Quick answer
| Job | Form | Filed with |
|---|---|---|
| Federal or federally funded (Davis-Bacon and Related Acts) | WH-347, or any format with the same information | Contracting agency, usually through the prime |
| California public works | Electronic certified payroll (eCPR); A-1-131 for copies | DIR Labor Commissioner, uploaded by each contractor |
| Other state or local public works | The state's form, a portal, or often the WH-347 | As the contract or state agency directs |
| Jobs covered by both federal and state law | Both, when each requires its own filing | Each agency |
Federal: the WH-347
The WH-347 is the U.S. Department of Labor's certified payroll form. The current version is Rev. January 2025, OMB No. 1235-0008, valid through January 31, 2028. Using it is optional: the regulations say payroll information may be submitted on the WH-347 “or in any other format desired”, as long as every required item is there (29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(B)). In practice, most agencies and primes expect it.
It has two pages:
- Page 1, the payroll: contractor and project, wage determination numbers, week ending date, and up to eight worker rows, each with a straight-time and an overtime line. Columns cover the worker, J or RA, classification, daily hours, rate, fringe credit, cash in lieu, gross, deductions and net pay.
- Page 2, the Statement of Compliance: six certifications, an apprenticeship program table, a table of hourly fringe credit per plan, remarks and the certifying official's signature.
The Department of Labor also has a free online version that runs in your browser and says it doesn't store your information; you print or save it as a PDF. Our free WH-347 builder fills the official PDF and checks rates and overtime as you type. For every field, read the WH-347 instructions.
California: eCPR and the A-1-131
On California public works, each contractor and subcontractor submits certified payroll directly to the Labor Commissioner in DIR's online system, at least every 30 days (Labor Code 1771.4). You either type each payroll into DIR's web form or upload an XML file. The electronic record needs each worker's full 9-digit Social Security number, or ITIN if they have none.
The A-1-131 is DIR's suggested paper payroll format (8 CCR 16401). DIR says it “will not be used to satisfy the eCPR initial reporting requirement”, but primes, awarding bodies and labor compliance programs often ask for copies in that layout. It has columns for California-specific items such as SDI, vacation and holiday, and training contributions. More in California certified payroll.
Other states and portals
States with their own prevailing wage laws set their own reporting rules. Some accept the WH-347, some have their own form, and some require an online system. Separately, many awarding agencies use a compliance portal such as LCPtracker or Elation, and ask every contractor to enter payroll there. A portal upload for the agency does not replace a filing that the state requires directly.
Read the labor compliance section of your contract or bid package: it names the form, the portal, the deadline and who receives the report.
How to choose
- Federal money or a federal agency on the contract? You need a Davis-Bacon certified payroll: use the WH-347.
- State or local public works? Check the state's rules. In California, file eCPR with DIR.
- Does the agency use a portal? Enter it there as well.
- Unsure? Ask the prime contractor or the agency's labor compliance officer before the first week.
The same weekly numbers feed every format. PrevailCrew keeps one crew grid and exports both the WH-347 PDF and California eCPR XML.