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Payroll and HR for construction companies

Between managing crews across job sites, tracking hours and pay rates, and keeping up with ever-changing labor laws, running payroll and HR for a construction business is no small task. We simplify the paperwork so you can stay focused on building great things—not chasing down timecards or worrying about compliance.

Fill out the form below for a quote, demo or more information and a member of our team will be in touch.
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Payroll and HR Software for Construction Companies

From juggling crews across multiple job sites to managing union requirements, prevailing wage rules, and workers’ comp codes, construction payroll and HR can get complicated—fast. And with labor shortages, tight deadlines, and new compliance mandates always around the corner, staying on top of it all can pull you away from the work that really matters.

Our payroll and HR solutions are designed for the construction industry. Whether you're handling certified payroll, onboarding seasonal workers, tracking job costs, or managing overtime and fringe benefits, our tools streamline the process—reducing errors, saving time, and helping your projects stay on schedule and in budget.

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Importance of Efficient Payroll and HR Management in Construction

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Managing tipped and non-tipped employees

Tracking reported tips, managing tip pooling arrangements, and calculating FICA tip credits can quickly become overwhelming. Staying compliant with tip-related regulations and reporting is complex, and a single mistake can lead to penalties or audits.

 

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Handling multi-roles and various pay rates

In many restaurants, employees work multiple roles—sometimes even across different locations—with different pay rates for each. Calculating blended overtime and ensuring accurate pay each shift is tedious, error-prone, and time-consuming.

 

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Staying compliant with evolving labor laws

Federal and state labor laws are constantly changing. From Maine’s Earned Paid Leave and Paid Family and Medical Leave Program to minimum wage updates and employee classification rules, staying compliant takes time, attention, and up-to-date knowledge.

 

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Employee turnover, hiring, and onboarding

With high turnover and seasonal staffing needs, you're constantly bringing on new employees. Without an efficient process in place, sourcing candidates, hiring, and onboarding becomes a paperwork headache—slowing down operations and increasing the risk of errors.

 

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Boost job site efficiency

Coordinating crews, hours, and job sites manually slows down progress. Our platform automates scheduling, time tracking, and payroll—saving admin time and keeping you focused on building.

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Stay labor compliant

From OSHA and FLSA to certified payroll and prevailing wages, compliance is critical. We help automate calculations, manage required records, and keep you ahead of changing regulations.

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Accurate labor tracking

Every project comes with tight margins. With our tools, you can track time and wages by job, phase, or crew, making it easier to manage budgets, forecast costs, and improve job costing accuracy.

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Support your employees

Your crews are your greatest asset. With mobile access to pay, schedules, and HR tools—plus digital onboarding and safety training—workers stay informed, empowered, and more likely to stick around.

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Key Payroll and HR Features of Our Software

Labor Allocation & Job Costing

Track labor costs accurately by project, phase, trade, or job code. Allocate hours and wages to specific job sites for better budget control and clearer visibility into project profitability.

License, Certification & Safety Tracking

Stay on top of certifications, OSHA training, forklift licenses, and safety credentials by employee or role. Automated alerts help you avoid lapses and ensure field workers are qualified and compliant.

Workers' Comp Administration

Classify employees by trade or job site to track accurate premiums. Pay-as-you-go billing keeps costs aligned with real-time payroll and avoids large upfront payments that hurt cash flow.

Industry Benchmarks & Wage Data

Understand how your compensation and labor costs stack up with industry standards. Access tools and benchmarks that help you stay competitive and retain top talent.

Mobile Time Tracking & Geofencing

Crews can clock in from the field using GPS-enabled devices, so you know exactly who’s on-site. Eliminate buddy punching, reduce time theft, and improve timekeeping accuracy across multiple locations.

Applicant Tracking & Onboarding

Fill roles fast with mobile-friendly job postings, applicant screening, and digital onboarding. Get new hires on-site with the right paperwork, e-verification, and training—without the admin lag.

Expense Reimbursement

Process mileage, PPE, tool reimbursements, or per diem directly in payroll. Cut down on paperwork and make sure field workers are reimbursed quickly and accurately.

HR Consulting Support

Need help with job descriptions, workplace policies, or labor law changes? Our experienced HR team provides strategic guidance tailored to construction businesses.

Empowered Employees

Give workers access to paystubs, schedules, and benefit info right from their phones. A user-friendly experience keeps your crew informed, engaged, and ready to work.

Automated Shift Differentials & Overtime

Whether your team works weekends, overnights, or fluctuates by weather and season, our system handles complex pay rules—ensuring accurate calculations for union, prevailing wage, and overtime compliance.

OSHA Incident Management

Stay compliant and ready for audits with built-in tools to log, track, and report workplace incidents. Our system makes it easy to record injuries, illnesses, and safety events, automatically generate required OSHA forms (like the 300, 300A, and 301), and maintain detailed records by location or department. With proactive alerts and customizable reporting, you can spot trends, improve safety protocols, and reduce the risk of costly penalties.

Customized Role-based Access

Give foremen and project leads the tools they need—without the admin overload. Approve timecards, manage crew schedules, and respond to employee needs with customized, role-based access.

Robust Analytics & Reporting

Drill into labor costs, overtime trends, and job-specific expenses. Export reports by project, cost code, union classification, or time period to stay in control of the numbers.

Custom Software Integrations

Connect isolved to your accounting, scheduling, or ERP systems like QuickBooks or Sage. Eliminate double entry, reduce manual errors, and keep payroll, billing, and job costing in sync.

General Ledger Integration

We build custom GL files to match your accounting structure—by project, department, or trade—making payroll reconciliation faster and more accurate for every job.

Benefits Management & ACA Compliance

Offer benefits that attract skilled labor while simplifying admin. Automate eligibility, manage payroll deductions, and stay compliant with ACA reporting—all within one platform.

Employee Learning & Development

Keep your workforce OSHA-compliant and cross-trained with our built-in Learning Management System. Assign safety modules, track completions, and deliver ongoing development by trade or role.

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Your Jobs Are Built Right—Is Your Payroll?

Let’s fix the back office chaos with tools made for construction teams.

Let's Talk!
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Types of Construction Businesses We Serve

Construction Payroll & HR

Residential Builders & Remodelers 

Smaller crews, tighter budgets, and juggling multiple jobsites make staying compliant and on schedule a challenge. Many of these businesses rely on a mix of W-2 employees and independent contractors, often working across cities or states.

We help residential builders stay organized with GPS-enabled mobile time tracking, automated overtime calculations, and streamlined onboarding. Whether it’s paying your team on time, managing expense reimbursements for mileage or tools, or keeping subcontractor paperwork in order, we simplify the back office so you can focus on getting the job done.

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Commercial Construction & General Contractors

Managing complex projects across multiple sites, tracking union and prevailing wage requirements, and keeping accurate job costing are everyday realities for commercial contractors. Add in high turnover and multi-state compliance—and things get messy fast.

Our system automates job costing, supports certified payroll reporting, and tracks labor across projects, departments, and locations. We help GCs stay audit-ready, handle fringe benefits and union rules, and streamline communications between the office and field teams. With tailored manager access and self-serve employee tools, your team gets what they need without the HR bottleneck.

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Speciality Trades (Electricians, Plumbers, HVAC, etc)

These subcontractors often work across various GCs and sites, with crews moving daily and job costing that must be accurate to stay profitable. Managing licensing, safety training, and workers’ comp requirements only adds to the chaos.

We support specialty trades with mobile punch-in tools, shift and job tracking, and license/certification management. Our software helps you calculate blended overtime, automate workers’ comp payments, and maintain clean documentation for labor compliance. We keep your team paid accurately, your records tight, and your projects profitable.

Residential Builders & Remodelers 

Smaller crews, tighter budgets, and juggling multiple jobsites make staying compliant and on schedule a challenge. Many of these businesses rely on a mix of W-2 employees and independent contractors, often working across cities or states.

We help residential builders stay organized with GPS-enabled mobile time tracking, automated overtime calculations, and streamlined onboarding. Whether it’s paying your team on time, managing expense reimbursements for mileage or tools, or keeping subcontractor paperwork in order, we simplify the back office so you can focus on getting the job done.

Construction Payroll & HR
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Commercial Construction & General Contractors

Managing complex projects across multiple sites, tracking union and prevailing wage requirements, and keeping accurate job costing are everyday realities for commercial contractors. Add in high turnover and multi-state compliance—and things get messy fast.

Our system automates job costing, supports certified payroll reporting, and tracks labor across projects, departments, and locations. We help GCs stay audit-ready, handle fringe benefits and union rules, and streamline communications between the office and field teams. With tailored manager access and self-serve employee tools, your team gets what they need without the HR bottleneck.

Speciality Trades (Electricians, Plumbers, HVAC, etc)

These subcontractors often work across various GCs and sites, with crews moving daily and job costing that must be accurate to stay profitable. Managing licensing, safety training, and workers’ comp requirements only adds to the chaos.

We support specialty trades with mobile punch-in tools, shift and job tracking, and license/certification management. Our software helps you calculate blended overtime, automate workers’ comp payments, and maintain clean documentation for labor compliance. We keep your team paid accurately, your records tight, and your projects profitable.

Construction Payroll & HR (2)
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FAQs for Construction Payroll & HR

How can we better manage labor shortage and high turnover with your software?

The construction labor market is tight—and keeping reliable workers isn’t easy. Our system helps streamline hiring and onboarding with mobile-friendly applicant tracking, digital forms, and automated workflows that reduce paperwork and get workers onsite faster. We also provide tools for training, upskilling, and clear communication to keep your team engaged and productive.

Can your system handle different worker types—like hourly, salaried, contractors, and union employees?

Yes. Whether your team includes full-time employees, subcontractors, union labor, or a mix of all three, our platform manages it seamlessly. We support multiple pay rates, prevailing wage tracking, union rules, and 1099 reporting. Our compliance-ready tools help reduce misclassification risks and make end-of-year filings easier for everyone.

What HR tools do you offer that can support a diverse workforce?

Construction teams often include multilingual crews, seasonal help, and workers with different levels of tech comfort. Our platform supports employee self-service in multiple languages (coming soon!), mobile access to paystubs and timecards, and guided digital onboarding. Every team member gets the tools they need—no matter their role or experience level.

How do you help with certified payroll and job costing?

Certified payroll reports for government contracts? We’ve got you covered. Our system auto-generates federal and state-specific formats (like WH-347), tracks prevailing wage rates, and allows job-level labor cost tracking. You’ll gain better visibility into project expenses—and peace of mind knowing your records are audit-ready.

What support do you offer for compliance and changing labor laws?

Construction companies face evolving state and federal rules, especially in areas like OSHA, workers' comp, prevailing wage, and paid leave laws. Our platform keeps detailed records, sends renewal alerts for licenses and certifications, and automates calculations for things like overtime and fringe rates. Plus, our local team is trained to be looking around the corner for changes and is here when you need HR guidance or compliance advice tailored to your business.

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Certified Payroll, Union Dues, Multi-State Work?

We simplify it all so you can focus on building, not paperwork.

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Why Work With Paper Trails?

Choosing the right HR and payroll partner is essential for construction companies facing labor shortages, complex job costing, and ever-changing compliance requirements. At Paper Trails, we offer more than just payroll software—we provide hands-on support and tools tailored to the unique demands of the construction industry, from certified payroll and union tracking to mobile timekeeping and workers' comp reporting.

Local Support, Real People

Work with a Maine-based team that understands your needs—no call queues, just real people ready to help.

Deep Industry Experience

We work with construction businesses across Maine and beyond—from small residential contractors to large commercial builders and specialty trade firms. We understand the unique challenges you face on and off the job site, including prevailing wage compliance, multi-state payroll, union tracking, job costing, and managing a seasonal or mobile workforce.

Powered by isolved

We’ve partnered with isolved, one of the most robust and reliable HCM platforms available, to deliver a modern and secure experience.

Hands-On Implementation

From setup to staff training, we’re there every step of the way to ensure a smooth transition and long-term success with your payroll and HR processes.

Regulatory Expertise

Our team stays on top of local, state, and federal mandates, ensuring you're always prepared for audits or legislative changes.

Focused Features

No matter your frustration, we can help with demands of the construction industry because we’ve supported contractors, subcontractors, and builders like you every step of the way.

Paper Trails Team
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What clients are saying about the team at Paper Trails

5-star

Managing our weekly payroll is a constantly evolving process, with ever-changing variables that require careful attention and know-how. From adjusting for overtime and new hires to ensuring compliance with regulations, every week presents unique challenges. Having a reliable partner like Paper Trails has made all the difference, providing the support and knowledge needed to navigate these complexities seamlessly.

We are incredibly happy with the service Paper Trails provides. Their support and expertise in payroll have been invaluable to our business.

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Tim Landry
Northeast Safety, Inc

5-star

Our company (D&C Home Care) switched from a mega payroll company to Paper Trails and we are so happy we did! The staff are extremely knowledgeable, professional and helpful! It's wonderful to have a local person you can pick up the phone and call if you have a question or a problem. Would highly recommend!!

 
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Wendi Saracino
D&C Home Care

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Is Your Payroll Situation Less than Perfect?

We’ll stay in the weeds to manage your payroll, Human Resources, and compliance needs.

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207.721.8575

10 Main Street, 2nd Floor Kennebunk, ME 04043

1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 302 Topsham, Maine 04086

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