Best certified payroll software for contractors
Certified payroll software turns weekly payroll into the reports public owners require on Davis-Bacon and state prevailing wage jobs. Some tools only produce the reports from payroll you already run. Others run the whole payroll and generate the reports as a by-product.
If you already run payroll somewhere else and just need clean reports, a reporting tool like LCPcertified is the most direct fit, and it is one of the few with published prices. If you want payroll and certified reports handled together, look at construction payroll services like eBacon or Payroll4Construction, or a construction accounting system like Foundation or Deltek ComputerEase. Pricing and features below were checked on vendor sites in October 2026.
What the software has to produce
On federally covered jobs, the U.S. Department of Labor says contractors and subcontractors must submit payroll information weekly. Use of Form WH-347 itself is optional, but each certified payroll needs a signed Statement of Compliance, either page 2 of the WH-347 or a document with identical wording. The DOL page notes that photocopied or scanned signatures do not meet the signature requirement, while legally valid electronic signatures do. Many states run their own prevailing wage programs with their own forms and portals; see prevailing wage rules by state.
So the software needs to do four things well:
- Apply the right wage determination rate and classification to every worker on every job.
- Handle fringe benefits paid in cash, to plans, or both, and credit them correctly.
- Produce the federal report and any state format, including electronic uploads where the agency requires them.
- Support a valid signature and keep an archive of every report submitted.
Two kinds of certified payroll software
Reporting tools take payroll data you already have and build the certified reports. They are cheaper and faster to start, but someone still has to make sure the payroll itself paid the right rate. Payroll systems calculate pay using prevailing wage rates and produce the reports from the same data. They cost more to switch to, but there is one source of truth. A drywall sub with two public jobs a year leans toward the first. A site contractor with half its revenue on DOT and school work leans toward the second.
6 certified payroll options
1. LCPcertified (LCPtracker)
Fits: subcontractors and self-performing contractors who need certified payroll reports but do not manage other firms' compliance. LCPcertified lists more than 50 validation checks, support for the updated WH-347 with expanded fringe, apprentice, and classification fields, payroll imports from providers such as HH2 and Paychex, and XML export for California, Washington, and Maryland portals. Pricing (published): Plus is $12 per report, or $145 a month for up to 5 active projects, or annual tiers from $1,300 (10 projects) to $7,400 (unlimited). Professional adds bulk processing, auto distribution, and summary reports, from $1,900 a year for 10 projects up to $18,200 for 450. LCPtracker's broader platform also serves public agencies and prime contractors; see LCPtracker alternatives.
2. eBacon
Fits: open-shop and merit-shop contractors with 15 to 500 employees. eBacon runs prevailing wage payroll, annualizes fringe, and generates the WH-347, state certified payroll forms, and agency electronic uploads. It also offers mobile GPS clock-in, a bona fide fringe trust for non-union work, job costing reports, and links to more than 40 accounting platforms. Pricing: not published; eBacon offers a demo.
3. Payroll4Construction
Fits: contractors who want payroll handled as a service. Contractors submit time, and the service runs payroll, generates certified payroll reports after each run, handles prevailing wage rates across trades and jurisdictions, union payroll with home and away fringe logic, and multi-state payroll. The site says it is powered by Foundation. Pricing: custom; the site offers a quote form that shows pricing after you submit it.
4. Foundation Software
Fits: contractors who want certified payroll inside full construction accounting. Foundation's payroll handles multiple jobs, localities, rates, and trades on a single timecard, covers prevailing wage and union rules, and includes certified payroll reports, alongside job costing and general ledger. Pricing: modular quote; job costing and payroll are built-in modules.
5. Deltek ComputerEase
Fits: residential, commercial, and specialty trade contractors who want payroll and job cost in one system. Deltek lists union payroll, prevailing wage, fringe credits, and certified payroll among the payroll tools. Pricing: not published; Deltek says you pay only for the first month when you start a license.
6. Knowify Enterprise
Fits: QuickBooks Online contractors who occasionally bid public work. Knowify lists prevailing wage as an added-fee option on its quote-only Enterprise plan; it is not included on Core or Advanced. Confirm what reports it produces for your states before you rely on it.
Comparison table
| Tool | Type | Best fit | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCPcertified | Reporting tool | Subs and self-performers | From $12 per report or $145/mo (5 projects) |
| eBacon | Payroll with certified reports | Open-shop, 15 to 500 employees | Not published |
| Payroll4Construction | Payroll service | Contractors outsourcing payroll | Custom quote |
| Foundation | Construction accounting and payroll | Payroll-heavy contractors | Modular quote |
| Deltek ComputerEase | Construction accounting and payroll | Commercial, residential, specialty trades | Not published |
| Knowify Enterprise | Project tool with add-on | QuickBooks contractors, light public work | Quote plus added fee |
Here is how the choice plays out on a real week. Say an electrical sub has 14 workers on a county library job, six of them on the job this week, split between journeyman and apprentice classifications. The bookkeeper runs payroll in a general payroll service, then exports hours and gross pay. With a reporting tool, she imports that file, the tool flags an apprentice paid below the listed rate, she fixes payroll, and the report goes out. With a construction payroll system, the rate is set on the job before payroll runs, so the flag never happens. Both work. The second costs more to set up and less time every Friday.
How to choose
- Count reports, not jobs. Weekly reporting on three jobs for 30 weeks is 90 reports. At $12 each that is $1,080, which is close to the $1,300 annual tier for 10 projects. Run your own math.
- Check your states. If you work in California, Washington, or Maryland, confirm the tool exports the format those portals accept.
- Ask about fringe. Make sure the tool handles your mix of cash fringe, plan contributions, and annualization.
- Test a correction. Ask how the tool handles a revised report when a worker was misclassified last week.
- Plan for subs. If you are the prime, you will also be gathering payrolls from every sub on the job; see how to collect certified payroll from subcontractors.
Smart Business Automator prepares certified payroll and compliance documents alongside job costing and subcontractor tracking, priced from $19 per user per month on Starter. It is preparation software that connects to your payroll and accounting, not a payroll service. See certified payroll automation or walk through how to do certified payroll step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Is Form WH-347 required?
The U.S. Department of Labor says use of Form WH-347 is optional, but contractors on covered federal jobs must submit payroll information weekly with a signed Statement of Compliance, either on page 2 of the WH-347 or in a document with identical wording.
How much does certified payroll software cost?
Few vendors publish prices. LCPcertified listed $12 per report, or $145 a month for up to 5 active projects, with annual tiers from $1,300 as of October 2026. eBacon, Payroll4Construction, Foundation, and ComputerEase are quote-only.
Can QuickBooks do certified payroll?
QuickBooks Online's pricing page does not list certified payroll. Many QuickBooks users add a reporting tool such as LCPcertified, or use a construction payroll service, to produce the reports.
Are electronic signatures allowed on certified payroll?
According to the DOL, legally valid electronic signatures are acceptable, while photocopies or scanned signatures are not.
What is the difference between LCPtracker and LCPcertified?
LCPtracker's platform serves public agencies, prime contractors, and subcontractors. LCPcertified is its product for subs and self-performing contractors who need to produce certified payroll reports without managing other firms' compliance.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Form WH-347 (checked October 2026)
- LCPtracker: LCPcertified product and pricing (checked October 2026)
- LCPtracker: Home page, audiences and products
- eBacon: Home page
- Payroll4Construction: Home page
- Foundation Software: Home page, payroll and products
- Deltek: ComputerEase product page
- Knowify: Pricing (checked October 2026)
