---
title: Certified Payroll Cost Calculator: DIY vs Service
url: https://wellstanding.com/tools/certified-payroll-cost-calculator/
description: How long does certified payroll take? Start from the Labor Department's 55 minute average, a federal figure, then enter your own numbers and compare options.
updated: 2026-10-16
type: tool
publisher: WellStanding Certified Payroll
---
# Certified payroll cost calculator: how long it takes and what it costs

The Department of Labor's [WH-347 page states an average of 55 minutes](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) to complete its information collection. That is DOL's estimate for its federal Davis-Bacon certified payroll collection. It does not cover California's eCPR. This calculator starts from that number, lets you replace it with your own, and sets your time against software and a done for you service.

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 against the sources it cites

The short answer

The [Department of Labor](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) estimates an average of 55 minutes to complete its federal Davis-Bacon certified payroll collection, which is not an estimate for California's eCPR. Multiply projects, payroll weeks, and months to get records. Multiply records by your minutes and divide by 60 to get hours. Multiply hours by your hourly cost, add any price, and compare the total with a tool or with WellStanding's $995 one time setup plus $249 a month for up to 25 workers.

- The Department of Labor's [WH-347 page](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) estimates an average of 55 minutes to complete its information collection. That is DOL's estimate for its federal Davis-Bacon certified payroll collection, not for California's eCPR, and the page says use of the WH-347 itself is optional.
- [DIR's eCPR FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/ecprfaq.html) offers two ways to submit, the manual iForm or an XML upload, and says the iForm does not save your work.
- [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1771.4) requires each contractor and subcontractor on a covered project to furnish certified payroll records electronically at least once every 30 days while work is being performed, or more often if the contract says so.
- [LCPcertified's page](https://lcptracker.com/lcpcertified/) lists Plus plan prices of $12 per report, $145 a month for up to 5 active projects, and $1,300 a year for up to 10 active projects.
- WellStanding charges $995 one time for setup, then $249 a month for crews up to 25 workers or $449 a month for 26 to 50 workers, and the first filing is free.

## How long certified payroll takes

Use 55 minutes as a starting point for one weekly record, then correct it. DOL does not say the 55 minutes is per weekly record. Reading it that way is our own choice. The burden statement on the [WH-347 form](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/wh347.pdf) gives that average for the whole collection: reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data, and completing and reviewing the collection. Three limits apply.

1. **It is an average, not your crew.** A crew of five and a crew of forty do not take the same time, and the average says nothing about yours.
2. **It is DOL's estimate for its federal collection, not for California's eCPR.** The WH-347 has one project name, one payroll number, and one week ending date on it, so the calculator counts one record for each project for each payroll week. That unit is our choice, not DOL's. DOL says covered contractors on federal or federally assisted construction contracts must submit payroll information [on a weekly basis](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347), and that use of the WH-347 itself is optional.
3. **California is extra work.** Each contractor and subcontractor on a covered project furnishes records directly to the Labor Commissioner, electronically, at least once every 30 days while work is performed, or more often if the contract says so, under [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1771.4). [DIR's eCPR FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/ecprfaq.html) lists exempt projects, including those run under the legacy labor compliance programs of Caltrans, the City of Los Angeles, LAUSD and Sacramento County, and projects covered by qualifying project labor agreements, at the Labor Commissioner's discretion. Check your project. The FAQ gives no time estimate for submitting. It names two ways in, the manual iForm or an XML upload, and warns that the iForm does not save your work: if you will be away from the computer for more than 30 minutes, submit what you have and amend the payroll for the remaining employees.

So the practical answer is a number you measure yourself. Time your next record from payroll export to a submitted eCPR, including the minutes spent checking classifications and rates, and enter it below.

## The calculator

Nothing you type leaves this page. The LCPcertified prices in it come from [LCPcertified's page](https://lcptracker.com/lcpcertified/), and the WellStanding prices are our own. The hourly cost box is empty on purpose, because only you know it and we do not supply an average. Leave it blank and you still get break-even rates.

**Your volume**

Workers on your crewSets our price tier: up to 25, or 26 to 50. Active public works projects Payroll weeks a month on each project Months a year you fileMonthly fees are charged for these months.

**Your time**

Minutes to do one weekly record yourself55 is DOL's average for its federal certified payroll collection. Add your own minutes for the eCPR. Hourly cost of the person doing itWage plus taxes and benefits, or what your hour is worth. Minutes per record with a toolBlank uses the minutes above. Enter what a free trial shows. Minutes per record to review and sign if someone else prepares itBlank counts none of your time. It is not zero.

**A tool you are weighing (optional)**

Tool price in year one, in dollars Tool price each year after, in dollars

Weekly records you complete in a year 96

**Break-even, no hourly cost needed**

| Option | Price, year one | Price, each year after | Your hours a year | Total, year one | Total, each year after |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |

Formulas: records = projects times weeks times months. Hours = records times minutes divided by 60. Total = price plus hours times hourly cost. Break-even rate = price difference divided by hours saved.

## Where the prices come from

Each price comes from the vendor's own page, or from ours.

| Option | Published price | What the calculator does with it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [LCPcertified](https://lcptracker.com/lcpcertified/) Plus plan | $12 per report. $145 a month for up to 5 active projects. $1,300 a year for up to 10, $2,500 for up to 25, $3,700 for up to 50, $7,400 for unlimited. The Professional plan starts at $1,900 a year for up to 10 active projects. | Picks the cheapest Plus option that fits your project count. It counts one report per weekly record, because the page does not define a report, and charges the monthly price for the months you enter, because the page does not say whether you can stop between jobs. The page says the product produces an XML file that can be uploaded to state portals such as DIR's, and does not say it submits for you. The Professional plan is not priced. |
| [Sunburst](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm) Certified Payroll Solution | $799.00 for a company license. Annual maintenance of $100.00 after the first year, per its [support policy](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/support-policy.htm), which says the price is subject to change. | Not built in, because the page says it works only with QuickBooks Desktop for Windows. If that is you, enter 799 and 100 in the two tool boxes. |
| WellStanding | $995 one time setup. $249 a month for crews up to 25 workers, $449 for 26 to 50. First filing free. | Adds the setup to year one only, and the monthly fee for the months you enter. Our published prices stop at 50 workers. |

For what each vendor's page says about California, see [best certified payroll software in California](https://wellstanding.com/compare/best-certified-payroll-software-california/). For who produces, uploads, and signs, see [certified payroll software versus a service](https://wellstanding.com/guides/certified-payroll-software-vs-service-california/).

## Worked example

Enter 15 workers, 2 projects, 4 weeks a month, 12 months, 55 minutes, and a $50 hourly cost. That is 2 times 4 times 12, or 96 records a year, and 96 times 55 divided by 60, or 88 hours. The $50 an hour, the 30 minute tool figure, and the 10 minute review figure are numbers we picked to show the arithmetic. They are not averages. Replace them.

| Option | Price, year one | Your hours a year | Your time at $50 | Total, year one | Total, each year after |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do it yourself, 55 minutes a record | $0 | 88.0 | $4,400 | $4,400 | $4,400 |
| LCPcertified Plus at $12 per report, still 55 minutes a record | $1,152 | 88.0 | $4,400 | $5,552 | $5,552 |
| Same tool, if it brings a record to 30 minutes | $1,152 | 48.0 | $2,400 | $3,552 | $3,552 |
| WellStanding, if you spend an assumed 10 minutes a record reviewing and signing | $3,983 | 16.0 | $800 | $4,783 | $3,788 |

Of the Plus options that fit 2 projects, $12 per report comes to $1,152 for 96 records. That is less than $145 a month for 12 months ($1,740) or the $1,300 yearly tier, so the calculator uses it. Our year one price is $995 plus 12 months at $249, or $3,983. After setup it is $2,988 a year, plus your review time.

A tool that does not cut your minutes costs more than doing it yourself, because you pay for it and still do the work. A tool that really gets a record down to 30 minutes is the cheapest row in every year. That is the case for software, and it rests on a number only a trial can give you. Against the flat fee, doing it yourself is cheaper in year one by $383, because of the setup, and the flat fee is cheaper from year two by $612. The break-even hourly cost is $41.50 after setup and $55.32 in year one. Change the review minutes and those move.

## What the calculator does not count

- **The signature.** The declaration is the contractor's. WellStanding prepares and files; the contractor signs, and nothing is filed until the contractor has signed. We never sign for you. Under [Labor Code section 1776(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1776) each payroll record contains or is verified by a written declaration under penalty of perjury. On the federal form, [DOL's WH-347 page](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) says the Statement of Compliance must be signed by the contractor or subcontractor, or their agent who paid or supervised the payment of the workers, and the form's statement begins "I paid or supervised the payment of the laborers or mechanics." See [who signs certified payroll](https://wellstanding.com/guides/who-signs-certified-payroll-california/).
- **A missed filing.** Under [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)(B) and (C)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1771.4), failing to furnish records carries a penalty of $100 per day, not to exceed $5,000 per project. The Labor Commissioner does not levy it until 14 days after the requirement in clause (i) of subparagraph (A), which is a submission at least monthly, or more often if the contract says so. See the [penalty calculator](https://wellstanding.com/tools/certified-payroll-penalty-calculator/).
- **Your payroll system.** A tool saves minutes only if it can take your payroll data. Check [payroll systems that export DIR eCPR XML](https://wellstanding.com/guides/payroll-systems-that-export-dir-ecpr-xml/) first.
- **Hiring.** A hire is a fixed monthly cost whether or not you have public works payroll. Compare their monthly pay with our monthly fee, as in [how much certified payroll costs](https://wellstanding.com/guides/how-much-does-certified-payroll-cost/).

## What the result tells you

**Doing it yourself comes out lowest.** Your volume is low or an hour of your time is cheap. Keep doing it, and time yourself so the number holds.

**A tool comes out lowest.** Check that its minutes are real. A free trial on one real payroll week gives you the number to enter.

**The flat fee comes out lowest, or close.** You trade a fixed monthly price for review time instead of preparation time. You send your payroll export. WellStanding prepares the WH-347 and the eCPR from it, and a person at WellStanding reviews every filing. You review the finished filing and sign the certification in one step, and nothing is filed until you have signed. The certification is always yours; we never sign for you. The first filing is free, so you see a finished one before you decide.

## Questions

How long does certified payroll take each week?**

The Department of Labor's WH-347 page estimates an average of 55 minutes to complete its information collection. That is DOL's estimate for its federal payroll collection, not for California's eCPR. DIR's eCPR FAQ gives no estimate for the California submission. Time your own next record, from payroll export to a submitted eCPR, and enter that number in the calculator.

How much does it cost to do certified payroll yourself?**

The cost is your time. Records a year times minutes, divided by 60, times the hourly cost of whoever does the work. DIR's eCPR FAQ mentions no fee for submitting. In the worked example, 96 records at 55 minutes is 88 hours, which is $4,400 at an assumed $50 an hour.

Is software cheaper than a service?**

On sticker price, yes in the worked example: $1,152 a year for LCPcertified's cheapest Plus option, against $2,988 a year for our service after setup. But software leaves the work with you, so the calculator adds your hours. It wins only if it cuts your minutes, and the break-even output shows by how much.

Does a service remove my time completely?**

No. A person at WellStanding reviews every filing. Then you review the finished filing and sign the certification in one step, and nothing is filed until you have signed. That is why the calculator has a box for review minutes. Leave it blank and the service row counts none of your time, which makes the service look cheaper than it is.

What hourly cost makes a flat fee worth it?**

The calculator shows a break-even rate and needs no hourly cost from you. With the worked example's assumed 10 minute review, our fee costs less than your time once an hour of it is worth more than $41.50 after setup, or $55.32 in year one. More projects or more minutes per record lower that rate.

## Sources

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

1. [WH-347 page states an average of 55 minutes](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/forms/wh347) dol.gov
2. [DIR's eCPR FAQ](https://www.dir.ca.gov/Public-Works/ecprfaq.html) dir.ca.gov
3. [Labor Code section 1771.4(a)(3)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1771.4) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
4. [LCPcertified's page](https://lcptracker.com/lcpcertified/) lcptracker.com
5. [WH-347 form](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/legacy/files/wh347.pdf) dol.gov
6. [Sunburst](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/certified-payroll-solution.htm) sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com
7. [support policy](https://www.sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com/support-policy.htm) sunburstsoftwaresolutions.com
8. [Labor Code section 1776(a)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=1776) leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

## Related

- [How much does certified payroll cost](https://wellstanding.com/guides/how-much-does-certified-payroll-cost/)
- [Certified payroll software vs a service](https://wellstanding.com/guides/certified-payroll-software-vs-service-california/)
- [Best certified payroll software in California](https://wellstanding.com/compare/best-certified-payroll-software-california/)
- [Who signs certified payroll in California](https://wellstanding.com/guides/who-signs-certified-payroll-california/)
- [Certified payroll penalty calculator](https://wellstanding.com/tools/certified-payroll-penalty-calculator/)
- [The WH-347, line by line](https://wellstanding.com/guides/wh-347/)