Would you trust a pair of dress shoes on a muddy jobsite? Probably not. So why rely on general payroll software to handle the messy, detailed work of contractor payroll?
Most payroll platforms are built for simplicity and broad use. They work fine if you’re paying a handful of office employees the same wage across the board. But construction payroll is a different beast. If your software doesn’t understand union rules, prevailing wages, tax regulations, or job costing, it’s not helping you—it’s holding you back.
What Makes Construction Payroll So Complex?
Construction payroll isn’t a simple numbers game. It’s full of moving parts, and each one matters. You’re not just cutting checks; you’re managing risk, compliance, and crew satisfaction.
Let’s review some of the specifics that make our industry’s payroll so complex:
- Union rules and fringe benefits can change from job to job. If your payroll tool can’t handle union-specific tracking, you’re doing that work by hand.
- Multi-state, multi-trade, and multi-job payroll means workers might have different rates for each site. A basic system like ADP or QuickBooks can’t handle that cleanly.
- Certified payroll reports and Davis-Bacon compliance aren’t optional. If you work on public projects, the government wants those reports to be accurate and on time.
If your software wasn’t built for this, you’re likely spending extra hours each week chasing down errors—or worse, missing compliance marks entirely.
General Payroll Software vs. Contractor-Specific Solutions
General tools like QuickBooks Payroll, Gusto, or Paychex are built for the average business. That’s the problem. They treat your job like it’s average.
These platforms often lack:
- Certified payroll capabilities
- Union reporting tools
- Support for multiple tax jurisdictions
- Job costing that connects labor to the bottom line
The result? Errors, delays, and possible penalties—not to mention wasted weekends trying to clean up a mess the system should’ve caught in the first place.
Features That Actually Serve Contractors
Here’s what you get when your payroll software is designed by people who’ve worked construction, not just coded for it. Our features help contractors with the following:
- Automatic tax calculation by GPS/job for federal, state, and local compliance
- Fringe tracking that matches union requirements
- Certified payroll reports generated with one click
- Job costing that shows exactly where your labor budget is going
- Timecard integration that reduces manual entry
- Track multiple job codes, states, and trades
- Handle contractor vs. employee classification without confusion
Still Using QuickBooks? No Problem.
QuickBooks is great for accounting. But with the discontinuation of Desktop 2022 Payroll services, you need a plan. ConstructionPayroll.com lets you keep your QuickBooks setup intact while giving you the construction-specific payroll tools QuickBooks lacks.
You won’t have to change your whole system—just fix the part that’s broken.
FAQs
What’s the difference between contractor and employee payroll?
Contractor payroll accounts for job-based wage rates, multiple tax jurisdictions, fringe benefits, union dues, and certified reporting. Employee payroll in most industries doesn’t have these layers.
Why doesn’t general payroll software work for contractors?
Because it’s not built to handle shifting job sites, trade rates, union rules, or government compliance, most generic platforms are too limited to meet the real needs of construction businesses.
ConstructionPayroll.com Is Built for Trades Like Yours
Whether you run a roofing crew or manage ten job sites across the state, ConstructionPayroll.com fits right in. Electricians, plumbers, roofers, and more trust our software to help make payday less stressful.
No matter your practice, don’t settle for “okay” payroll software. If your payroll software can’t keep up with the way you run your jobs, it’s time to move on.
Contractor payroll is too detailed, too regulated, and too important to hand over to tools that weren’t made for the trades.
Contact us today to get a quote for how our software can help your company!