCR 16204 dir.ca.gov
summary of requirements dir.ca.gov
Training Fund Search dir.ca.gov