13 Best Payroll Software Apps for Construction Companies

Category: Construction | By Cristina Johnson | 55 minute read | Updated Oct 18, 2022
13 Best Payroll Software Apps for Construction Companies

Construction companies have unique needs from general businesses. With different pay rates, subcontractors, certified payroll, job costing, and more, the best payroll software for construction companies should cater to these and other needs.

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

1.ClockShark

2. Sage 100 Contractor

3. payroll4construction

4. ADP®

5. Xero

6. Paychex

7. MYOB

8. Gusto

9. Zenefits

10. Wagepoint

11. SumoPayroll

12. eBacon

13. QuickBooks Payroll

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

What Can A Payroll Software Do For Your Company? 

Payroll software is adopted by construction firms to simplify payroll processes but there are more benefits than that to having good payroll software.

  • Calculate payroll deductions faster
  • Ensure accurate payroll information
  • Ensure payroll compliance
  • Track paid time off
  • Eliminate manual entry
  • Integrate with accounting software
  • Provide job costing for labor
  • Provide reporting

Payroll software also provides more data and analysis, so you have a more accurate picture of your labor costs. With payroll software, your payroll is made faster, easier, and more accurate.

How To Choose The Right Payroll Software

There are plenty of payroll solutions available, but the right solution will vary, depending on the unique needs of you and your business. A payroll solution for, say, a restaurant, may not be as ideal for a construction company.

There are a few factors to take into account when shopping around for the best payroll solution for construction companies.

Cloud-Based

Most software that is subscription-based is also cloud-based. Cloud-based means the information is stored on an external server and encrypted so it’s protected from being hacked, lost, or damaged. Plus, with a cloud-based platform, you’re able to access it from anywhere.

Ease Of Use

There are some very complex and complicated payroll solutions available which might be great for an accounting guru but not everyone is cut out for these. Before choosing a payroll software, take advantage of a free trial to get a feel for it. See if it’s easy enough to use. If you get a payroll software that’s too hard to use, it defeats the purpose of simplifying payroll.

How to Manage Payroll

Multiple Pay Rate Processing

When you manage payroll in construction, you have to be aware of different pay rates and ensure everyone is being paid the right rate for the right hours. A payroll software for construction should include the ability to do this automatically.

Integration

Payroll software that integrates with your accounting system makes your accounting and bookkeeping systems much easier and more robust. When you can import your payroll information into your accounting system, your record-keeping becomes a lot easier and more accurate.

Job Cost 

Construction companies depend highly on accurate job costing, and job costing is a natural part of their payroll process. Your payroll software should make job costing easy, accurate, and faster.

Easy To Customize 

While construction companies share a lot of commonalities, every company is different and what a roofing contracting company needs for payroll may be different than, say, a plumbing or electrical company. You’ll need to be able to customize it to the unique types of work, materials, subcontractors, etc. that you use.

Certified Payroll 

Many construction firms handle government contracts with complicated certified payroll needs. Your payroll solutions should cater to the intricate and meticulous requirements of doing certified payroll right, to avoid late or non-payment for your services.

Top Construction Payroll Software

When it comes to choosing the right construction payroll software for your business, it will depend on your company’s size, needs, and budget. Here are nine options to choose from, their features, prices, pros, and cons.

1. ClockShark 

Features

  • Integrates with top payroll systems
  • Employee time tracking
  • Cloud-based
  • Easy-to-use
  • Fast setup
  • Job costing
  • Reporting
  • PTO tracking
  • Customizable

Pros

  • Quickly export time records into your payroll system
  • Connects to top accounting and payroll software tools
  • Complete payroll 30% faster
  • Make running payroll a breeze
  • Get accurate job costing details
  • Export timesheets with the push of a button
  • Excellent onboarding assistance
  • Designed for construction
  • Transparent pricing

Cons

  • Does not run payroll, but you can automatically export employee time records straight into your accounting system with the click of a button

Pricing

Starts at just $8/month per user+ $7/month base fee.

Free 14-day trial.

Save Time and Money with ClockShark

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2. Sage 100 Contractor

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Sage 100 Contractor is an accounting software that includes accounting and project management tools for construction companies.

Features

  • Job cost reporting
  • Alerts for budget issues
  • Project management
  • Estimating
  • Project tracking
  • Time tracking

Pros

  • Real-time data
  • Multi-state time tracking
  • Built for construction

Cons

  • Can be complicated and over tedious to perform small tasks
  • Less than ideal reporting functions
  • Difficulty in learning/onboarding

Pricing

Starts at $115.00 a month per user.

Learn more about Sage 100 Contractor Time Tracking Integration.



3. payroll4construction

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Payroll4construction is an online payroll service, geared towards doing payroll for construction companies. 

Features

  • Certified payroll
  • Direct deposit
  • Custom reporting
  • Job costing
  • Job hour variance
  • Union reporting/tracking
  • Worker’s compensation

Pros

  • Developed for construction
  • Run payroll from anywhere

Cons

  • Confusing pricing
  • Difficult to use
  • Problems reaching customer service

Pricing
Contact for pricing information.



4. ADP®

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

ADP® is an HR and payroll processing software designed for businesses of all sizes across multiple industries, including construction. Their payroll software uses RUN Powered by ADP® and ADP Workforce Now® which is an ideal way for construction companies - both large and small - to take advantage of this software platform.

Features

  • Contractor and employee paying
  • Certified payroll reporting through Points North
  • New hire reporting
  • Multistate payroll abilities
  • New hire onboarding
  • General ledger interface
  • Federal, state, and local tax help
  • Cloud-based

Pros

  • User-friendly
  • Hundreds of integrations
  • Construction-friendly
  • Reporting features

Cons

  • Hidden fees may apply to services
  • Multi-factor verification required for each log-in which gets tedious
  • Set up can be complicated

Pricing
Contact for pricing information.

Learn more about ADP® Time Tracking Integration.



5. Xero

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Xero is an accounting software that features a payroll integration with Gusto. It is available in the U.S. and Australia.

Features

  • Automated tax calculations (federal and state)
  • W-2s
  • 1099s
  • Direct deposit payments

Pros

  • Offers multiple schedules and pay rates
  • Employees can access pay stubs and W2s online
  • Integrates with accounting system to update records

Cons

  • Must be integrated for payroll purposes

Pricing

Starts at $12 per month + optional payroll with Gusto add-on from $40/month.

Learn more about Xero Time Tracking Integration.



6. Paychex

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Paychex is a human resource, payroll, and benefits outsourcing service for small- to medium-sized businesses.

Features

  • Full suite of Human Resource solutions
  • Employee benefits management
  • Time tracking

Pros

  • Cloud-based
  • Accurate time records
  • Reporting

Cons

  • Poor customer service/onboarding
  • Not user-friendly
  • Limited customization

Pricing

Starts at $39/month + $5 per employee.


Learn more about Paychex Time Tracking Integration.



7. MYOB

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

MYOB is an Australian-based, subscription accounting platform that offers multiple accounting features, including payroll. 

Features

  • Payroll management
  • Customization
  • Secure/Cloud-based
  • Reporting and analytics
  • General ledger and accounting
  • Inventory management
  • Order management

Pros

  • Customizable
  • Easy-to-use
  • Cloud-based
  • Multiple integrations
  • Pay for only what you used

Cons

  • May not be suitable for U.S. firms
  • Long wait times for customer support
  • Sometimes data needs to be tweaked for accuracy

Pricing

Starts at $14 per month.

Learn more about MYOB Time Tracking Integration.



8. Gusto

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Gusto is a popular payroll solution that offers multiple benefits for companies of any size, including HR processes.

Features

  • Automated taxes and filings
  • Multiple state and pay schedules
  • Cloud-based
  • Benefits management
  • Direct deposit
  • Financial tools for employees
  • Paperless payments

Pros

  • Very good customer support
  • Feature-rich
  • User-friendly
  • Offers a contractor-only plan

Cons

  • Can be costly
  • Benefits can be complicated
  • Overseas support might be hard to reach

Pricing

Starts at $40 per month plus $6/per person.

Learn more about Gusto Time Tracking Integration.



9. Zenefits

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

Zenefits is an HR platform that offers payroll management features for small- and mid-sized businesses.

Features

  • Unlimited payruns
  • Garnishments support
  • Direct deposits
  • Multiple schedules & pay rates
  • Contractor payments
  • General ledger reports
  • Mobile paystubs

Pros

  • Includes multiple HR features to manage employees and benefits
  • Some integrations
  • Easy-to-use
  • Reporting
  • Taxes and filing
  • Federal tax requirement reminders

Cons

  • Complicated to learn
  • Not construction-specific
  • Reported long waits for assistance/difficulties getting assistance
  • Few integrations

Pricing

Begins at $8 a month per employee plus $6/month for payroll.



10. Wagepoint

Best payroll software construction

Wagepoint is a Canadian-based payroll solution that helps payroll professionals run payroll quickly and accurately.

Features

  • Direct deposit
  • Automated payroll taxes
  • Paid time off tracking
  • Cloud-based

Pros

  • Simple processes
  • Straight-forward pricing
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing (no contract)

Cons

  • Not construction-specific
  • Limited integrations
  • Not customizable

Pricing

Pricing is based on the number of employees you have and how often they’re paid.



11. SumoPayroll

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

SumoPayroll is a payroll processing solution that features different HR management tools and other administrative tasks for small- to mid-sized businesses. 

Features

  • Payroll compliances
  • Manage payroll batches
  • Loans & advances
  • Run payroll
  • Settlement payroll
  • Payroll forms
  • Direct deposit
  • Estimated tax sheets

Pros

  • Free version for companies with less than 10 employees
  • Automated time management

Cons

  • No iOS version
  • Not ideal for enterprise solution

Pricing

Starts at $20 per month.




12. eBacon

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

eBacon is a cloud-based compliance software solution that focuses on certified payroll and fringe benefit management for construction companies.

Features

  • Certified payroll
  • Benefits management
  • Subcontractor management/compliance

Pros

  • Built for construction
  • Accurate reporting for prevailing wages
  • Cloud-based

Cons

  • Not customizable
  • Limited integrations
  • No mobile app

Pricing

Contact for pricing information.



13. QuickBooks Payroll

Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies

QuickBooks is an accounting system that includes a payroll solution. QuickBooks Payroll Online automates the payroll process from within QuickBooks and can also integrate with other accounting software. While QuickBooks does have contractor payment options, it is not specific to construction.

Features

  • Cloud-based
  • Auto taxes and forms
  • Direct deposit

Pros

  • Very in-depth accounting system
  • Long-standing company
  • Some integrations
  • Advanced features

Cons

  • Can be complicated
  • Confusing pricing system
  • Difficulties with customer support

Pricing

Starts at $31.50/mo plus $4.25/mo per employee or contractor.

Learn more about QuickBooks Time Tracking Integration.



Choose the Best Payroll Software for Your Construction Company

If you’re in construction, you already know you need the right tools to do the best jobs. That’s why it’s important to spend time researching the best options for your construction firm, your employees, your budget, and your needs. Take time to honestly assess where your payroll process needs help and what kinds of tools would be beneficial to your payroll management and help you run your business more efficiently.




Compare the Best Payroll Software For Construction Companies



PricingFree Trial
Starts at just $8/month per user + $7/month base fee.
Starts at $115.00 a month per user
Contact for pricing information
ADP LogoContact for pricing information
Xero LogoStarts at $12 per month + optional payroll with Gusto add-on from $40/month.
Paychex LogoStarts at $39/month + $5 per employee
MYOB LogoStarts at $14 per month
Gusto LogoStarts at $40 per month plus $6/per person
Begins at $8 a month per employee plus $6/month for payroll
Pricing is based on the number of employees you have and how often they’re paid
Starts at $20 per month
Contact for pricing information
QuickBooks LogoStarts at $31.50/mo plus $4.25/mo per employee or contractor

9,500+ companies use ClockShark to track employees and save time every month.

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