Certified Payroll Requirements by State

If you win work on a public construction project, you almost certainly have to submit certified payroll — a weekly record that proves you paid every worker at least the prevailing wage for their classification. The confusing part for a first-time subcontractor is that there isn't one universal rule. There are really two systems, and sometimes both apply to the same crew in the same week.

Federal jobs: the WH-347

Federally funded or federally assisted construction over $2,000 falls under the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts. On those jobs you file a weekly certified payroll — usually on Form WH-347 or an equivalent that carries the same data — within seven days of the regular pay date, and you sign the Statement of Compliance on page 2 (29 CFR 5.5). One report per project, per week, for as long as your crew is on site.

State jobs: "little Davis-Bacon" laws

Roughly half the states have their own prevailing-wage laws — often called little Davis-Bacon laws — that cover state- and locally funded public works. These set their own wage determinations, thresholds, and, importantly, their own filing format and submission method. The other states have no state prevailing-wage law at all, so on a state-only job there you may owe nothing extra.

On many state and local projects, a WH-347-style report is accepted as long as it carries the required information and certification. But some states mandate their own electronic format and will reject a plain WH-347. California is the clearest example: its Department of Industrial Relations requires electronic certified payroll records (eCPR) uploaded to the DIR system in a specific format, so a paper WH-347 alone does not satisfy a California state job.

Certified payroll requirements by state

The table below is a quick orientation, not a substitute for your contract. Each state's awarding agency can layer on its own portal or rules, so always confirm your specific project's required submission method.

Cadence is the detail that catches people moving between states: the federal system is weekly, but Connecticut and Illinois are monthly, Minnesota and Maryland run on fourteen-day clocks, and Ohio switches from one to the other after the first pay period. If your state isn't listed here, start with your awarding agency's contract documents — the required form and portal are almost always named there.

The math travels, even when the form doesn't

Here's the reassuring part: whatever form or portal a state uses, the underlying wage math is essentially the same everywhere it mirrors Davis-Bacon. Get these three right and the underlying numbers hold up no matter which form or portal a state uses:

• Prevailing wage = base rate + fringe. You satisfy the fringe portion with contributions to bona-fide plans, cash paid in lieu, or a combination — but the total package has to meet base plus fringe. Fringe shortfalls are the number one audit finding.
• Overtime is 1.5× the base rate, plus fringe at straight time. Fringe is not multiplied by 1.5.
• Never print a full Social Security number. Certified payroll shows only the last four digits of the SSN.

A quick worked example. A laborer earns a $20.00 base rate with $8.00 in fringe paid as cash, and works 50 hours in the week (40 straight, 10 overtime). The overtime hourly rate is 1.5 × $20.00 + $8.00 = $38.00 — not $42.00. The common mistake is to compute 1.5 × ($20.00 + $8.00), which overpays the fringe on overtime hours and, more importantly, signals to an auditor that the method is wrong. Straight-time gross is 40 × $28.00 = $1,120.00 and overtime gross is 10 × $38.00 = $380.00, for $1,500.00 total.

How to figure out what your project needs

1. Read the contract and the wage determination. It names the funding source (federal, state, or both), the classifications, and the exact rates you must meet.
2. Identify the funding. Federal money means Davis-Bacon and the WH-347. State or local money can trigger a little Davis-Bacon law with its own format. Jobs with both may require two submissions.
3. Confirm the submission method. Ask the awarding agency or general contractor whether they want a WH-347, a state form, or an upload to a portal such as the DIR eCPR system or LCPtracker.
4. File on schedule. Federal is weekly within seven days of your pay date; state deadlines vary (Illinois, for instance, is monthly). Missing a submission can hold up your payment.

Whichever format your job requires, the fastest way to get the wage math right is to let a tool check it for you — try the free WH-347 builder to generate a fringe-checked report in minutes, or see pricing for ongoing use.