A simple guide for contractors: what it is, who needs it, how often it's filed and what happens if it's done wrong — everything you need to know about the WH-347 and prevailing wage in Maryland.
Certified Payroll is an official payroll report that contractors must submit when they work on publicly funded projects, state or federal, in Maryland.
Maryland's prevailing wage law requires paying each worker a minimum hourly wage set for their classification (the base wage plus benefits, or fringe benefits). Once the checks are issued at that wage, the payroll must be reported in certified form to the contracting agency. At the federal level (Davis-Bacon Act), that report is filed on the WH-347 form.
In short: it's week-by-week proof that your workers are being paid what the law requires on that project. It's a sensitive, closely reviewed matter — which is why it's best left in expert hands.
You need Certified Payroll if your company does government-funded construction work. It generally applies when there are:
Contracts with a Maryland state entity that receive state funds.
Including, for example, school construction.
Jobs with federal funds that require the WH-347 form.
Responsibility can be shared between the contractor and their subcontractors.
Not sure if your contract applies? We'll review it together in a free consultation.
We handle the entire certified payroll process, so you can focus on the job site instead of the paperwork.
These reports can be audited right on the job site. A mistake, a payment below the required wage, or a delay can get very expensive:
For each payroll report filed late.
For each employee paid below prevailing wage.
Plus payment of back wages with interest.
You can be barred from future public contracts, state or federal.
* Rules and amounts may vary by project and jurisdiction. We review your specific case in a free consultation.
Leave your payroll and certified payroll in expert hands. One team, on time and penalty-free. The first consultation is free.