Stunt Performer Contracts in Los Angeles: What Every Production Needs to Know Right Now

Los Angeles is coming back online. Slowly, imperfectly, but the numbers are moving in the right direction. Feature film production in LA logged a 52 percent year-over-year increase in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Hollywood Reporter, and California's expanded $750 million film and television tax credit is pulling productions back that had been bleeding out to other states for years. Baywatch is returning to California shores. Netflix and Amazon MGM Studios have approved titles shooting in-state. The pipeline is filling.

For any production in that pipeline, one of the first calls you need to make is to your stunt coordinator. And before that call, you need to know what you're looking at contractually. SAG-AFTRA governs stunt work on union productions, and the rates and fringe obligations for the current contract period are something every line producer, UPM, and production accountant should have memorized before they start budgeting action.

Here is a plain-language breakdown of what the current contracts actually say for stunt performers working in Los Angeles.

Current SAG-AFTRA Rates for Stunt Performers (July 2025 to June 2026)

The current contract period runs from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. Rates increase again on July 1, 2026, so every budget you build right now should be locked to this window.

Stunt Performer (Stunt Double and Utility Stunt)

Scale is $1,246 per day under both the Theatrical and Television agreements. Stunt performers are contracted as principal performers, meaning they fall under the same base rate structure as speaking cast. Their day rate, however, is only the floor.

Stunt Adjustment

Here is where most productions get surprised. When a performer executes a stunt beyond the scope of what was originally negotiated, that work triggers a stunt adjustment, which gets added on top of the base day rate. The adjustment amount is negotiated based on the nature and risk of the stunt, and once agreed to, it becomes part of the performer's base compensation for that day. That adjusted base then flows into overtime, sixth-day premiums, seventh-day premiums, and holiday pay calculations. If you are budgeting action without accounting for stunt adjustments, your budget is wrong.

Stunt Coordinator

$1,246 per day, or $4,646 per week under a flat deal, for all theatrical agreements. Television rates mirror these figures. On complex productions, coordinators are often brought on weeks before principal photography begins for prep, stunt design, casting stunt performers, and coordinating with the director and DP on shooting methodologies. That prep time is billable. Budget accordingly.

Health and Pension (H&P) Fringe

21 percent on all gross wages. This applies to every stunt performer and every stunt coordinator on a SAG-AFTRA production. It is not optional and it is not negotiable. If you have five stunt performers working a four-day action sequence, add 21 percent to every dollar in performer wages before you present that number to a financier.

Stunt Driver

When the action involves precision driving, the driver classification applies separately. Rates align with the base stunt performer scale, but the stunt adjustment structure for driving work has its own negotiation criteria based on speed, proximity, and risk level. Any production involving car work should have a stunt coordinator who specializes in driving sequences locked in before the stunt driver conversations begin.

What This Means for Productions Shooting in Los Angeles Right Now

The tax credit surge is real, but it comes with a hiring reality: when production activity increases across the board in a single market, experienced stunt coordinators get booked fast. The Baywatch reboot alone is running 95 shooting days. Netflix's "One Attempt Remaining" and Amazon MGM's "Nightwatching" are both approved and in the pipeline. These are productions pulling from the same pool of experienced stunt professionals based in Los Angeles.

Productions that build their stunt budgets using scale minimums and nothing else are the ones that end up scrambling when a coordinator prices the actual work and the numbers do not match what was approved. Scale is a floor, not a market rate. Experienced coordinators with the credits to handle complex action work on a major studio or streaming production earn above scale. Build that into your planning from the start.

The other thing Los Angeles productions need to account for in 2026 is prep time. Second unit action sequences, vehicle work, and stunt rigging all require significant setup. A coordinator who is brought on at the last minute cannot deliver the same level of stunt design, performer selection, and safety planning as one who has been in the room during pre-production. The best coordinators are already calendared for the rest of the year. If you are building your 2026 production schedule, now is the time to make contact.

Bryan McCoy Is Available in Los Angeles

Real McCoy Stunts is currently working in Los Angeles and available for production inquiries. Bryan McCoy is a professional stunt coordinator and stuntman with credits across major studio productions, streaming originals, and second unit work. He works across all three primary production markets, including Atlanta and Albuquerque, but Los Angeles is home base and where RMS is active right now.

If you are a production in the current California tax credit cycle, or building a 2026 production schedule that includes action sequences, contact Real McCoy Stunts directly at realmccoystunts.com. The earlier you bring a stunt coordinator into the conversation, the better your budget, your schedule, and your action sequences will be.

SAG-AFTRA contact for stunt and safety questions: (323) 549-6855.