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U.S. Public Works

Certified Payroll Bureau

Scope of Service

Certified payroll administration

The Bureau operates the certified payroll workflow for covered projects. The contractor's payroll system, payroll approval and certification authority are unchanged.

Functions

What is performed

Each function below is performed for every covered project and payroll period within the agreed engagement scope.

01

Pre-Payroll Review

Review payroll information against applicable project requirements and identify items requiring correction or confirmation before the payroll record is finalized.

  • Compare recorded worker classifications against the wage schedule established for the project.
  • Verify that base wage and supplement amounts correspond to the applicable schedule for the work period.
  • Check apprentice records against registered ratio and rate information provided by the contractor.
  • Identify hours, days or workers present in project records but absent from the payroll record.
02

Certified Payroll Preparation

Prepare required certified payroll records from approved payroll and project information.

  • Assemble the certified payroll record for each covered project and payroll period.
  • Apply the record format required by the contracting agency or governing jurisdiction.
  • Carry deduction, fringe and supplement detail through to the prepared record.
  • Present the completed record to the contractor for review and certification.
03

Exception Management

Identify incomplete, inconsistent or potentially non-compliant records and obtain the specific factual information required to resolve them.

  • Isolate the specific worker, payroll period and record associated with each exception.
  • State the factual question requiring contractor confirmation.
  • Record the contractor response as part of the project compliance file.
  • Hold material unresolved exceptions out of the ready-for-certification state.
04

Filing Support

Prepare records for applicable electronic filing workflows and maintain submission documentation.

  • Prepare certified payroll records in the format accepted by the applicable filing system.
  • Track submission periods and required filing frequency by project.
  • Retain submission confirmations and related documentation in the project record.
  • Report filing status to the contractor on a per-project basis.
05

Corrections and Amendments

Maintain structured correction and amendment workflows when payroll records require revision.

  • Prepare amended certified payroll records when corrected payroll information is provided.
  • Retain the original record, the correction basis and the amended record together.
  • Prepare restitution documentation where the contractor determines corrective payment is required.
  • Track the status of each correction through to completion.
06

Record Retention

Preserve project-level certified payroll records, supporting documentation and filing history.

  • Maintain certified payroll records organized by project, contract and payroll period.
  • Retain the supporting payroll information used to prepare each record.
  • Retain exception history and contractor confirmations.
  • Produce the assembled project compliance file on contractor request.

Coverage

Jurisdictions

Service is provided in the jurisdictions listed as supported. Jurisdictions in development are stated as such and are confirmed in writing before any engagement.

Supported

Federal Davis-Bacon

Federally funded and federally assisted construction contracts.

Supported

New York Article 8

New York State and municipal public works contracts.

In development

Additional jurisdictions

In development. Availability confirmed before engagement.

Federal Davis-Bacon requirements

Contractors and subcontractors on federal and federally assisted construction contracts covered by the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts are required to submit certified payrolls on a weekly basis.

29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii) · Source: U.S. Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Division · Verified September 9, 2026

Each weekly certified payroll must be accompanied by a signed Statement of Compliance. Form WH-347 is provided for this purpose, and its use is optional provided the required payroll information is furnished.

29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii); 40 U.S.C. §3145 · Source: U.S. Department of Labor — Form WH-347 Instructions · Verified September 9, 2026

How It Works

Operating procedure

The sequence below applies to every covered project and payroll period.

  1. 01

    Project Establishment

    Bureau and Contractor

    The project record is established, including contracting agency, contract identifiers, applicable jurisdiction, prevailing-wage schedule information and required reporting parameters.

  2. 02

    Payroll Data

    Contractor

    The contractor provides payroll, time and relevant project records for each payroll period through the approved intake process. Existing payroll system exports are accepted.

  3. 03

    Compliance Review

    Bureau

    The payroll record is processed through applicable validation and reconciliation procedures, including classification, wage, supplement and hour review against the project schedule.

  4. 04

    Exceptions

    Bureau and Contractor

    The contractor is contacted only when a factual confirmation, missing record or authorized decision is required. Each request identifies the specific worker, period and record involved.

  5. 05

    Certified Payroll

    Bureau

    The certified payroll record is prepared and presented for contractor review. Certification authority remains with the contractor.

  6. 06

    Filing and Record

    Bureau

    Applicable filing documentation is prepared and submitted through the required workflow. The project payroll record is retained as part of the compliance file.

Engagement Scope

Covered projects, jurisdictions, reporting periods and the division of responsibility between the contractor and the Bureau are documented in writing before work begins.

Boundaries

Outside the scope of service

Stated plainly so that responsibilities are not assumed incorrectly.

  • Processing the contractor's payroll or issuing payment to workers.
  • Executing the certification on a certified payroll record.
  • Providing legal advice or representation in an enforcement proceeding.
  • Determining whether a specific project is subject to prevailing wage requirements.
  • Negotiating with contracting agencies on the contractor's behalf.
  • Preparing tax filings or general accounting services.

Information published by Certified Payroll Bureau is general and administrative in nature. It is not legal advice and does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Contractors remain responsible for their own compliance determinations and for the certification of their payroll records.

Engagement

Service Plans

Service is provided as an ongoing operational engagement, priced on active projects and payroll volume.

Certified Payroll Operations

Beginning at $995 per month

  • No implementation fee
  • No payroll software migration
  • Standard certified-payroll administration included
  • Scope based on active projects and payroll volume

Service scope is confirmed in writing before engagement. Contact Payroll Operations for current service availability.

Contact Payroll Operations