Construction Payroll Software: The 5 Best Platforms to Simplify Payroll

Running a construction business with an hourly crew? You already know it’s a juggling act. Between different job sites, shifting schedules, and a million things on your plate, keeping everything running smoothly is no small feat. But when it comes to your construction payroll software? That shouldn't be the hard part.

You need a construction payroll system that keeps up—and makes life easier by tracking hours and calculating pay automatically, even when you’ve got people clocking in from all over, working different hours on different projects. 

So what’s the best software for a construction company like yours? We’ve rounded up this year’s best construction payroll software options—here’s what you need to know before you hit “run payroll.”

TL;DR: Best Construction Payroll Software in 2025

Here are our top 5 picks for construction payroll software platforms at a glance:

• Homebase – Best overall payroll tool for construction businesses with busy hourly teams. The free plan covers time tracking, payroll, and messaging for up to 20 employees—so you can stay connected to your team, even when you’re working at different sites. 
• QuickBooks Payroll – Best payroll system for construction businesses already using QuickBooks. It integrates with accounting, automates tax filings, and lets you set up direct deposit.
• ADP – Best for growing construction companies that need detailed reports and advanced features. ADP combines payroll (including global payroll), HR, and compliance, so your policies can grow with your team.
• Gusto – Best for small construction businesses that want to offer employee benefits from the get-go. Gusto covers payroll, benefits, compliance—and works for salaried, remote, or contractor teams. 
• Payroll4Construction – Best for industry-specific features. Designed for construction payroll, it handles prevailing wage, certified payroll, and job costing. Plus—it’s got union and compliance needs built in.

What is construction payroll software?

Construction payroll software handles wages, taxes, time tracking, and union rules. It gets your crew paid properly (and on time). It keeps the IRS happy. And it stops you from pulling your hair out over old-school spreadsheets. It’s like your jobsite's number-crunching foreman.

Because of how many variables there are in construction, as a business owner you need good payroll software more than most. You’ve got different employee types, employees and contractors being paid at different rates, moving targets with every project—it gets really complicated, really fast. 

So, what should you be looking for in your payroll software?

Top construction payroll software features to look for as a small business

We get it, you’re busy! Here’s what to look for when choosing your payroll software.

1. GPS time tracking

Juggling crews at different sites? Turn every jobsite into a time clock using payroll with a GPS time clock app. Workers can clock in right from their phones—no more detours to HQ. Less driving, more doing.

Plus, if you set up geolocation, your team can only clock in once they're within a certain distance from the work site. This helps you keep a handle on time theft and spend less time checking time clock punches.

2. Multi-rate pay + taxes

Got a plumber, an admin assistant, and an architect all working on the same project? When you’ve got so many roles on your team—each with different pay grades and hours—you need a bird’s eye view of what’s going on. You want payroll software that keeps pay rates, taxes, and hours all in one place, and stores someone’s pay rate once you enter it.

Come tax time, a good system keeps all the records you need. You’re not only saving yourself mistakes, you’re saving hours of work you could’ve spent doing literally anything else (like actually building stuff). 

3. Compliance tools

Break laws, minimum wage laws, overtime rules, minor work restrictions, predictive scheduling laws—it’s a lot! Get labor laws wrong, and it’ll cost you more than a busted tool. You could get slammed with fines, license suspension, even lawsuits. Not to mention what it does to morale and worker retention.

Construction payroll software with built-in compliance alerts takes away the guesswork and stress. Great payroll software automatically tracks things like PTO rules and overtime thresholds based on your location. It’ll notify you when someone’s getting close to overtime, plus help you identify patterns. 

4. Job costing reports

Job costing keeps tabs on every penny—labor, materials, overhead—so you can bid smart and stay profitable. Depending on the size and scope of your business, consider software that bakes job costing reports right into your payroll.

Best construction payroll software tools for 2025

At the end of the day, you want something that lets your team focus on the job at hand. Here’s a look at the payroll software that’s making life easier for construction pros in 2025.

1. Homebase: Best all-around construction payroll software for small hourly teams

Looking for the best construction payroll software for hourly teams? Homebase is great to have in your corner. Homebase works if you're running a busy, shift-based crew—plus, it's easy to use and budget-friendly. It covers everything from time tracking to scheduling to payroll, and teams can clock in from different job sites right from their phones.

Pros:

• Keep job sites secure and staffed. Crews can clock in from their phones—and GPS, photo proof, and PINs let you know who's on site
• Turn clock-ins into timesheets—tracking hours, OT, and pay rates—in just a few clicks
• Stay on the right side of labor laws with compliance tools to track breaks, overtime, and certifications—all in one place
• Message your crew, send real-time updates, and get check-ins without chasing down texts across different apps

Cons:

• Tracks time by person, rather than by project
• If you’re working on government jobs, you’ll need to a third-party tool to handle certified payroll reports and prevailing wage tracking

2. QuickBooks Payroll: The most robust construction payroll system

QuickBooks got its start in payroll and is probably one of the first names that comes to mind. If you're already using QuickBooks for accounting, payroll fits right in—no double entry, just seamless syncing. The most robust option, it automates your payroll, pays your contractors via direct deposit, and handles your tax filings. 

Pros:

• Seamless integration with QuickBooks, putting everything from paychecks to year-end forms in one place
• Automatically calculates, files, and pays your federal and state payroll taxes for you
• Easily pay employees via direct deposit and even send payments to contractors

Cons:

• Can get pricey if you’re just using it for payroll
• Some say it’s a higher learning curve

3. ADP: Best for larger construction companies

Do you see your construction business growing into a big enterprise? ADP goes beyond payroll—it gives you flexible tools to use as you scale up. It has a big focus on compliance, workforce tracking, and reporting. So if you want detailed reports and advanced features down the road, ADP might fit the bill perfectly.

Pros:

• Scalable for growing businesses, with global payroll options
• Great for managing compliance, with built-in tools for tax, labor laws, and HR guidance
• In-depth reporting and analytics give you real-time insights, helping you track payroll trends, monitor labor costs, and make data-driven decisions 
• A one-stop shop for all things HR, from retirement plans to health benefits

Cons:

• Can be pricey for smaller companies

4. Gusto: Best for integrated benefits 

Gusto is an all-in-one payroll and HR sidekick, great for managing salaried employees, remote teams, or both. It's stronger in areas like benefits admin, onboarding, compliance, and HR tools. If you’re a growing business looking for more all-in-one support beyond just time tracking and payroll, Gusto could be a great fit.

Pros:

• Combines payroll, benefits, and HR tools into one super-friendly platform that’s easy to navigate
• Automatically files payroll taxes and generates tax forms, keeping you compliant 
• Scales with your business, whether you're paying salaried employees, contractors, or offering benefits 

Cons:

• Advanced project and time tracking are only available on the pricier plans

5. Payroll4Construction: Best if you need to do certified payroll reporting

Payroll4Construction is made just for construction teams, especially those taking on government jobs. It tackles the tricky stuff like union wages, certified payroll, and prevailing wage rules, creating reports for you so you can focus on delivering.

Pros:

• Specifically built for the construction industry
• Handles certified payroll reports with ease, keeping you compliant on government jobs
• Easy to use with features like project costing and job tracking for better visibility

Cons:

• Pricing can be a bit steep for smaller businesses, especially if you don’t need all the features

How to choose the best construction payroll software for your business

Find payroll software that fits your crew, your chaos, and your compliance needs.

Choose the right platform for your team, based on:

• Team size – Tiny crew or big squad? Pick software that fits, and avoid overkill to manage your bottom line.
• Number of job sites – One site or ten? If you’ve got multiple job sites, go for something with GPS to track locations easily.
• Complexity – Managing a project with shift swaps, multi-rate pay, or across multiple states? Choose software that can keep up with the chaos.
• Compliance needs – From overtime laws to certified payroll and local labor regulations, your software should have compliance locked down tight.

What is certified payroll and why you need to care

Let’s go back to certified payroll. What is it, exactly? Well, when you're working on a government-funded job, Uncle Sam wants receipts—literally. Construction companies have to file certified payroll reports every week, showing who's getting paid what, for how many hours, and what kind of work they’re doing. That means:

• Wages
• Fringe benefits
• Hours worked
• Job duties

Each state might have its own spin on the rules, but the big idea is the same: making sure you're playing fair with prevailing wage laws (and not taking shortcuts).

If you mess up certified payroll reports, it can cost you big time. We’re talking fines, getting booted off government jobs, or even being banned from future contracts. Done right, it shows you’re legit, playing by the rules, and treating your crew right. 

Homebase: Taking care of your construction payroll software needs

No matter what kind of team you run, good construction payroll software doesn't just solve problems. It simplifies your entire business.

If you’re a small business owner in the construction industry with an hourly team, Homebase goes beyond helping you pay your people. Hire, schedule, track time, pay your team, and stay compliant—all in one simple mobile app. 

When it comes to simple, efficient payroll for your shift workers, Homebase covers all your bases:

Flexible, multi-location payroll that runs itself. Automatically track hours, breaks, PTO, and wages, remind your team to clock in and out, and run payroll with a built-in buffer day. Want it to run on autopilot? Homebase does that, too! Pay your teams across locations on any schedule, as often as you need, all for one flat monthly fee.

Tax prep and paperwork? No thanks. From automatic tax calculations and direct deposits to e-signed forms, new hire reporting and year-end W-2s and 1099s, Homebase takes the busywork off your plate.

‍Compliance without the headache. Automatically calculate wages and taxes based on local labor laws, track PTO with clear policies, and securely store time cards and payroll records. Plus, Homebase lets you track employee certifications and get alerts when they expire, so you know everyone’s up-to-date and certified in their field.

‍Easy setup and quick support. Set up payroll for free, run it right from your phone, and get help from real specialists whenever you need it. No more rushing back to the office just to approve payroll.

‍Game-changing team benefits. Empower your team to answer their own questions. They get automatic payday alerts and can track their earnings, view their schedules, and even access their wages early—all from the Homebase app. If you need to send updates or get check-ins from your crew, that happens within the app, too. No more hunting down messages, no more crossed wires.

Try Homebase free today and see why 100,000+ small businesses trust us to make their teams unstoppable.

Construction payroll software FAQs

What is certified payroll in construction?

Certified payroll in construction is all about proving you’re playing fair on government-funded jobs. Companies must file weekly reports showing each worker’s pay, benefits, hours, and job duties—so Uncle Sam knows you’re sticking to the rules.

How much does construction payroll software cost?

Construction payroll software costs can vary. A top all-around choice for small hourly teams, Homebase Payroll is a $39/month base fee plus $6/month per active employee, with a 20% discount for an annual plan.

How does construction payroll software create Form WH‑347 automatically?

Construction payroll software creates Form WH-347 automatically by pulling data directly from your payroll records. It collects details like wages, hours worked, job classifications, and fringe benefits, then populates the form. The software makes sure everything’s compliant with government rules, and once the data’s in, it generates the form in the right format to submit.

Can construction payroll software stop “buddy punching” on job sites?

Yes, construction payroll software can help stop "buddy punching" (when workers clock in or out for each other). Location-tracking mobile apps make sure that only the person who’s supposed to be clocking in or out can do so, preventing any sneaky time theft. So, no more "hey, can you punch me in?" It’s all tracked and verified.

Does construction payroll software manage multi‑state taxes?

Yes, construction payroll software can manage multi-state taxes. Good software will automatically calculate the correct rates for each state your workers are in, and make sure you’re compliant with local tax laws. It’s like having a personal tax expert on standby for every state!