📄 Complete Your Certified Payroll Report

Once you’ve exported clean payroll and time data, the final step is assembling a certified payroll report that accurately reflects what was worked and paid. The goal is not perfection in formatting – it’s consistency, traceability, and alignment with the applicable wage determination.

This page walks through how to complete the report itself, regardless of whether you’re using a federal or state form.

Choose the Correct Report

Start by confirming which certified payroll form is required:

  • WH-347 for most federal Davis-Bacon jobs
  • State-specific forms for state or local prevailing wage projects

The prime contractor or awarding agency typically specifies the required format. When in doubt, ask – submitting the wrong form is a common reason for rejection.

Enter Classifications & Hours

For each employee:

  • List each classification worked during the reporting period
  • Report hours by classification, not just total hours
  • Ensure classifications exactly match those listed in the wage determination

If an employee worked multiple classifications in a week, they must appear on separate lines.

Report Base Rate vs. Fringe

Certified payroll requires transparency:

  • Report the base hourly rate paid
  • Report the fringe rate, whether paid in cash or offset by benefits

Do not combine base and fringe into a single number. Even when fringe is paid entirely in cash, it should still be shown distinctly.

Deductions & Net Pay

Include:

  • All legally required deductions
  • Any voluntary deductions permitted by law
  • Net pay that reconciles to the pay stub

Certified payroll reviewers frequently check that gross pay minus deductions equals net pay – simple math errors trigger follow-up.

Statement of Compliance

Most reports require a signed Statement of Compliance affirming that:

  • Workers were paid correctly
  • Classifications are accurate
  • Fringe obligations were satisfied

This is a legal attestation. Make sure the information in the report supports it.

Common Issues to Double-Check

Before submission:

  • Classifications match the wage determination
  • Hours align with time records
  • Rates align with payroll records
  • Totals reconcile to pay stubs

Discrepancies here cause delays – even if wages were paid correctly.

Key Takeaway

Completing certified payroll is about accuracy and alignment, not speed.
If your report clearly ties time worked to wages paid under the correct determination, reviewers have little reason to push back.

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