FAR and DFARS › FAR Part 52: Solicitation Provisions and Contract Clauses › Subpart 52.2

FAR 52.222-51 Exemption From Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment—Requirements.

The codified text (eCFR, as of 2026-10-02). Under the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul ↗, agencies follow class deviations with new text for many parts while the formal rules go through the Federal Register: check the solicitation and your contract's clauses, which rule.

In plain English

This clause exempts certain maintenance, calibration, or repair contracts from the Service Contract Labor Standards (SCLS) if specific conditions are met. It matters because if the exemption applies, the contractor is not required to pay SCLS-mandated wages and benefits, but must ensure all conditions are satisfied and flow the clause down to subcontracts.

Applies to: Contractors and subcontractors performing maintenance, calibration, or repair of certain equipment under a covered contract.

What it requires

  • Ensure the equipment serviced is used regularly for other than Government purposes and is sold or traded in substantial quantities to the general public.
  • Furnish services at prices that are or are based on established catalog or market prices.
  • Use the same compensation plan for service employees as used for equivalent employees servicing the same equipment of commercial customers.
  • Determine applicability of the exemption to any subcontract on or before subcontract award and include the substance of this clause in subcontracts for exempt services.

Key terms: established catalog price · established market price · Service Contract Labor Standards · exemption · subcontract

Written by AI from this section's text. A guide, not legal advice: the text below rules.

The text

As prescribed in 22.1006(e)(2), insert the following clause:

Exemption From Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment—Requirements (MAY 2014)

(a) The items of equipment to be serviced under this contract are used regularly for other than Government purposes, and are sold or traded by the Contractor in substantial quantities to the general public in the course of normal business operations.

(b) The services shall be furnished at prices which are, or are based on, established catalog or market prices for the maintenance, calibration, or repair of equipment.

(1) An “established catalog price” is a price included in a catalog, price list, schedule, or other form that is regularly maintained by the manufacturer or the Contractor, is either published or otherwise available for inspection by customers, and states prices at which sales currently, or were last, made to a significant number of buyers constituting the general public.

(2) An “established market price” is a current price, established in the usual course of trade between buyers and sellers free to bargain, which can be substantiated from sources independent of the manufacturer or Contractor.

(c) The compensation (wage and fringe benefits) plan for all service employees performing work under the contract shall be the same as that used for these employees and for equivalent employees servicing the same equipment of commercial customers.

(d) The Contractor is responsible for compliance with all the conditions of this exemption by its subcontractors. The Contractor shall determine the applicability of this exemption to any subcontract on or before subcontract award. In making a judgment that the exemption applies, the Contractor shall consider all factors and make an affirmative determination that all of the conditions in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this clause will be met.

(e) If the Department of Labor determines that any conditions for exemption in paragraphs (a) through (c) of this clause have not been met, the exemption shall be deemed inapplicable, and the contract shall become subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards statute. In such case, the procedures at 29 CFR 4.123(e)(1)(iv) and 29 CFR 4.5(c) will be followed.

(f) The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (f), in subcontracts for exempt services under this contract.

(End of clause)

Sections it refers to

  • 22.1006 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.

Sections that refer to it

  • 22.1006 Solicitation provisions and contract clauses.
  • 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders—Commercial Products and Commercial Services.
  • 52.222-48 Exemption From Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment—Certification.

← 52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons. · 52.222-52 Exemption From Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Certain Services—Certification. →

Rule changes for FAR Part 52

Source: eCFR, 48 CFR chapters 1 and 2 (GPO GovInfo bulk data) ↗. Plain words for the terms: glossary.

FAR 52.222-51 Exemption From Application of the Service Contract Labor Standards to Contracts for Maintenance, Calibration, or Repair of Certain Equipment—Requirements · SpendQuery