Guides
Plain-English answers to the paperwork questions we hear most.
- Lien waiver forms by state: how California, Texas and Florida differSome states write lien waiver wording into law. See how California, Texas and Florida treat the form, and what to check before you sign a waiver on a pay application.
- Davis-Bacon 2023 final rule: what changed and what a court undidThe 2023 Davis-Bacon rule is mostly still in effect, but a Texas court vacated three parts in 2026. See what changed and what to check in your next contract.
- Foremen on certified payroll: when a Davis-Bacon foreman must be listedFind out when a foreman or supervisor counts as a laborer or mechanic on a Davis-Bacon job, what the 20 percent rule means, and how to show their hours on payroll.
- Pay-when-paid vs pay-if-paid: what the clause means for your checkLearn how pay-when-paid and pay-if-paid clauses differ, how California, New York and Texas treat them, and what to check in a subcontract before you sign.
- Subcontractor change orders: how to get paid for extra workLearn the steps for pricing and documenting extra work as a subcontractor, how change orders differ from directives, and the notice clocks that can cost you the money.
- Davis-Bacon poster: how to post the WH-1321 and wage determinationLearn what the Davis-Bacon rules say about posting the WH-1321 poster and wage determination at the job site, who must post, where, and what to check.
- How to build a schedule of values for a subcontract pay applicationLearn what a schedule of values is, how to split your subcontract into billable lines, and how to avoid front-loading and mismatches that slow pay apps.
- Certified payroll due date: when your weekly report must be deliveredCertified payroll on Davis-Bacon jobs is due weekly. See how the 7-day deadline works, who sends it up the chain, and how to avoid a late report holding your pay.
- Davis-Bacon wages: what they are and how to find your rateDavis-Bacon wages are a base hourly rate plus fringe for each trade and county. Learn how to look up yours on SAM.gov, how DOL sets them and who must be paid.
- Federal prompt payment: the 7-day rule for subcontractorsOn federal construction jobs, the prime must pay you within 7 days of getting paid. Learn how the rule works, what a withholding notice must say, and what to keep.
- Davis-Bacon Statement of Compliance: who signs and what it certifiesThe Statement of Compliance turns a weekly payroll into certified payroll. Learn who may sign it, what each line promises, and what a false signature can cost.
- Miller Act payment bond claims: deadlines for unpaid subcontractorsLearn who can claim on a federal payment bond, the 90-day and one-year deadlines, how to send notice, and why state public jobs follow different clocks.
- Davis-Bacon conformance: what to do when your trade is not listedLearn how a Davis-Bacon conformance works when a job classification is missing from the wage determination, who files the SF-1444, and what you must pay meanwhile.
- Davis-Bacon payroll deductions: which ones are allowed without approvalSee which payroll deductions 29 CFR 3.5 allows on Davis-Bacon jobs, when you need Labor Department approval, and how to show deductions on certified payroll.
- Davis-Bacon violations: withholding, back wages and debarment explainedSee what can happen when a Davis-Bacon payroll error is found: withheld payments, back wages, liquidated damages and debarment, and how to cut the risk.
- Construction retainage rules: how much can be held and when it is dueSee how retainage works on federal and private jobs, what California now caps it at, and which contract terms decide when a subcontractor gets the money back.
- Davis-Bacon apprentices: ratios, rates and when you owe journey payLearn who counts as an apprentice on Davis-Bacon jobs, how the daily ratio works, and when an apprentice must be paid the full journeyworker rate.
- How long to keep certified payroll records on Davis-Bacon jobsLearn the federal rule for keeping certified payroll and worker records, what the file must hold, who can ask to see it, and what a missing record can cost.
- Davis-Bacon overtime: how the 40-hour rule works on federal jobsLearn when overtime is owed on Davis-Bacon jobs, how the basic rate and fringe credits shape the overtime rate, and what to keep on your certified payroll.
- DIR certified payroll: what California requiresDIR certified payroll in California: who files electronic records with the Labor Commissioner, how often, what goes in, and how it differs from a WH-347.
- Certified payroll form: what to use, with exampleWhich certified payroll form to use on Davis-Bacon and state jobs, where to get the current WH-347, and a worked example of one worker for one week.
- What is the Davis-Bacon Act? Wages and coverageThe Davis-Bacon Act requires prevailing wages on federal construction contracts over $2,000. See who is covered, how wage rates are set and how to look them up.
- State prevailing wage vs Davis-Bacon: why one certified payroll is not enoughFederal Davis-Bacon and state prevailing wage laws can both apply to one job. What that means for rates, state payroll portals and keeping one payroll feeding both.
- Davis-Bacon fringe benefits: how plan costs become an hourly creditHow to meet the fringe on a wage determination with cash, bona fide plans or both, how plan costs turn into an hourly credit, and where payroll gets it wrong.
- How to read a Davis-Bacon wage determinationA walkthrough of a federal wage determination: general vs project, decision and modification numbers, construction types, rate lines, footnotes and unlisted classes.
- What is certified payroll? A plain-English guide for first-timersCertified payroll is a signed weekly payroll report for prevailing wage jobs. Who files it, what it contains, how long to keep it, and what happens if it is wrong.
- How to fill out a WH-347 without getting it kicked backA field guide to certified payroll on Davis-Bacon jobs: what goes on the form, where reports get rejected, and a checklist to run before you submit.
- Pay applications: the G702 and G703 mistakes that delay your checkHow the AIA-style pay application works, why subcontractor pay apps get returned, and how to set yourself up to get paid on the first submission.
- Conditional vs unconditional lien waivers: which one, and whenThe four common types of lien waivers, when a subcontractor should sign each, and the mistakes that give away lien rights before the money arrives.