How to Prepare a Certified Payroll Report (WH-347) in AccuBuild
Certified payroll is the weekly report a contractor files on prevailing wage jobs to prove every worker was classified correctly and paid at least the required base rate and fringe. Federal jobs use the WH-347 and Statement of Compliance; states such as California also require an electronic filing.
This guide follows the weekly cycle in the recording in AccuBuild: retrieving approved timecards, checking union code rates and fringe mappings, running a trial payroll calculation, generating the WH-347 and California DIR XML, running a compliance audit, signing the Statement of Compliance, and distributing and logging the package.
- Who does itPayroll administrator / payroll compliance manager
- How oftenWeekly, per payroll period
- Steps10 steps · 3 systems
Watch the full workflow
every click in this recording is an AI agent — no one is touching the keyboard.
In the recording, an AI agent signs in to AccuBuild for Summit Ridge Construction and loads the approved timecards for the week ending 10/02/2026 across two certified jobs. It reviews the union codes and the Riverside Journeyman Electrician rate, benefit and certified payroll mappings, then trial-computes batch PR-1002 with zero exceptions. It generates two WH-347 PDFs and two California DIR XML files in package CPR-2026-1002, runs a 48-rule compliance inspection that passes, applies the authorized digital signature, emails the package to four contacts and confirms the certified payroll tracking log shows both jobs filed and sent.
- 1:20Load approved timecards for the week
- 2:30Review union codes and prevailing wage rates
- 3:10Check pay, benefit and certified payroll mappings
- 4:30Trial-compute payroll and review the pre-check register
- 5:20Preview the WH-347 and Statement of Compliance
- 6:30Generate the federal and state filing package
- 7:30Run the certified payroll compliance inspection
- 8:40Sign the Statement of Compliance
- 9:50Email the signed package to stakeholders
- 11:00Confirm the certified payroll tracking log
Systems involved
You need access to each of these before you start. In the recording the agent works in all of them from one desktop, signed in as the user.
- AccuBuildPayroll timecards, union codes and prevailing wage tables, trial payroll, certified payroll reports, compliance review, email distribution and tracking log
- California DIR XMLState electronic certified payroll files generated alongside the WH-347
- Document ManagementAccuBuild job compliance archive for signed reports, e-files and audit results
What you start with
- Approved weekly timecards for certified jobs
- Union codes with prevailing wage base rates and fringe benefits
- Certified payroll accumulator mapping
- Effective wage determination for the job location
What you end with
- Payroll Pre-Check Register for batch PR-1002
- WH347_24-071_WE10022026.pdf and WH347_24-084_WE10022026.pdf
- CA_DIR_24-071_WE10022026.xml and CA_DIR_24-084_WE10022026.xml
- CPR-2026-1002_Audit_Summary.pdf
- Signed Statement of Compliance, distribution email and tracking log entries
The workflow at a glance
Action Decision Human review Select a step to jump to how it's done.
- 01 Action · AccuBuild Load approved timecards for the week
- 02 Action · AccuBuild Review union codes and prevailing wage rates
- 03 Action · AccuBuild Check pay, benefit and certified payroll mappings
- 04 Decision · AccuBuild Trial-compute payroll and review the pre-check register Yes Any base wage, fringe or classification mismatch: fix the timecard or union code mapping and recalculate before reporting. No Zero exceptions: proceed to generate the certified payroll reports.
- 05 Action · AccuBuild Preview the WH-347 and Statement of Compliance
- 06 Action · AccuBuild Generate the federal and state filing package
- 07 Decision · AccuBuild Run the certified payroll compliance inspection Yes Any rule fails: send an urgent alert to the payroll administrator and correct the payroll before signing. No All rules pass: the package is ready for authorized signature.
- 08 · Human review · AccuBuild Sign the Statement of Compliance
- 09 Action · AccuBuild Email the signed package to stakeholders
- 10 Action · AccuBuild Confirm the certified payroll tracking log
Step-by-step: how to do it
-
Action · AccuBuild · 1:20 in the video
Load approved timecards for the week
Open Payroll > Time Card Worksheet, enter the pay period ending date, set approval status to Approved, choose all active certified jobs and search. Check that every line shows the job, employee, wage code, classification, hours and Approved status.
In the video- Pay period ending
- 10/02/2026
- Loaded
- 86 entries · 18 employees · 2 certified jobs · 721.5 total hours
- 24-071 · Riverside Civic Center Approved
- Classifications
- Journeyman Carpenter, Journeyman Electrician, General Laborer
- 24-084 · North County Water Plant Approved
- Classifications
- Equipment Operator II, Journeyman Pipefitter, Electrical Apprentice III
-
Action · AccuBuild · 2:30 in the video
Review union codes and prevailing wage rates
Go to Controls > Union Codes, set the effective-as-of date to the week ending and list all current prevailing wage classifications. Confirm each classification used on the timecards has a current union code with the right effective date, report format, base hourly rate and benefits.
In the video6 current codes, effective as of 10/02/2026.
- 300.01 · Riverside PW - Journeyman Carpenter CP-STD
- Effective
- 07/01/2026
- Base
- $46.25
- Benefits
- $21.40
- 300.02 · Riverside PW - Journeyman Electrician CP-STD
- Effective
- 07/01/2026
- Base
- $52.80
- Benefits
- $24.15
- 300.03 · Riverside PW - General Laborer CP-STD
- Effective
- 07/01/2026
- Base
- $35.10
- Benefits
- $18.85
- 410.02 · North County PW - Equipment Operator II CP-STD
- Effective
- 06/15/2026
- Base
- $44.65
- Benefits
- $22.60
- 410.03 · North County PW - Journeyman Pipefitter CP-STD
- Effective
- 06/15/2026
- Base
- $49.90
- Benefits
- $23.75
- 410.04 · North County PW - Electrical Apprentice III CP-APP
- Effective
- 06/15/2026
- Base
- $34.30
- Benefits
- $17.20
-
-
Action · AccuBuild · 3:10 in the video
Check pay, benefit and certified payroll mappings
Open a union code and review the Pay / Ded Rates tab (regular and overtime hourly, vacation and cash fringe), the Benefit Schedule tab (employer-paid fringe items included with burden), and the Certified Payroll tab, which maps each benefit to a certified payroll accumulator and its WH-347 treatment.
In the video- Union code
- 300.02 Riverside PW - Journeyman Electrician, rate effective 07/01/2026
- Regular hourly
- $52.8000
- Overtime hourly
- $79.2000 (factor 1.5000)
- Misc Pay 1 — Cash Fringe
- $4.7500 – added to gross wages
- Employer benefits
- Health & Welfare, Pension, Apprenticeship & Training, Vacation / Holiday – employer fringe contribution
- Classification shown on certified payroll: Journeyman Electrician; job 24-071 labor phase ELEC uses union code 300.02.
-
Decision · AccuBuild · 4:30 in the video
Trial-compute payroll and review the pre-check register
In Payroll > Calculate Payroll choose the weekly period, the approved timecard batch and Trial / Pre-Check mode, load the batch and process calculations. On the Pre-Check Register confirm base wage, fringe, classification and payroll period all pass for each job with zero exceptions; payroll records stay open in trial mode.
- If yes Any base wage, fringe or classification mismatch: fix the timecard or union code mapping and recalculate before reporting.
- If no Zero exceptions: proceed to generate the certified payroll reports.
In the video- Batch
- PR-1002 – Approved Weekly Timecards, 09/26/2026 – 10/02/2026
- Totals
- 86 timecard lines · 18 employees · 721.5 hours · $31,684.25 gross
- Exceptions
- 0
- 24-071 · Riverside Civic Center All checks passed
- Employees
- 10
- Hours
- 406.0
- Gross
- $18,942.60
- 24-084 · North County Water Plant All checks passed
- Employees
- 8
- Hours
- 315.5
- Gross
- $12,741.65
-
Action · AccuBuild · 5:20 in the video
Preview the WH-347 and Statement of Compliance
Open Payroll > Certified Payroll Reports, run the WH-347 for each certified job and review the payroll detail page (classification, daily and weekly hours, rates, gross, deductions, net) and the Statement of Compliance. Leave the statement unsigned until the compliance audit is complete.
In the video- Report run
- 24-071 Riverside Civic Center (10 employees, 406.0 hours) and 24-084 North County Water Plant (8 employees, 315.5 hours)
- Validation
- 18 employees, 0 report exceptions
- Signature
- Pending – completed in the audit and sign stage
-
Action · AccuBuild · 6:30 in the video
Generate the federal and state filing package
In the Certified Payroll Filing Package screen choose the state e-filing format, the federal output (WH-347 PDF plus Statement of Compliance) and the output destination, tick each job and generate. Confirm every file compiled or validated with zero validation errors.
In the videoPackage CPR-2026-1002 · 0 validation errors · Document Management – Job Compliance.
- WH347_24-071_WE10022026.pdf Compiled
- Size
- 2 pages · 428 KB
- CA_DIR_24-071_WE10022026.xml Validated
- Size
- 10 records · 84 KB
- WH347_24-084_WE10022026.pdf Compiled
- Size
- 2 pages · 394 KB
- CA_DIR_24-084_WE10022026.xml Validated
- Size
- 8 records · 72 KB
-
-
Decision · AccuBuild · 7:30 in the video
Run the certified payroll compliance inspection
Open Certified Payroll Compliance Review for the package and run the inspection, which cross-checks the compiled federal and state reports against approved payroll and the effective wage determination: worker and classification, base wage and fringe, hours and overtime, earnings and deductions, and the report package fields.
- If yes Any rule fails: send an urgent alert to the payroll administrator and correct the payroll before signing.
- If no All rules pass: the package is ready for authorized signature.
In the videoAudit cleared – 48 / 48 rules passed, 0 warnings, 0 exceptions (completed 10/05/2026 09:54).
- Worker & Classification 12 / 12 passed
- Scope
- 18 workers, 6 classifications
- Base Wage & Fringe 16 / 16 passed
- Scope
- Effective wage decision CA-RIV-2026-14
- Hours & Overtime 8 / 8 passed
- Scope
- 721.5 reported hours
- Earnings & Deductions 7 / 7 passed
- Scope
- $31,684.25 gross wages
- Report Package 5 / 5 passed
- Scope
- 2 PDF · 2 XML
-
Human review · AccuBuild · 8:40 in the video
Sign the Statement of Compliance
Review the Statement of Compliance for package, payroll period and audit result, then apply the authorized digital signature of the payroll compliance officer. Confirm the statement shows as digitally signed with signature verification embedded in both federal reports.
In the video- Package
- CPR-2026-1002, week ending 10/02/2026, 2 certified jobs
- Signer
- Payroll Compliance Manager (authorized digital signature)
- Approval summary
- AI audit cleared, 48 / 48 checks
-
Action · AccuBuild · 9:50 in the video
Email the signed package to stakeholders
Open Email Distribution for the package, set the subject and message, select the distribution contacts, and confirm the attachments: both WH-347 PDFs, both state XML files and the audit summary. Send from the certified payroll mailbox.
In the video- Subject
- Certified Payroll Submission & Compliance Summary - Week Ending 10/02/2026
- Recipients
- 4 – owner's public works compliance contact, prime contractor compliance, project manager, payroll compliance team
- Attachments
- 5 – two WH-347 PDFs, two CA DIR XML files, CPR-2026-1002_Audit_Summary.pdf
-
Action · AccuBuild · 11:00 in the video
Confirm the certified payroll tracking log
Open Payroll > Certified Payroll > Tracking Log for the week and package and check each job's report package, audit result, signature ID, sent/filed time, recipients, archive record and status. All jobs should show Filed & Sent with no open exceptions.
In the videoCertified payroll processing complete – distributed, archived and recorded with a complete audit trail.
- 24-071 · Riverside Civic Center Filed & Sent
- Package
- WH-347 · CA DIR XML
- Signature
- SIG-CP-2026-1002
- Sent
- 10/05/2026 10:02
- Archive
- DM-CP-24071-1002
- 24-084 · North County Water Plant Filed & Sent
- Package
- WH-347 · CA DIR XML
- Signature
- SIG-CP-2026-1002
- Sent
- 10/05/2026 10:02
- Archive
- DM-CP-24084-1002
- 2 certified jobs, 4 reports filed, 4 delivery receipts, 2 archive records, 0 open exceptions.
-
Rules, exceptions and controls
Rules to follow
- Only approved timecards for the pay period are included in certified payroll.
- Union code rates are selected by effective date; historical rates are retained for past certified payroll.
- Paid base rate and total fringe must meet or exceed the required rate for every classification on the wage decision.
- Overtime is paid at the union code factor (1.5 in this example) and must reconcile to daily and weekly hours.
- The Statement of Compliance stays unsigned until the compliance audit clears.
When something doesn't match
- Worker classified differently from the wage decision: correct the wage code on the timecard and recompute.
- Missing or underpaid fringe: fix the union code benefit schedule or pay the cash fringe, then rerun the trial calculation.
- State XML fails validation: correct the job or employee data and regenerate the package before filing.
- Compliance inspection finds an exception: alert the payroll administrator urgently and do not sign or send.
Controls and audit trail
- Trial / Pre-Check calculation keeps payroll records open until wages and fringes are verified.
- A 48-rule compliance inspection reconciles the federal and state reports to approved payroll before signature.
- Only an authorized signer applies the digital signature to the Statement of Compliance.
- Signed reports, e-files, audit results, recipient list and delivery timestamps are retained in Document Management and the tracking log.
Practitioner tips
- Load new wage determinations as new effective-dated union codes rather than overwriting rates, so prior weeks can be reproduced.
- Map every benefit on the Certified Payroll tab; an unmapped benefit is the most common cause of a fringe shortfall on the WH-347.
- Run certified payroll from the same approved batch used for the live payroll so hours and gross always tie.
- Never put full Social Security numbers on distributed copies; use the identifier format your agency accepts.
About this recording
In the recording, the agent processed certified payroll for the week ending 10/02/2026 end to end in AccuBuild, from approved timecards through the WH-347 and California DIR files, a 48-rule audit, the signed Statement of Compliance, email distribution and the tracking log.
Documented the way you'd train a new hire — and the same way an agent learns it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run certified payroll in AccuBuild?
Load the approved timecards for the week, confirm union codes and fringe mappings, run a trial payroll calculation, then generate the WH-347 and any state e-file from Certified Payroll Reports. Audit, sign the Statement of Compliance and distribute the package.
What is a WH-347 certified payroll report?
The WH-347 is the U.S. Department of Labor payroll form used on federally funded prevailing wage projects. It lists each worker's classification, hours, rates, gross pay, deductions and net pay, with a signed Statement of Compliance.
How are fringe benefits shown on certified payroll?
Employer-paid plan contributions such as health and welfare, pension, training and vacation are reported as fringe contributions, while cash fringe is added to gross wages. In AccuBuild this treatment is set on the union code's Certified Payroll tab.
Does California require electronic certified payroll?
California public works contractors file certified payroll electronically with the DIR. In this workflow AccuBuild generates a California DIR XML file for each job alongside the WH-347.
Can an AI agent do certified payroll reports in AccuBuild?
Yes. As shown in the video, the agent works the same AccuBuild screens a person does, from timecards to the tracking log, with the authorized signer's digital signature applied before filing.