(a) General.

(1) Salaries and wages, at actual or average rates, and related expenses paid by a company to individuals, for the time they are working on the project, are reimbursable when supported by adequate records. This shall include labor costs associated with preliminary engineering, construction engineering, right-of-way, and force account construction.

(2) Salaries and expenses paid to individuals who are normally part of the overhead organization of the company may be reimbursed for the time they are working directly on the project, such as for accounting and bill preparation, when supported by adequate records and when the work performed by such individuals is essential to the project and could not have been accomplished as economically by employees outside the overhead organization.

(3) Amounts paid to engineers, architects and others for services directly related to projects may be reimbursed.

(b) Labor surcharges.

(1) Labor surcharges include worker compensation insurance, public liability and property damage insurance, and such fringe benefits as the company has established for the benefit of its employees. The cost of labor surcharges will be reimbursed at actual cost to the company or a company may, at its option, use an additive rate or other similar technique in lieu of actual costs provided that (i) the rate is based on historical cost data of the company, (ii) such rate is representative of actual costs incurred, (iii) the rate is adjusted at least annually taking into consideration known anticipated changes and correcting for any over or under applied costs for the preceding period, and (iv) the rate is approved by the SHA and FHWA.

(2) Where the company is a self-insurer there may be reimbursement:

(i) At experience rates properly developed from actual costs, not to exceed the rates of a regular insurance company for the class of employment covered, or

(ii) At the option of the company, a fixed rate of 8 percent of direct labor costs for worker compensation and public liability and property damage insurance together.

[40 FR 16057, Apr. 9, 1975, as amended at 47 FR 33955, Aug. 5, 1982; 56 FR 56578, Nov. 6, 1991]