Top 6 Construction Payroll Software – Review & Pricing

Construction projects comprise a myriad of activities, and focusing on these can mean overlooking important administrative activities like payroll. Additionally, dealing with different employee types, compensation packages, benefits, and taxes for large projects is inherently complex. This means you cannot just choose from the list of small business payroll software for your construction project but rather will need specialized payroll solutions that cater to the special needs of construction projects.

Efficient construction payroll software can simplify your calculations, facilitate accurate reporting and tax filing, and help organize job costs. Additionally, it also includes specific job codes and reports you need when operating in the construction industry. This can help you save time and money, which is crucial for construction projects. In this blog, we will explore the key features, pros and cons, and pricing plans of the top six construction payroll software, namely.

1. ADP Run: Best for growing companies with flexible payroll needs
2. Gusto: Best for companies seeking affordable contractor payroll tools
3. eBacon: Best for comprehensive construction payroll needs
4. Rippling: Best for high-tech or technology-heavy companies
5. QuickBooks Payroll: Best for integration with QuickBooks Accounting
6. Payroll4Construction: Best for companies requiring stringent construction-specific reporting

Comparing the Top Payroll Services for Construction

All of the modern construction payroll services offer online payroll, time tracking and reporting, and standard employee benefits solutions. You can also avail of more advanced payroll services as add-ons with construction payroll software. Here are some of the comparable standout features of top payroll for construction companies and service providers.

Top 6 Construction Payroll Software in 2023

Although the comparison table above offers a snapshot of the top payroll services for construction, selecting the one best suited for your needs and business objectives requires an in-depth consideration of the features, weighing pros and cons, and evaluating pricing plans for each.

So let us delve deeper into the features and offerings of each of the top six payroll services for construction:

ADP Run – Best for growing companies with flexible payroll needs

Overview

With its flexible subscription plans that include features like payroll, time tracking, and HR services, ADP Run is a strong contender for top payroll services for construction. Some of the key features of ADP Run are:

• Certified payroll with Points North integration
• Access to HR tools and PEO solutions
• Options to add union codes
• Automated pay runs for two-day direct deposits
• Ensure tax compliance with guaranteed federal, state, and local tax filing
• Multistate, union-specific, and job-costing tools
• Full HR suite with the basic plan

pros

• Compatible with multiple pay rates and union payroll codes
• Standard and non-standard employee benefits options
• Hiring, talent management, and learning tools
• Certified payroll reporting with Points North integration

cons

• Lack of transparent costing
• Extra charges for features like time tracking or W2 and 1099 filing and delivery

Pricing Plans

ADP Run has four pricing plans as follows:

Gusto – Best for companies seeking affordable contractor payroll tools

Overview

With an average 3.5 user rating, Gusto is one of the top choices for construction payroll services because of its ease of use, good customer support, and flexible pricing options. Some of the key features that set Gusto apart are:

• Contractor-only payroll plan with state new hire reporting
• Multiple payment options (like next-day or two-day direct deposit)
• Handles federal, local, and state tax filing, garnishments, and levies
• Filing and sending W2 and 1099 without the added cost
• 25 pre-made reports for project tracking and organizing job costs
• The basic plan includes employee benefits like medical, 401(k), workers’ comp, commuter, 529 college savings, and financial tools in Gusto Wallet
• Higher plans include hiring, onboarding, project management, and other HR support

pros

• Hiring and onboarding tools with all plans
• Contractor-only plans at low costs
• Ease of use
• Next-day and two-day direct deposits

cons

• No certified payroll reporting
• No union payroll codes
• Health benefits available in only 37 states

Pricing Plans

Gusto has flexible pricing plans to meet your business needs as follows:

eBacon – Best for comprehensive construction payroll needs

Overview

Despite being the most expensive option on this list, eBacon has features that specifically address the common issues construction companies face. This easy-to-use, efficient payroll solution has construction-specific features, including:

• Certified payroll reports
• Prevailing wage reporting
• Direct deposits and pay cards
• Eight-time tracking options with the option to apply multiple wage rates to a single employee
• Federal, state, and local tax filing
• Year-end reporting and delivery of W2s and 1099
• Default construction-specific tools and reporting

pros

• Supports certified payroll
• Allows you to leverage tax-free fringe benefits
• Simplifies compliance reporting
• Includes basic HR functions (onboarding, PTO, and attendance)

cons

• Not available across all 50 states
• No contractor-only plan
• No new hire reporting

Pricing Plans

Using the eBacon construction payroll service, with certified payroll, for 25 people, can cost $20,000 or more per annum.

Rippling – Best for high-tech or technology-heavy companies

Overview

As a highly adaptable payroll solution, Rippling is a good fit for construction companies that deal heavily in high-tech engineering and design elements. You can add different HR and IT modules to this workforce management platform, which offers you features like:

• Automatic unlimited payroll runs
• Federal, state, and local tax filing
• Robust compliance tools to handle payroll for construction
• Tools to manage all HR services, from basic to advanced
• 500-plus business app integration options

pros

• Modular payroll, HR, and IT solutions to customize your payroll software
• Access to a wide range of HR tools and services
• Custom HR payroll planning based on your business needs
• Highly adaptable with 500-plus integration options

cons

• Lack of transparent pricing
• Core workforce management platform purchase required
• No certified payroll reporting

Pricing Plans

Rippling’s plans start from $35 plus $8 per employee per month, which includes features like:

• Rippling core workforce management platform
• Time tracking
• Employee offboarding and onboarding solutions
• Software integration
• Full-service payroll

Additionally, you can also add different modules per your needs, for example:

• App, device, and computer inventory management module – at $8 per employee per month – for accessing tools to manage your business apps and computer inventory
• Benefits administration module – at custom pricing
• HR help desk – at custom pricing – for one-on-one expert support

QuickBooks Payroll – Best for integration with QuickBooks Accounting

Overview

If you are already using QuickBooks tools for your accounting needs and do not need complex payroll tools, QuickBooks Payroll offers sufficient functionality to meet the needs of any construction company. Key distinguishing features of QuickBooks Payroll include:

• Native integration with QuickBooks Accounting for easy data import (for budget planning) and invoice management
• Same-day direct deposit with Premium and Elite plans
• Unlimited automatic pay runs
• Health insurance benefits in all 50 states
• Federal and state tax filing (local tax filing included with premium tires)
• Flexible pay options – weekly, biweekly, or monthly payroll – that support multiple pay rates and multistate payroll
• Essential tools for onboarding, workers’ compensation, and document management

pros

• Fast direct deposits
• Easy integration with QuickBooks products
• Certified payroll reporting with QuickBooks Desktop
• Tax penalty protection program (up to $25,000 per year)

cons

• Access to only basic HR functions
• Tax penalty protection available only with the Elite plan
• Local tax filing not available in the basic tier

Pricing Plans

Here are the three pricing plans for QuickBooks Payroll:

Payroll4Construction – Best for companies requiring stringent construction-specific reporting

Overview

Lastly, Payroll4Construction is a specialized payroll solution that caters to construction companies and can handle tasks like pay calculations, payroll tax filing, and basic benefits administration. Additionally, it also offers a range of construction-specific reports and job costing options to meet your business needs. The key features of Payroll4Construction include:

• Automatic pay runs with two-day direct deposit and PTO tracking
• Federal, state, and local tax filing
• Access to construction-specific tools and reports
• Time tracking with geofencing
• Employee self-service portal
• Basic benefits management and administration

pros

• Certified payroll reporting
• Automated construction-specific reports
• Automated rates
• Access to a robust job costing tool

cons

• Limited HR and benefits administration features
• Limited online onboarding tools
• Lack of transparent pricing

Pricing Plans

For a company with 25 employees, Payroll4Construction costs $128.75 for every biweekly payroll. If you need year-end tax reporting features, you will need to get in touch with their team to get custom pricing.

Methodology

We’ve thoroughly compared top construction payroll software, considering factors like pricing, features, ease of use, contractor options, union codes, and on-demand payment. Evaluated construction-specific needs, HR functionalities, and pros/cons to identify the most efficient support for projects.

Conclusion

The bottom line is construction payroll software plays a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance, cost and time-effectiveness, and hassle-free management of your construction projects. As such, it is critical to choose the right payroll service for your construction company, depending on the size and spread of your workforce and the functionalities you need. So, start by assessing your needs, explore free trials and demos, and then finalize the construction payroll service you should use to stay on top of your payroll functions.

Frequently Asked Questions