diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/baselb/baselb.h b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/baselb/baselb.h
index d02e261eee..a29b3b5708 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/baselb/baselb.h
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/baselb/baselb.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #include <map>
 #include <unordered_map>
 #include <tuple>
+#include <chrono>
 
 namespace vt { namespace vrt { namespace collection {
 
@@ -193,9 +194,8 @@ struct BaseLB {
    *
    * \return the estimated time
    */
-  double getCollectiveEpochCost() const {
-    // 100 ns
-    return 0.0000001;
+  auto getCollectiveEpochCost() const {
+    return std::chrono::nanoseconds(100);
   }
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/greedylb/greedylb.cc b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/greedylb/greedylb.cc
index e9ec43b4af..22b92bad38 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/greedylb/greedylb.cc
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/greedylb/greedylb.cc
@@ -161,7 +161,10 @@ void GreedyLB::loadStats() {
   this_load_begin = this_load;
 
   // Use an estimated load-balancing cost on average rank load to load-balance
-  if (avg_load > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
+  auto avg_ns = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(
+    std::chrono::duration<double>(avg_load)
+  );
+  if (avg_ns > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
     should_lb = I > greedy_tolerance;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/hierarchicallb/hierlb.cc b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/hierarchicallb/hierlb.cc
index 215694fa5b..8c37ec57a8 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/hierarchicallb/hierlb.cc
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/hierarchicallb/hierlb.cc
@@ -264,7 +264,10 @@ void HierarchicalLB::loadStats() {
   this_load_begin = this_load;
 
   // Use an estimated load-balancing cost on average rank load to load-balance
-  if (avg_load > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
+  auto avg_ns = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(
+    std::chrono::duration<double>(avg_load)
+  );
+  if (avg_ns > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
     should_lb = I > hierlb_tolerance;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/temperedlb/temperedlb.cc b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/temperedlb/temperedlb.cc
index f802187391..2007684c67 100644
--- a/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/temperedlb/temperedlb.cc
+++ b/src/vt/vrt/collection/balance/temperedlb/temperedlb.cc
@@ -450,7 +450,10 @@ void TemperedLB::runLB(LoadType total_load) {
   }
 
   // Use an estimated load-balancing cost on average rank load to load-balance
-  if (avg > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
+  auto avg_ns = std::chrono::duration_cast<std::chrono::nanoseconds>(
+    std::chrono::duration<double>(avg)
+  );
+  if (avg_ns > getCollectiveEpochCost()) {
     should_lb = max > (run_temperedlb_tolerance + 1.0) * target_max_load_;
   }