(650) 332-8623The 8 Best Construction Payroll Software Solutions for 2026
Looking for construction payroll software for your business? We’ve reviewed 8 of the best apps on the market to help you!
Keeping payroll accurate shouldn’t slow down your projects. In construction, every hour and rate matters, and the right construction payroll software keeps it all running smoothly. It connects the field and the office, tracks labor costs in real time, and ensures your crew gets paid correctly without the usual back-and-forth.
I’ve tested and compared the leading platforms built for construction teams, from general contractors to multi-site operations. Check out my picks for the best construction payroll software of 2026 and see which one can make your next pay cycle your easiest yet.
Top Construction Payroll Software Solutions at a Glance
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Our score |
8.0 |
8.0 |
7.8 |
Best for |
Widely used payroll software for automated payroll processing and more. |
Automated hiring, onboarding, and payroll management |
Easy-to-use payroll software offering specialized solutions. |
Pricing |
Starts at $75 / month + $6 / employee per month |
Quote-based pricing |
Quote-based pricing |
What is construction payroll software?
Construction payroll software is a purpose-built tool that simplifies one of the toughest parts of running a construction business: managing payroll across different projects, pay rates, and job sites. It’s designed to handle the industry’s moving parts, from union and prevailing wage rules to certified payroll reporting, all while keeping tax calculations and deductions accurate and up to date.
Contractors, payroll admins, and project managers use it to save time and reduce errors that come with manual data entry or generic payroll systems. Many platforms also integrate with time-tracking apps and accounting software, so hours worked in the field flow directly into payroll.
The main payoff is precision and control. With construction payroll software, businesses can ensure employees are paid correctly, stay compliant with complex labor laws, and gain real-time insight into labor costs.
How construction payroll software works
Construction payroll software works quietly behind the scenes to bring order to what can easily become chaos. In a typical week, crew members clock in and out from the job site, often using a mobile app, and those hours automatically sync back to the payroll system.
Instead of sorting through handwritten timecards or spreadsheets, the software instantly connects each worker’s time to the correct project, pay rate, and job code.
From there, payroll practically runs itself. The system calculates regular and overtime pay, applies deductions and taxes, and generates paychecks or direct deposits with just a few approvals. It also keeps track of complex construction rules like union wages, certified payroll, and multi-state compliance, all the things that usually slow payroll down.
Benefits of construction payroll software
- Accurate pay every time – Automatically calculates regular, overtime, and prevailing wages, so crews are paid correctly no matter how complex the job or schedule
- Fewer payroll headaches – Say goodbye to manual timesheets and late-night number crunching because the software handles calculations, filings, and reports for you.
- Simplified compliance – Keeps up with changing labor laws, certified payroll requirements, and union rules, helping you avoid costly mistakes or penalties
- Real-time labor insights – Gives you clear visibility into labor costs by job, crew, or project, so you can spot overruns before they happen
- Seamless field-to-office connection – Syncs hours and job data directly from the field into payroll, eliminating duplicate data entry and reducing errors
- Time savings across the board – Streamlined workflows mean payroll can be processed in minutes instead of hours, freeing up your team for higher-value tasks.
- Happier, more informed employees – Workers can easily access pay stubs, hours, and benefits, building trust and cutting down on back-and-forth questions.
How much does construction payroll software cost?
Pricing for construction payroll software usually depends on how your team is structured. Most providers charge a monthly base fee plus a per-employee rate, often between $5 and $12 per user. Some offer flat-rate plans that cover a certain number of employees, which is great for growing crews.
It’s common to see a free trial or demo to test the system before committing. Implementation and training costs typically range from $100 to $500, depending on how much setup and support your business needs.
What to look for in construction payroll software
Focus on the essential features that keep your payroll accurate, compliant, and consistent week after week. These are the tools that make a real difference in daily operations and should come standard in any system you consider.
- Automated wage and tax calculations: Ensures accurate pay, deductions, and filings across multiple job sites, states, or pay rates.
- Time tracking integration: Syncs hours from the field directly into payroll to prevent manual entry errors.
- Certified payroll and compliance tools: Keeps you in line with union rules, prevailing wages, and government reporting requirements.
- Job costing and reporting: Links labor costs to specific projects so you can track profitability in real time.
Once those basics are covered, the next step is to look for features that make payroll not just easier but smarter.
- Mobile access: Lets managers review and approve payroll from anywhere.
- GPS-based time tracking: Adds accountability and accuracy for remote crews.
- Custom reporting and analytics: Delivers deeper insight into labor trends and project performance.
- Dedicated onboarding and support: Helps your team implement the system smoothly and resolve issues quickly.
Choosing the best construction payroll software
Here’s a simple process to guide your decision:
- Start with your workflow: List how you currently manage payroll and identify the bottlenecks. This helps you focus on tools that solve real jobsite and back-office challenges.
- Compare options built for construction: Look at at least three platforms that handle union rules, certified payroll, and job costing, which are features that generic payroll systems often overlook
- Try before you buy: Take advantage of demos or free trials to see how easily you can import time data, assign cost codes, and approve pay runs.
- Check integrations and support: Make sure it connects seamlessly with your accounting or project management tools, and that help is available when you need it.
- Weigh value over price: The best option isn’t just the cheapest. It’s the one that saves time, prevents compliance issues, and keeps your payroll accurate week after week.
The Bottom Line
Accurate payroll starts long before payday. It begins with precise data from the field. Tools like QuickBooks Payroll, ADP, and Gusto make processing faster and compliance easier. But what truly ensures accuracy is reliable time tracking.
Workyard delivers exactly that, capturing every hour, job, and crew location in real time so payroll runs are right the first time. By pairing your payroll software with Workyard’s GPS-verified time tracking, you can eliminate guesswork, reduce admin work, and keep projects profitable. Every paycheck reflects real work, every report aligns with the field, and payroll finally feels effortless.
Try Workyard free today and experience how better data makes payroll simple.
Our Scoring System Explained
Our 8-part scoring system was created to help you understand the potential value of any software we review simply and fairly.
We created it after reviewing dozens of software products, which we covered in depth, but without providing a direct and simple way for readers to compare products on their merits – without spending a lot of time looking through our articles for the information they needed to make an informed decision.
Every app we review will include Customer Support and Company scores, which we’ll explain in more detail below. Many of the factors reviewed in this article will also be consistent across most (or all) of our software reviews, with some differences:
The 8 factors assessed and their contribution to a product’s overall score may differ slightly from product to product based on various factors, such as the use case we’re reviewing for, the type of business these products are tailored to, and other considerations. However, all reviews will feature an 8-part score, weighted and combined to calculate each product’s overall score.
How We Score Software
All factors in our reviews are scored on a 10-point scale – technically 11 points – from 0-10. However, we only give products a score of 0 if it does not include an essential feature at all, and we try to avoid giving out 0 scores if a product can demonstrate any functionality in line with the specific factor being reviewed.
In general, the 0-10 range translates as:
- 9.0 – 10 – One of the absolute best in its category (amazing).
- 7.5 – 8.9 – Very good, but with some minor issues (very good).
- 6.0 – 7.4 – Mediocre performance with notable shortcomings (average).
- 3.0 – 5.9 – This feature is not ready for prime time (borderline).
- 1.0 – 2.9 – This feature actually makes its product worse (unacceptable).
- 0 – The product doesn’t include this important feature at all.
How We Calculate Overall Scores
The 8 factors reviewed are weighted based on an overall total of 100%:
- Ease of Use: 20%
- Time Tracking Accuracy: 20%
- Scheduling Features: 15%
- Job Tracking: 15%
- Integrations: 10%
- Customer Support: 15%
- Company: 5%
Methodology for Each Factor
Ease of Use
We evaluate a product’s ease of use based on three main considerations:
- How easy is it to set up this app?
- How easy is it for managers to use the backend dashboard?
- How easy is it for frontline workers to use the (mobile) app?
These three considerations cover the main ways you and your team would use the software being reviewed – when you first obtain it, when someone (a manager, executive, team leader, or similar role) needs to use it to manage people, money, data, and other things, and when workers you’re tracking use the app (usually a mobile version of the software designed for frontline and/or field team members) to clock in, clock out, record time worked, or address other day-to-day needs.
Time Tracking Accuracy
Every minute matters when you’re trying to control payroll costs. This factor accounts for various features and common needs in time-tracking apps, such as…
- How accurate or precise is its GPS tracking capability?
- How accurate – and how customizable – is its geofencing feature?
- How accurate is its travel and mileage tracking (if available)?
- Can it automatically clock workers in and out based on the above?
- Can you set and/or restrict rules for clocking in and out?
- Can the app continue tracking workers while offline?
- How easy is its mobile app and/or kiosk for frontline workers?
Scheduling Features
Many construction businesses prefer to manage as many aspects of employee labor activity as possible in a single app, which is why many time-tracking apps also include worker scheduling as a core feature.
When we consider a product’s scheduling features, we look at:
- Its dashboard customizability (daily, weekly, or monthly views).
- Its project-based scheduling and visibility.
- Its real-time updates and notifications for workers.
- Its real-time map views of worker locations for best-fit scheduling.
- Its recurring schedule (copies to subsequent weeks, etc.) functionality.
Job Tracking
This factor helps you understand if the software can also provide insight into specific projects, which is particularly handy when your business deals with many customers or clients who generally need shorter-term work. Effective job tracking typically also includes accurate job costing functionality for construction companies.
We assess several things when calculating a product’s job tracking score:
- Its project-based tracking for multiple projects per day/week/etc.
- Its ability to track multiple / many projects simultaneously.
- Its use of (and your ability to customize) construction cost codes.
- Any built-in job costing views.
- Any integrations for cost coding (QuickBooks etc.)
Integrations
No business can operate on a single app, which is why integrations with other apps and tools are such important aspects of modern business software.
To calculate a product’s integration score, we’ll examine:
- How many native integrations (the simplest connection) does it offer?
- How effective and easy-to-use are its integrations with payroll software?
- Does it have robust data import and export features?
Customer Support
Learning how to use a new app can be frustrating, even if it’s meant to be the most user-friendly app around. That’s why great customer support is so essential when considering which time-tracking app to use.
Customer support scores are calculated based on:
- Live support channels available (phone, email, chat, etc.).
- Live support hours (business hours only, 24/7, etc.).
- The strength of the product’s online help center and/or FAQs.
- What other users say about support in online reviews.
Company
A great company with a highly customer-friendly approach can often make up for shortcomings in their software products – at least up to a point.
When assessing this score, we’ll examine:
- Transparency (easy-to-find pricing, etc.)
- Trial period (duration, feature availability, credit card requirements, etc.).
- Subscription flexibility (contracts, required durations, etc.).
- Ease of cancellation or pausing subscriptions.
- Customer perceptions (online product reviews).
- Website (a minor consideration, but great companies tend to have great websites).
Any questions about our scoring system? Have any suggestions on how we could make it even better? Click here to send us your feedback – we’d love to hear from you!Qui
The best construction payroll software for small businesses depends on specific needs and requirements. However, some top-performing options include:
- Gusto – An affordable and user-friendly solution that offers features such as managing multiple pay rates, tracking contractor payments, and detailed reporting. It’s suitable for small construction businesses that need to pay contractors and remote employees.
- QuickBooks Payroll – A popular choice among small and large businesses alike. It offers advanced features like managing multiple pay rates, timesheet approval, and detailed project labor cost tracking. Due to its construction-specific tools and compliance assistance, it is beneficial for construction companies.
- ADP Payroll – A comprehensive solution that provides tools for managing union wages and benefits, flexible payment options, and employee self-service portals. It suits small construction businesses that navigate complex payroll and HR requirements.
- Rippling – Offers a range of features, including time tracking, direct deposit, and detailed reporting. It’s known for its ease of use and flexibility in managing payroll for employees and contractors.
- eBacon – Excel is easy to use and offers automated payroll processing, compliance management, and detailed reporting features. It’s suitable for small construction businesses prioritizing simplicity and accuracy in their payroll processes.
An employment bond, often referred to as a work bond or service agreement, is a contractual arrangement between an employer and an employee that goes beyond the typical terms of an employment contract. This legally binding document outlines specific conditions and commitments that both parties agree to during the course of employment.
In practice, bonds usually set a fixed service period and may require repayment of employer-covered costs (e.g., training, relocation) if the employee leaves early. Employers use bonds to protect their investment and promote retention, since potential paybacks discourage premature exits.
Terms vary by company and jurisdiction, so review the agreement before signing and understand any financial obligations tied to early termination; violating a bond can trigger agreed damages or other remedies.
To calculate Davis-Bacon wages, contractors must follow prevailing wage requirements set by the U.S. Department of Labor for federally funded projects. Key steps include:
- Identify job classifications: Match workers (e.g., laborers, electricians) to correct categories.
- Check prevailing rates: Use DOL wage determinations for your project’s location.
- Add fringe benefits: Include health, retirement, or vacation pay.
- Calculate pay: Multiply wage rate by hours worked.
- Apply overtime: Pay 1.5× for extra hours.
- Verify compliance: Review calculations against contract and labor standards.
Contract labor on Schedule C refers to payments made to independent contractors or subcontractors, not employees, for work done on behalf of a business. These costs are deductible business expenses.
- Definition: Independent contractors hired for projects or tasks.
- Reporting: Entered under Contract Labor on Schedule C.
- Tax forms: Issue a 1099-NEC (or 1099-MISC before 2020) if payments exceed $600.
- Deductions: Reduces taxable income as a business expense.
- Difference from wages: Contractors get a 1099; employees receive a W-2.