Special Prevailing Wage Determinations are generally requested PRIOR to bid. However, that does not always mean that they are APPROVED prior to commencement!
If you have already begun work on a Colorado Davis Bacon project where a special determination has been requested but has not-yet been granted, you must pay no less than the wage and benefit rates listed on the general Davis-Bacon wage decision for the lowest specialized trade that most closely resembles the trade in question.
For example, if you are a Colorado plumbing contractor and you cannot find the plumbers listed on the decision, you must find another specialized trade (like carpentry) and must not pay lower than that trade’s prevailing wage. Once the special determination is provided, if you paid lower than what was decided upon, you must correct your payroll accordingly.