---
title: KCHA Certified Payroll Requirements | WellStanding
url: https://wellstanding.com/guides/king-county-housing-authority-certified-payroll/
description: What King County Housing Authority says contractors must pay and submit: the $2,000 and $2,500 lines, weekly federal payrolls, and what its page leaves out.
updated: 2026-11-04
type: guide
publisher: WellStanding Certified Payroll
---
# King County Housing Authority certified payroll: what KCHA's page requires

What King County Housing Authority (KCHA) tells contractors about wages and certified payrolls. It rests on [KCHA's bid and contract requirements page](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/), as read on November 4, 2026 (no revision date shown), [29 CFR 5.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5), and HUD's [Handbook 1344.1 REV-3](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf) (January 2023).

Last reviewed November 4, 2026 against the sources it cites

The short answer

[KCHA's page](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/) says to pay Davis-Bacon or HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages and submit certified payrolls on projects of more than $2,000. It separately says to submit payrolls every week on federally funded projects, even if no work is done, and it states no dollar line for that rule. KCHA's page names no payroll system, form, recipient, or due day, so ask KCHA in writing before your first week closes.

- KCHA's page tells construction and maintenance firms to pay Davis-Bacon or HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages and submit certified payrolls on projects of more than $2,000 ([KCHA bid and contract requirements](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/)).
- For non-federally funded projects of more than $2,500 at KCHA-owned properties, KCHA says to pay Washington state prevailing wages ([KCHA requirements page](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/)). The [L&I contractors page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) that KCHA links lists, under "This work includes:", "Small projects (no minimum dollar amount) such as maintenance and repairs", so ask KCHA and L&I which applies to your job.
- KCHA's weekly sentence says to submit payrolls every week on federally funded projects, even if no work is done, and the page states no dollar line for it ([KCHA requirements page](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/)).
- The federal weekly-payroll clause, [29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5), is written for weeks of Davis-Bacon or Related Acts covered work, and [HUD's January 2023 handbook](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf) lists HUD-determined maintenance wages as a separate type of prevailing wage.
- KCHA's requirements page names no payroll system, no payroll form, and no weekly due day, and its [forms hub](https://www.kcha.org/forms/) lists 42 forms across four pages, none of them a payroll form.
- The HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wage determination that KCHA links shows an effective date of November 1, 2019 and an expiration date of October 31, 2022 ([HUD Form 52158 on KCHA's site](https://www.kcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/334.pdf)).

## What KCHA requires of contractors

KCHA's page sets two dollar lines for construction and maintenance firms, depending on whether the project is federally funded.

| Project type | Wages KCHA says to pay | Dollar line | Duties KCHA states |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Federally funded | Davis-Bacon or HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages | More than $2,000 | Submit certified payrolls. File intents and affidavits with Washington L&I. |
| Non-federally funded, at KCHA-owned properties | Washington state prevailing wages | More than $2,500 | File intents and affidavits with Washington L&I. KCHA's page states no payroll submission rule for this group. |

The page draws this line itself. Where it tells bidders to include taxes on materials, it labels Davis-Bacon and HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wage projects federally funded and Washington State prevailing wage projects non-federally funded, at the same two dollar lines.

The $2,000 figure is also the Davis-Bacon Act's dollar line for construction contracts to which the United States is a party ([HUD handbook paragraph 2-2(A)](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf)). HUD's handbook says most HUD construction work is not covered by the Act directly, and that Davis-Bacon rates reach HUD programs through Related Acts. It lists HUD-determined maintenance wages as a separate type of prevailing wage ([paragraphs 2-1 and 2-2(A)](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf)). HUD's form [HUD-5370-C](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/5370C2.pdf) also uses $2,000 for maintenance contracts: it says to insert its Section II labor standards into maintenance contracts, including nonroutine maintenance, greater than $2,000. KCHA's page gives no basis for its $2,000 line and does not say which of these federal figures, if any, it follows.

The $2,500 figure is KCHA's statement. The [L&I contractors page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) that KCHA links lists, under "This work includes:", "Small projects (no minimum dollar amount) such as maintenance and repairs". Ask KCHA and L&I which applies to your job.

## Weekly payrolls, even in a week with no work

KCHA's list of business policies says you must submit payrolls every week on federally funded projects, even if no work is done. The sentence says "payrolls", not "certified payrolls". It states no dollar line and gives no weekday or hour for when a payroll is due. The words "certified payrolls" and "more than $2,000" sit in the separate wage bullet, and the page does not tie the two together.

### What the federal texts say

Both federal texts below are Davis-Bacon texts.

- **The contract clause.** [29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5) calls for certified payrolls for each week in which any Davis-Bacon or Related Acts covered work is performed. They go to the Federal agency if it is a party to the contract. If it is not, they go to the applicant, sponsor, owner, or other entity that keeps the records, for transmission to the agency. The prime contractor is responsible for the submission of all certified payrolls by all subcontractors.
- **HUD's handbook.** Chapter 4 is titled "Payroll Reporting: Davis-Bacon Compliance Requirements", and paragraph 4-1 says it pertains to Local Contracting Agencies, employers on Federal Housing Administration projects, and HUD staff. Paragraph 4-3(C) says employers need not submit reports for weeks with no work on the site if the reports are numbered in sequence or written notice says work is suspended ([chapter 4](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C4SECH.pdf)). KCHA's page does not cite it.

### Davis-Bacon job or HUD maintenance wage job

On a Davis-Bacon job, KCHA's sentence reads as stricter than both texts. A job under HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages is different. HUD's handbook says the Copeland Act payroll requirements apply only where Davis-Bacon prevailing wage provisions apply ([paragraph 2-2(C)](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf)), and it treats HUD maintenance wages as a separate type. HUD's maintenance contract clause is [form HUD-5370-C](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/5370C2.pdf). Its Section II is the labor-standards section for maintenance contracts, including nonroutine maintenance, greater than $2,000, and the form adds Section I for contracts greater than $250,000, which this page did not read. Section II's records paragraph asks the contractor to keep worker records and make them available for inspection, and it sets no weekly payroll submission. So the federal sources read for this page state no weekly payroll submission for a job under HUD maintenance wages alone. KCHA's page states its own weekly sentence and separately tells you to file intents and affidavits with L&I, so ask KCHA which of its payroll duties apply to your job.

Your contract shows which wage determination you have. Either way, submit for every week unless KCHA tells you in writing that a no-work week can be skipped, and ask what a no-work submission should look like. Our [housing authority guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/housing-authority-certified-payroll/) shows how other authorities word their rules.

## What KCHA's page does not say

- **A payroll system.** It names none. It does link L&I's page on filing for federally funded projects, and under its "File certified payroll" heading that [L&I page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) says "As of January 1, 2020, weekly certified payroll reports are required to be filed online with L&I at least once a month for all public works projects." KCHA's page does not say how that relates to the payrolls it asks for, so ask KCHA and L&I which applies to your job.
- **A form.** It names neither the WH-347 nor a KCHA form. The [forms hub](https://www.kcha.org/forms/) lists 42 forms across four pages, as read on November 4, 2026, and none is a payroll form. Three sit under its Businesses topic: a weatherization contractor registration and Section 3 individual and business certifications. On a Davis-Bacon job, the regulation lets you send the required information on [Form WH-347](https://wellstanding.com/guides/wh-347/) or in any other format ([5.5(a)(3)(ii)(B)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)).
- **A recipient.** KCHA's page does not say who receives the payrolls it asks for. It sends you to L&I for the intent and affidavit filings and does not say whether payrolls go there, to KCHA, or to both. KCHA's [contact page](https://www.kcha.org/contact/) lists contacts for Section 3 businesses, rosters, and weatherization contractors, and none for labor compliance.
- **Who signs and how.** The two federal texts name different signers. The regulation says the contractor or subcontractor, or the agent who pays or supervises payment of the workers, signs the Statement of Compliance ([5.5(a)(3)(ii)(C)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)). The handbook asks for the original signature of the owner, an executive or corporate officer, or a designee the owner or officer authorizes ([paragraph 4-3(D)](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C4SECH.pdf)). Those are not the same test, and KCHA's page is silent, so ask KCHA who may sign for your company. The handbook also requires ink, while the regulation accepts an original handwritten or a legally valid electronic signature ([5.5(a)(3)(ii)(E)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)). An original ink signature meets the format rules of both texts, provided the signer is a person both tests allow. See our [signature guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/hud-statement-of-compliance-signature/).

### What to ask KCHA, in writing

1. **Read your contract first.** KCHA says you and KCHA both sign a contract before work starts. Look there for the labor clauses and the wage determination.
2. **Ask the contact named in your contract, if there is one, or KCHA's [main office](https://www.kcha.org/contact/).** Where do payrolls go, in what format, on which weekday are they due, who may sign for your company, and which wage determination applies?
3. **Keep the answer with your payroll records.**

## Wage rates KCHA points to

KCHA links two federal sources for rates.

- **Davis-Bacon.** KCHA links the [SAM.gov wage determinations page](https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations). On a Davis-Bacon job, your Statement of Compliance refers to the determination incorporated into your contract ([5.5(a)(3)(ii)(C)(3)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)).
- **HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages.** KCHA links a [HUD Form 52158 PDF](https://www.kcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/334.pdf). As read on November 4, 2026, it names King County Housing Authority, checks Nonroutine Maintenance, says it is made under Section 12(a) of the U.S. Housing Act of 1937 for public housing agencies, and shows an effective date of November 1, 2019 and an expiration date of October 31, 2022.

KCHA's page does not say whether a later determination replaced that one, so ask before you build payroll rates on it.

## Worker interviews and payment

KCHA may interview at least one person from every contractor and subcontractor company on the job site to verify their employer's wage rates. It processes payments within 30 days of invoice receipt if you meet all of its compliance requirements. The page does not define "compliance requirements", so ask whether a missing payroll holds an invoice.

## Washington L&I filings KCHA names

For both groups, KCHA says you must also file intents and affidavits with the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). It links [L&I's contractors and employers page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) as where to learn about filing for projects that are federally funded, [chapter 296-127 WAC](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-127&full=true) as the prevailing wage law, and [L&I's prevailing wage rates page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/prevailing-wage-rates/) as specific wage rates. KCHA's page does not describe the L&I process beyond those links, and this page does not restate it beyond the two quotes from L&I's contractors page above. Ask KCHA and L&I which of your payroll duties run through L&I. For how the state filings work, see our [Washington certified payroll guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/washington-certified-payroll/).

## Section 3 hours are a separate report

If your contract includes Section 3 workers or targeted Section 3 workers, KCHA says to send the Section 3 Labor Hours Benchmark Status Report with each billing ([KCHA Section 3 requirements](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/section-3-requirements/)). It is a separate report, but KCHA's [instructions for it](https://www.kcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/333.pdf) build the total-hours line from everyone listed on the certified payrolls for the reporting period, which should match the pay application period, and say to return it with the pay application.

## KCHA and Seattle Housing Authority are separate authorities

Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) publishes its own requirements. [SHA's page](https://www.seattlehousing.org/do-business-us/prevailing-wage-compliance) names LCPtracker and says contractors enter electronic certified payrolls weekly through it. KCHA's page names no system. Do not carry a login, a form, or a due date from one authority to the other. See our [Seattle Housing Authority guide](https://wellstanding.com/guides/seattle-housing-authority-certified-payroll/) and the [housing authority hub](https://wellstanding.com/guides/housing-authority-certified-payroll/).

## Questions

**What dollar amount triggers certified payroll at King County Housing Authority?**

The $2,000 line is the one KCHA's page ties to certified payrolls, for projects paying Davis-Bacon or HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages. The $2,500 line is KCHA's line for paying Washington state prevailing wages on non-federally funded projects at KCHA-owned properties, and its page ties no payroll submission to it. The [L&I contractors page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) that KCHA links lists, under "This work includes:", "Small projects (no minimum dollar amount) such as maintenance and repairs", so ask KCHA and L&I which applies to your job. KCHA's separate weekly-payroll sentence states no dollar line. Your contract shows which wage determination you have.

**Do I submit a payroll for a week with no work?**

KCHA's page says to submit payrolls every week on federally funded projects, even if no work is done. KCHA's page does not say where they go, so ask the contact named in your contract. The federal clause ([29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5)) and HUD's handbook ([chapter 4](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C4SECH.pdf)) are written for Davis-Bacon work. For a job under HUD Non-Routine Maintenance wages alone, HUD's maintenance clause ([form HUD-5370-C Section II](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/5370C2.pdf)) sets no weekly payroll submission, and the handbook ([paragraph 2-2(C)](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf)) limits Copeland Act payroll requirements to Davis-Bacon jobs. KCHA's page also tells you to file intents and affidavits with L&I, so ask KCHA which of its payroll duties apply.

**Which payroll system does KCHA use?**

Its requirements page names none. The [L&I page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) it links says "As of January 1, 2020, weekly certified payroll reports are required to be filed online with L&I at least once a month for all public works projects." KCHA's page does not say how that relates to the payrolls it asks for, so ask KCHA and L&I which applies to your job. Seattle Housing Authority's page names LCPtracker, but that does not carry over to KCHA.

**Where do I find the wage rates for a KCHA job?**

KCHA points to SAM.gov for Davis-Bacon determinations, to a HUD Form 52158 PDF for non-routine maintenance wages, and, for its Washington state prevailing wage projects, to an L&I page it labels "specific wage rates". The PDF shows an expiration date of October 31, 2022, so ask KCHA which determination your contract uses.

## Sources

Every figure on this page links to its source where it first appears. The full list, in order:

1. [KCHA's bid and contract requirements page](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/bid-and-contract-requirements/) kcha.org
2. [29 CFR 5.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-29/subtitle-A/part-5/subpart-A/section-5.5) ecfr.gov
3. [Handbook 1344.1 REV-3](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C2SECH.pdf) hud.gov
4. [L&I contractors page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/contractors-employers/) lni.wa.gov
5. [forms hub](https://www.kcha.org/forms/) kcha.org
6. [HUD Form 52158 on KCHA's site](https://www.kcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/334.pdf) kcha.org
7. [HUD-5370-C](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/5370C2.pdf) hud.gov
8. [chapter 4](https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/OCHCO/documents/13441C4SECH.pdf) hud.gov
9. [contact page](https://www.kcha.org/contact/) kcha.org
10. [SAM.gov wage determinations page](https://sam.gov/content/wage-determinations) sam.gov
11. [chapter 296-127 WAC](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-127&full=true) apps.leg.wa.gov
12. [L&I's prevailing wage rates page](https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/public-works-projects/prevailing-wage-rates/) lni.wa.gov
13. [KCHA Section 3 requirements](https://www.kcha.org/contractors-and-vendors/bid-and-contract-information/section-3-requirements/) kcha.org
14. [instructions for it](https://www.kcha.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/333.pdf) kcha.org
15. [SHA's page](https://www.seattlehousing.org/do-business-us/prevailing-wage-compliance) seattlehousing.org

## Related

- [Housing authority certified payroll rules](https://wellstanding.com/guides/housing-authority-certified-payroll/)
- [Seattle Housing Authority certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/seattle-housing-authority-certified-payroll/)
- [Ink or electronic signature on the Statement of Compliance](https://wellstanding.com/guides/hud-statement-of-compliance-signature/)
- [How to fill out Form WH-347](https://wellstanding.com/guides/wh-347/)
- [Washington certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/washington-certified-payroll/)