We compared five payroll options against pricing, construction-specific features, and independently reported ratings to find the best fit for small contractors. "Small business" here means roughly 1–20 employees.
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Our take: If any of your work involves certified payroll or prevailing wage, go with Payroll4Construction regardless of your headcount — general payroll tools will cost you time on every reporting cycle. If you don't need certified payroll and you're already on QuickBooks, stay there. If you're starting fresh with neither requirement, Gusto or OnPay are the simplest, most affordable options.
#1 for certified payroll
Payroll4Construction
Custom quote — no flat rate published
4.65/5 (295 reviews) · 88/100 on our FrontRunners index · Highly rated for prevailing wage
Ideal customerAny small contractor doing certified payroll, prevailing wage, or union work — even with just a handful of employees
Certified payroll supportYes — core specialty
Job costingYes — construction-native
Time trackingVia WorkMax integration
Accounting integrationQuickBooks; native tie-in to Foundation Software
Mobile capabilitiesEmployee portal for pay stubs/tax forms; field time entry via WorkMax
Pros
- Purpose-built for construction compliance
- Deep certified payroll and union fringe tracking
- Strong, construction-specific job costing
Cons
- No published pricing — requires a sales quote
- Interface feels dated to some reviewers
- Likely costs more than general small-business payroll tools
Recommendation: If you touch prevailing wage or certified payroll at all, this outweighs the lack of published pricing — the compliance automation alone typically pays for itself.
#2 if already on QuickBooks
QuickBooks Payroll
From ~$50/mo + $6/employee
4.45/5 (991 reviews) · 81/100 on our FrontRunners index · Highly rated for automation
Ideal customerSmall contractors already running their books in QuickBooks who want payroll in the same system
Certified payroll supportNo
Job costingBasic, via QuickBooks project tracking on Plus/Advanced
Time trackingQuickBooks Time, included on higher tiers
Accounting integrationNative — it's built into QuickBooks
Mobile capabilitiesQuickBooks Workforce app for employees; QuickBooks Time for field crews
Pros
- No migration needed if you're already on QuickBooks
- Deepest accounting integration of any option here
- Large support ecosystem and documentation
Cons
- No certified payroll or prevailing wage reporting
- Job costing is basic next to construction-specific tools
- Pricing has risen substantially through 2026
Recommendation: Best when avoiding a system migration matters more than construction-specific compliance features.
#3 for field crews
Paychex Flex
From ~$39/mo + $5/employee (higher tiers: custom quote)
4.16/5 (1,808 reviews) · 84/100 on our FrontRunners index · Best for mobile app
Ideal customerSmall contractors with field crews who need reliable mobile time entry
Certified payroll supportNo
Job costingNot construction-specific
Time trackingIncluded, mobile-first
Accounting integrationSyncs with QuickBooks and other general accounting platforms
Mobile capabilitiesOne of the strongest mobile apps in this category
Pros
- Strong mobile time entry for crews on job sites
- Scales up with optional HR modules
- Lower reported per-employee cost than some peers at entry tier
Cons
- Higher tiers are quote-only, less pricing transparency
- Mixed reviews on customer support responsiveness
- No dedicated certified payroll tools
Recommendation: Worth it specifically for the mobile app if field time entry is your main pain point.
#4 for ease of use
Gusto
Simple $49/mo + $6/employee · Plus $80/mo + $12/employee · Premium $180/mo + $22/employee
4.6/5 on G2 (8,300+ reviews) — not yet scored on our FrontRunners index
Ideal customerSmall contractors (1–50 employees) who want an easy, modern platform with room to add HR and benefits
Certified payroll supportNo
Job costingNot construction-specific
Time trackingIncluded on Plus and Premium tiers, general-purpose
Accounting integrationQuickBooks, Xero
Mobile capabilitiesEmployee app; general time tracking, not job-site GPS-based
Pros
- Consistently top-rated for user satisfaction industry-wide
- Intuitive setup and daily use
- Integrated benefits and HR as you scale
Cons
- No certified payroll or prevailing wage tools
- Per-employee costs climb quickly on higher tiers
- Not built with construction job costing in mind
Recommendation: Best if ease of use and integrated HR/benefits matter more to you than construction-specific compliance tools.
#5 for simplicity
OnPay
$49/mo + $6/employee (single plan)
4.8/5 on G2 (400+ reviews) — not yet scored on our FrontRunners index
Ideal customerSmall non-union contractors (1–20 employees) who want simple, transparent pricing without add-on surprises
Certified payroll supportNo
Job costingMinimal, not construction-specific
Time trackingAdd-on integration, not native field tracking
Accounting integrationQuickBooks, Xero
Mobile capabilitiesEmployee self-service app; no field-focused time clock
Pros
- Single transparent plan, no hidden per-state fees
- Strong onboarding support reported by users
- No extra charge for multi-state payroll
Cons
- No certified payroll or prevailing wage reporting
- Limited construction-specific job costing
- Time tracking isn't built in natively
Recommendation: Best if you want the simplest, cheapest general payroll for a small non-union crew and don't need certified payroll or deep job costing.
