--- title: Certified Payroll Software vs Service in California url: https://wellstanding.com/guides/certified-payroll-software-vs-service-california/ description: Software or a service for California certified payroll? See what eight vendors publish, a worked year of cost, and who signs, then pick for your crew. updated: 2026-10-16 type: guide publisher: WellStanding Certified Payroll --- # Certified payroll software versus a service in California: which should a small sub use? Software is a tool your office runs. A service runs it for you, and with WellStanding you sign. On projects that are not exempt, the law is the same either way: [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)(A)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1771.4) requires each contractor and subcontractor to furnish certified payroll records directly to the Labor Commissioner, in an electronic format. Last reviewed October 16, 2026 against the sources it cites The short answer Software fits a sub with someone who has the weekly hours to run it and a payroll system it supports. A service fits a sub without them. Either way, on projects that are not exempt, the eCPR must go [directly to DIR](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1771.4). DOL's [Federal Register notice](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-08-30/pdf/2024-19482.pdf) estimates 55 minutes to complete the WH-347 form or its equivalent, plus 1 minute for recordkeeping. - The Department of Labor's [2024 Federal Register notice](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-08-30/pdf/2024-19482.pdf) estimates 55 minutes to complete the WH-347 form or its equivalent plus 1 minute for recordkeeping, a total of 56 minutes per form. Its [WH-347 page](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) gives the same 55 minute average. Both cover the federal form only. - [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)(A)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1771.4) requires each contractor and subcontractor to furnish certified payroll records directly to the Labor Commissioner, electronically, at least once every 30 days while work is performed, unless the project is exempt. - [DIR's certified payroll reporting FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/FAQ-certified-payroll-reporting.html) says contractors must submit certified payroll records to the Labor Commissioner through DIR's online system, either by entering the information directly using the online form or by uploading xml files, and that submitting to other agencies does not fulfill that requirement. The same FAQ lists the exempt projects: four legacy labor compliance programs, qualifying project labor agreements, and the small project exemption. - [LCPcertified](https://lcptracker.com/solutions/lcpcertified/) publishes $12 per report or $145 a month for up to 5 active projects, and says it produces the California XML file for you to upload. - Sunburst's [Certified Payroll Solution page](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm) lists a $799.00 company license, and its [support policy](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/support-policy.htm) gives free updates for the first year and then lists annual maintenance at $100.00 per year, a price it says is subject to change. Pick software if someone in your office has the weekly hours and your payroll system works with it. Pick a service if nobody does. Time is the real price. The U.S. Department of Labor, in its [2024 Federal Register notice](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-08-30/pdf/2024-19482.pdf), estimates 55 minutes to complete the WH-347 form or its equivalent, plus 1 minute for recordkeeping, a total of 56 minutes per form. Its [WH-347 page](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) gives the same 55 minute average. That is for the federal form alone, before the California eCPR. ## What both options have to deliver Under [section 1771.4(a)(3)(A)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1771.4), records go in at least once every 30 days while work is performed and within 30 days after the last day of work, or more often if your contract says so. Under subparagraph (B), a sub that fails to furnish them faces a penalty of $100 for each day in violation, up to $5,000 per project. Under subparagraph (C), the Labor Commissioner cannot levy that penalty until 14 days after the timing requirement in clause (i). [DIR's certified payroll reporting FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/FAQ-certified-payroll-reporting.html) says contractors must submit certified payroll records to the Labor Commissioner through DIR's online system, which offers two options: entering the information directly using the online form or uploading xml files. [DIR's Upload eCPR guide](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Guides/Upload-eCPR.pdf) walks through both. You pick Submit, then Manual or XML, next to your project, and you enter your signature before you submit. The FAQ adds that if you must also submit certified payroll records to a union, the prime contractor, the awarding body or a Labor Compliance Program, you still have to submit them to the Labor Commissioner/DIR, because submitting to other agencies does not fulfill that requirement. [DIR's certified payroll reporting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/public-works/certified-payroll-reporting.html) says, under software requirements for XML files, to create your own template using the CPR XML schema V1.3. It does not name any vendors. Of the product pages linked here, only [LCPcertified](https://lcptracker.com/solutions/lcpcertified/), [eMars](https://emarsinc.com/) and [Miter](https://www.miter.com/human-capital-management/payroll/certified-payroll/) name a DIR XML format. The [Sunburst product page](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm) lists California DIR electronic upload, and Sunburst's [California DIR note](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/2024-ca-dir.htm) describes an XML file that its software creates. That note also reports upload problems that Sunburst attributes to DIR's system. The table shows what each page says. Some projects are exempt. [DIR's FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/FAQ-certified-payroll-reporting.html) lists three kinds. The first is projects monitored by the legacy labor compliance programs of Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Unified School District, and the County of Sacramento. The second is projects covered by a qualifying project labor agreement. The third is projects under the small project exemption, which applies to public works projects that do not exceed $25,000 for new construction, alteration, installation, demolition or repair, or $15,000 for maintenance. The statute has its own exceptions, in [section 1771.4(a)(4) and (b)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1771.4). Check your project against these before you decide it is exempt. ## Who does each step | Option | Produces the file | Checks it | Uploads to DIR | Signs | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | By hand (WH-347 form, DIR online form) | You | You | You | You | | Software | The software, from your payroll data | You, with its built-in checks | You, unless the product submits for you | You | | Consultant or managed tier | Their staff | Their staff | Varies, ask | Varies, ask | | WellStanding | We prepare it from your payroll export | A person reviews every filing | We file, after you sign | You | ## What each vendor's own page says We read each page on October 16, 2026. "Page does not say" means only that. | Product | California filing, per its page | Published price | Signature, per its page | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Sunburst Certified Payroll Solution](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm), a QuickBooks add-on | Generates the WH-347 and WH-348 and lists California DIR electronic upload. Works only with QuickBooks Desktop for Windows. The page says it integrates with QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise and Intuit Basic, Enhanced or Assisted Payroll services. | $799.00 company license. Free updates for a year, then $100.00 per year for annual maintenance, price subject to change, per its [support policy](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/support-policy.htm). | Says the final reports are ready for your signature and mailing | | [LCPcertified](https://lcptracker.com/solutions/lcpcertified/), cloud software | Produces the XML file you upload to DIR yourself. | $12 per report, or $145 a month for up to 5 active projects. Yearly tiers start at $1,300 for up to 10. | Page does not say | | [Miter](https://www.miter.com/human-capital-management/payroll/certified-payroll/), construction payroll platform | Generates the WH-347 and a California A-131 report, and says it enables direct submission to California's portal. | None on the page, demo only | An authorized signer at your company signs before submission | | [eMars Compliant Client](https://emarsinc.com/), compliance platform | Auto-fills California DIR XML and supports automatic XML upload to DIR. You enter payroll, copy prior weeks, or import from Excel. | None on the page, demo only | Says each report includes a sworn statement. Page does not say who signs. | | [eBacon](https://www.ebacon.com/products/certified-payroll/), construction payroll platform | Pre-fills the WH-347 and state reports. Its certified payroll page does not name California or DIR. | None on the page, demo only | The contractor or an authorized officer signs | | [Payroll4Construction](https://www.payroll4construction.com/certified-payroll/), payroll service | Lists the California Department of Industrial Relations among its electronic report formats. | Custom quote after a form | Says each submission needs a signed Statement of Compliance. Page does not say who signs. | | [Points North managed service](https://www.points-north.com/managed-service) | Says it submits reports electronically on your behalf, including to DIR, using your login credentials. Page says DIR and does not say California. | None on the page | Says it applies electronic signatures where required | | [Public Works Consultant](https://publicworksconsultant.com/services/), consultant | Offers certified payroll reporting and submissions. The page does not name DIR. | None on the page, phone or email | Page does not say | | WellStanding, flat fee service | Prepares the WH-347 and the DIR eCPR from your payroll export, and files after you sign. | $995 setup, then $249 a month for up to 25 workers or $449 for 26 to 50. First filing free. | You sign. We never sign for you. | ## A worked year of cost Assume 40 filing weeks a year, one filing a week, and 25 workers or fewer. Weekly filing is our assumption. The law sets a minimum of once every 30 days, and [DIR's FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/FAQ-certified-payroll-reporting.html) says the best practice is to submit the records weekly or at the conclusion of each payroll period. Prices come from the table above. The arithmetic is ours. The year-one figures do not count WellStanding's first filing free. | Option | Year one | Each year after | Your time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sunburst | $799 | $100.00 per year for annual maintenance, price subject to change | Yours, every filing | | LCPcertified, $1,300 yearly tier | $1,300 | $1,300 | Yours, every filing | | WellStanding, up to 25 workers | $3,983 ($995 plus 12 months at $249) | $2,988 | A review and a signature | | WellStanding, 26 to 50 workers | $6,383 | $5,388 | A review and a signature | Against the $1,300 yearly tier, the service costs $1,688 more after year one, or $42.20 a week over 40 weeks. You still review and sign each filing under the service, so count only the weekly time the service saves you, after you subtract that review and signing time. If the saved time is worth more than $42.20 a week, the service is cheaper. If less, buy the software. In year one, with setup, the break even is about $67 a week. Two LCPcertified prices are not modeled. The page lists $12 per report. If one report is one weekly filing on one project, 40 weeks cost $480, and each added project adds the same amount on that assumption. The page also lists $145 a month for up to 5 active projects but states no month-to-month terms, so we did not model it. For scale, nine months at $145 is $1,305. Try your own numbers in the [certified payroll cost calculator](https://wellstanding.com/tools/certified-payroll-cost-calculator/). Software removes typing, not checking. eMars's page claims an 80 percent cut in time managing weekly payroll, and Miter's and eBacon's pages quote customer testimonials about hours saved. Those are vendor claims. DOL's 55 minutes per form is the only agency figure we found. ## When software is the right pick - **Someone has the hours.** A bookkeeper who can own the weekly run and fix a rejected upload. - **You run QuickBooks Desktop on Windows.** Sunburst's $799.00 license is the only one-time license price above. Its page names Intuit Basic, Enhanced or Assisted Payroll services alongside QuickBooks Pro, Premier or Enterprise, so confirm your payroll service is one of those. Its maintenance is $100.00 per year after the first year. See [certified payroll from QuickBooks](https://wellstanding.com/guides/quickbooks-certified-payroll/). - **You are replacing payroll anyway.** Miter and eBacon are payroll platforms whose pages describe reports generating straight from payroll data. Check the [payroll systems that export DIR eCPR XML](https://wellstanding.com/guides/payroll-systems-that-export-dir-ecpr-xml/) first. - **You manage other subs.** eMars's page describes tools for general contractors. ## When a service is the right pick - Nobody on staff has the weekly hours, or the owner is doing it. - Your payroll system is not one the software supports, and you would rather not move payroll. - You want a second set of eyes before you sign. If that is you, WellStanding prepares the WH-347 and the DIR eCPR from your own payroll export, and a person reviews every filing. We file once you sign. A person answers Monday to Friday 7:00 to 5:00 Pacific. ## A signed declaration stays under every option Every option still needs a signed declaration. The sources we cite do not settle who may sign for a contractor, so ask any provider who applies the signature. On the WH-347, [DOL says](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) the Statement of Compliance must be signed by the contractor or subcontractor, or their agent who paid or supervised the payment of the workers. In California, each payroll record contains or is verified by a written declaration under penalty of perjury that the information is true and correct and that the employer has complied with sections 1771, 1811, and 1815 for any work performed by that person's employees on the public works project, under [Labor Code section 1776(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB§ionNum=1776). Section 1776(a) does not say who makes that declaration. WellStanding prepares and files. You sign. We never sign for you. More in [who signs certified payroll in California](https://wellstanding.com/guides/who-signs-certified-payroll-california/). ## Questions Is it cheaper to outsource certified payroll in California?** Not in dollars alone. Against LCPcertified's $1,300 yearly tier, WellStanding costs $2,683 more in year one and $1,688 more each year after, on 40 weekly filings, which is our assumption. It is cheaper when the weekly time you save, after the review and signing time you still spend, is worth more than about $42 a week after year one, or about $67 a week in year one with setup. We did not model LCPcertified's $12 per report option or its $145 monthly option. When is software the right pick?** When a person in your office has the weekly hours, your payroll system works with the product, and you can fix a rejected upload yourself. Can software file the eCPR for me?** Some pages say so. Miter says it enables direct submission to California's portal, and eMars says it supports automatic XML upload to DIR. LCPcertified produces an XML file you upload yourself. Ask who holds the DIR login and who signs. Does uploading to my general contractor's portal replace the DIR filing?** No, unless your project is exempt. DIR's FAQ asks whether you still have to submit to DIR if you are required to submit certified payroll records "to a union, to the prime contractor, or to the awarding body or a Labor Compliance Program." Its answer is yes, because submitting certified payroll records to other agencies does not fulfill the requirement to submit to the Labor Commissioner/DIR. Records you send through a general contractor's portal go to the prime contractor, which that question covers. See [LCPtracker versus DIR](https://wellstanding.com/guides/lcptracker-vs-dir/). Can I file with no software at all?** Yes. The DIR FAQ lists entering the information directly using the online form as one of two options, alongside uploading xml files. In [DIR's Upload eCPR guide](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Guides/Upload-eCPR.pdf), you pick Submit, then Manual, and enter and save each worker's payroll. You can preview the submission, and you enter your signature before you submit. See [free certified payroll software](https://wellstanding.com/guides/free-certified-payroll-software/) for where free stops. Does a service sign my certified payroll for me?** Not at WellStanding. We prepare and file, and you review and sign. Other providers differ, so ask each one. ## Sources Every figure on this page links to its source where it first appears. The full list, in order: 1. [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)(A)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1771.4) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov 2. [Federal Register notice](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-08-30/pdf/2024-19482.pdf) govinfo.gov 3. [WH-347 page](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) dol.gov 4. [DIR's certified payroll reporting FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/FAQ-certified-payroll-reporting.html) dir.ca.gov 5. [LCPcertified](https://lcptracker.com/solutions/lcpcertified/) lcptracker.com 6. [Certified Payroll Solution page](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm) sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com 7. [support policy](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/support-policy.htm) sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com 8. [DIR's Upload eCPR guide](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/Guides/Upload-eCPR.pdf) dir.ca.gov 9. [DIR's certified payroll reporting page](https://www.dir.ca.gov/public-works/certified-payroll-reporting.html) dir.ca.gov 10. [eMars](https://emarsinc.com/) emarsinc.com 11. [Miter](https://www.miter.com/human-capital-management/payroll/certified-payroll/) miter.com 12. [California DIR note](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/2024-ca-dir.htm) sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com 13. [eBacon](https://www.ebacon.com/products/certified-payroll/) ebacon.com 14. [Payroll4Construction](https://www.payroll4construction.com/certified-payroll/) payroll4construction.com 15. [Points North managed service](https://www.points-north.com/managed-service) points-north.com 16. [Public Works Consultant](https://publicworksconsultant.com/services/) publicworksconsultant.com 17. [Labor Code section 1776(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1776) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov ## Related - [Who signs certified payroll in California](https://wellstanding.com/guides/who-signs-certified-payroll-california/) - [Payroll systems that export DIR eCPR XML](https://wellstanding.com/guides/payroll-systems-that-export-dir-ecpr-xml/) - [Best certified payroll software in California](https://wellstanding.com/compare/best-certified-payroll-software-california/) - [How much does certified payroll cost](https://wellstanding.com/guides/how-much-does-certified-payroll-cost/) - [Outsourcing certified payroll: your four options](https://wellstanding.com/outsource-certified-payroll-california/) - [The DIR eCPR system explained](https://wellstanding.com/guides/dir-ecpr-system/)