Running payroll for construction companies is nothing like payroll for a typical small business. You're juggling union wages, prevailing wage rates that change by county and project, certified payroll reports for government contracts, and job costing across multiple sites. Miss a certified payroll deadline or misclassify a worker's trade, and you're looking at fines, audits, or a stalled contract, not just an annoyance.
If you're searching for the right fit, you want to know which providers actually handle prevailing wage calculations and WH-347 reporting without manual workarounds, and which ones just bolt on generic payroll features and call it a construction solution. The difference matters when a state auditor is reviewing your records.
We put together this list after working with contractors who came to us drowning in back taxes and payroll penalties from using the wrong system. Below you'll find seven payroll options built for construction, from certified payroll specialists to full-service platforms that also handle job costing and multi-state compliance. We'll break down what each one does well, where it falls short, and who it actually fits, so you can pick a system that keeps your crews paid correctly and your business out of the IRS's crosshairs.
1. Tax Experts of OC for integrated payroll and tax support
Most payroll platforms handle wage calculations and nothing else, leaving you to sort out the tax fallout on your own. Tax Experts of OC takes a different approach by pairing payroll processing with the same CPAs and Enrolled Agents who handle your business's tax filings, back tax resolution, and IRS representation. For a construction owner who's already fighting a payroll tax notice or worried about misclassified subcontractors, that combination matters more than another dashboard.
How it works
You start with a free 30-minute consultation where the team reviews your current payroll setup, crew classifications, and any outstanding IRS or state tax issues. From there, they build a payroll process around your business, whether that means weekly certified payroll runs for a government job or monthly runs for a residential crew, and they connect it directly to your bookkeeping and tax planning so nothing gets siloed. Everything runs through virtual consultations, so it doesn't matter if your jobsites are in Orange County or spread across three states.
Key features for construction payroll
The firm's construction clients typically lean on:
- Payroll processing integrated with tax compliance, not sold as a separate add-on
- Multi-state filing support for contractors running crews across state lines
- Back tax and IRS notice resolution if past payroll tax mistakes have already caught up with you
- Bookkeeping and job costing coordination so labor costs tie back to your books accurately
- Direct access to a CPA or Enrolled Agent, not a call center rep reading from a script
When payroll tax mistakes and IRS problems are already part of the picture, you need a provider who fixes both, not just one.
Who it's best for
This option fits contractors already dealing with tax debt, wage garnishments, or unfiled returns alongside their payroll needs, as well as growing construction businesses that want one team managing payroll, bookkeeping, and tax strategy together instead of juggling three vendors.
Pricing
Pricing is quoted after your free consultation based on crew size, filing complexity, and whether you need back tax resolution alongside ongoing payroll. The firm offers flexible payment options for contractors facing financial hardship, which is rare among payroll providers built for larger enterprise clients.
2. Payroll4Construction for full-service certified payroll
Payroll4Construction, built by Foundation Software, is a dedicated payroll service for contractors who need certified payroll handled without touching a spreadsheet. It's not software you run yourself; it's a service where their team processes your payroll and hands back completed certified payroll reports ready for submission.
How it works
You send in hours, job codes, and union or prevailing wage details each pay period, and their staff calculates gross wages, fringe benefits, and withholdings before generating pay stubs and compliance reports. The service pulls prevailing wage rates for your state and county automatically, which cuts down on the manual research most in-house payroll clerks get stuck doing.
Key features for construction payroll
- Certified payroll reports including WH-347 forms generated automatically
- Union payroll support with fringe benefit calculations built in
- Multi-state and multi-rate handling for crews working across jurisdictions
- Job costing integration with Foundation's accounting software
If certified payroll paperwork is eating hours every week, a dedicated service like this hands that burden off entirely.
Who it's best for
This fits general contractors and subcontractors on government-funded projects who need certified payroll done correctly and consistently, especially those without an in-house payroll specialist who understands prevailing wage law.
Pricing
Pricing runs on a per-employee, per-payroll-run basis, and the company quotes rates after reviewing your crew size and reporting needs, so expect a sales call before you see a number.
3. Miter for all-in-one construction payroll and HR
Miter is a newer platform built specifically for contractors who want payroll, HR, and compliance tracking in one system instead of stitching together three separate tools. It's software you log into directly, not a service that processes runs on your behalf, which suits owners who want visibility without waiting on a support ticket.
How it works
Crews clock in through a mobile app tied to GPS-verified job sites, and those hours flow straight into payroll with the correct wage rate applied based on job classification. Certified payroll reports generate automatically from the same time data, and the platform tracks apprentice ratios and union fringe obligations without extra spreadsheets on the side.
Key features for construction payroll
- Mobile time tracking with GPS job-site verification
- Automated certified payroll and WH-347 generation
- Union and prevailing wage rate management by trade and location
- Built-in HR tools for onboarding, benefits, and compliance documents
A platform that ties time tracking directly to wage compliance removes the guesswork that causes certified payroll errors.
Who it's best for
This fits growing contractors who want to manage payroll themselves rather than outsource it, particularly those juggling union and prevailing wage jobs at once and tired of manual HR paperwork on top of payroll runs.
Pricing
Miter charges a monthly base fee plus a per-employee rate, with exact pricing available after a demo call. Expect costs to land in a similar range to other mid-market construction payroll platforms, though HR add-ons can push the total higher.
4. Foundation for payroll tied to job costing
Foundation Software built its payroll module as an extension of its construction accounting platform, not a bolt-on. If you already run job costing through Foundation, adding payroll means your labor costs land directly in the right job and phase without a second data entry step. That tight link is the whole reason contractors pick this over a standalone payroll tool.
How it works
You enter time by job, phase, and cost code, and Foundation applies the correct wage rate, whether that's a union scale or a prevailing wage rate tied to a specific contract. Payroll runs post straight into the general ledger and job cost reports, so your project managers see labor burden updated the same day, not weeks later during reconciliation.
Key features for construction payroll
- Job costing tied directly to payroll, updating labor costs by phase in real time
- Certified payroll and WH-347 reporting built into the same system
- Union payroll support with fringe benefit tracking
- Multi-state tax compliance for contractors working across jurisdictions
When payroll and job costing live in the same system, your project managers stop guessing at labor burden mid-job.
Who it's best for
Foundation fits mid-sized to larger contractors already using its accounting software for job costing and want payroll baked into the same reports rather than reconciled separately.
Pricing
Foundation quotes pricing based on modules and user count, and you'll need a sales conversation to get a real number, since it's sold as part of a broader accounting suite rather than a standalone product.
5. Sage for payroll linked to job cost and GL
Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (formerly Timberline) is a long-standing accounting platform with payroll built into the same database as job costing and the general ledger. Contractors who've used Sage for a decade often stick with it because switching accounting systems is painful, and the payroll module already speaks the same language as their job cost reports.
How it works
You enter time against jobs, phases, and cost codes, and Sage calculates wages using the rules you've set up for union scales or certified payroll requirements. Once processed, payroll transactions post directly to the general ledger and job cost module, so labor costs show up in project reports without a separate import step.
Key features for construction payroll
- Certified payroll and WH-347 reporting built into the core module
- Union payroll and fringe benefit tracking by trade classification
- Job cost and GL integration with no manual reconciliation needed
- Multi-state payroll tax compliance for contractors working across jurisdictions
Payroll that posts straight to job cost and the general ledger saves your accounting team hours of monthly reconciliation.
Who it's best for
Sage fits established contractors already running Sage 300 CRE for accounting and job costing who want payroll native to that same system rather than a separate tool requiring integration work.
Pricing
Sage sells payroll as part of its construction suite, with pricing quoted per module and user count through a sales rep. Expect a higher upfront investment than standalone payroll services, offset by tighter accounting integration.
6. ADP for enterprise scale construction payroll
ADP is the payroll giant most contractors already recognize from other industries, and its construction-specific offering, ADP Workforce Now for Construction, brings that same enterprise infrastructure to contractors managing hundreds of employees across multiple states. If you've outgrown a construction-only payroll tool but still need certified payroll and prevailing wage support, ADP fills that gap with the scale a niche provider can't match.
How it works
You run payroll through ADP's cloud platform, which pulls time data from integrated timekeeping systems and applies wage rules by job, trade, and location. Certified payroll reporting is available through construction-specific modules, though it typically requires configuration or a third-party add-on rather than working out of the box like a dedicated construction tool.
Key features for construction payroll
- Multi-state and multi-entity payroll processing at large scale
- HR, benefits, and compliance tools bundled into the same platform
- Certified payroll add-ons available for government contract work
- Dedicated support teams for large employer accounts
Enterprise scale solves headcount problems that construction-specific tools were never built to handle.
Who it's best for
ADP fits large contractors and national construction firms with substantial HR needs beyond payroll, especially those already running other ADP products who want everything under one vendor.
Pricing
ADP prices based on employee count and module selection, with quotes handled through a sales rep. Costs run higher than construction-only competitors, reflecting the broader HR suite bundled in.
7. Paychex for simple payroll on smaller crews
Paychex is a general-purpose payroll provider that works fine for small contractors who don't need certified payroll or complex union calculations every pay period. It's not built for construction the way Foundation or Payroll4Construction are, but for a crew of five running residential jobs with no government contracts, that's often not a problem worth paying extra to solve.
How it works
You set up employees and pay rates through Paychex's standard payroll platform, then run payroll on whatever schedule fits your business, weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Time can sync from a basic time clock app, and tax filings for federal and state payroll taxes happen automatically in the background, which covers the compliance basics most small crews actually need.
Key features for construction payroll
- Automated payroll tax filing for federal and state obligations
- Basic time tracking integrations for hourly crews
- HR support add-ons for onboarding and benefits
- Multi-state payroll available on higher-tier plans
A simple crew with no certified payroll requirements doesn't need construction-specific software, just reliable basics.
Who it's best for
Paychex fits small residential contractors and specialty trades with no prevailing wage or union obligations, particularly owners who want payroll running in the background without learning a construction-specific system.
Pricing
Paychex prices in tiers starting around $39 per month plus a per-employee fee, with certified payroll and construction-specific reporting unavailable without upgrading to a different product entirely.
Which option fits your construction business
The right choice depends on where your business actually stands today, not which platform has the flashiest dashboard. A five-person residential crew has no business paying for certified payroll modules they'll never use, while a general contractor juggling government contracts across three states needs union fringe tracking and WH-347 reporting that works without manual fixes every pay period. Match the tool to your actual compliance burden, not your ambitions for next year.
But none of these seven options solve a problem that's already landed on your desk: back taxes, IRS notices, or payroll tax penalties from a system that failed you before. That's where integrated payroll and tax support matters more than another feature list. If misclassified workers or unfiled returns are part of your reality right now, payroll software alone won't dig you out.
If that sounds like your situation, schedule a free consultation with Tax Experts of OC and get a payroll system built alongside real IRS resolution, not around it.