Managed Payroll · Skilled Trades
Union agreements, prevailing wage requirements, multi-site workforce management, and certified payroll reporting make trades payroll one of the most complex in any industry. We manage all of it at $25-$45 per employee per month -- fully managed, nothing for your team to touch.
See your exact monthly & annual price - no call required
The Cost of Running It Yourself
How It Works
We map your current payroll process, employee roster, and complexity. You get a fixed monthly cost -- no surprises.
We configure and run your first payroll cycles. No migration required -- we work in your existing system. Transition takes 30-60 days.
Every pay cycle, every filing, every compliance update -- fully managed by BEG. Your team touches nothing.
Compliance Requirements
Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates are set by the Department of Labor for specific job classifications on federally funded or federally assisted construction projects. Union wages are set by collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the employer (or employer association) and the union local. These are independent obligations. On a federal project where workers are also union members, both requirements may apply simultaneously -- and the higher of the two rates must be paid. On a non-federal project, only the union CBA rate applies. On a project without federal funding and without union workers, neither applies. Payroll must correctly identify which rate applies to each employee on each project and apply it without conflating the two frameworks.
Under most construction union CBAs, the employer owes separate contributions to the union trust funds for every hour worked by a union member: the health and welfare fund, the pension or annuity fund, the apprenticeship and training fund, and the industry promotion fund. These are calculated as a fixed dollar amount per hour worked -- not as a percentage of wages -- and must be remitted to the trust fund administrator on a schedule set by the CBA, typically monthly or weekly. Remittances must be accompanied by a detailed remittance report listing each member, their hours worked, and the contributions owed. Late remittances trigger interest charges and potential grievances. BEG manages fringe fund remittances separately from wage payroll and produces the required remittance reports for each trust fund on the required schedule.
When a contractor sends workers from one union local to a project in another local jurisdiction, the work may be covered by the host local agreement rather than the home local agreement. This can require the contractor to sign a letter of assent with the host local, pay the host local wage rates (which may differ from the home local rates), and contribute to the host local trust funds for hours worked in the jurisdiction. Managing multi-local obligations requires tracking not just where each worker is classified but where each hour of work is performed -- and applying the correct agreement for that location. BEG tracks project location alongside hours worked to ensure the correct CBA applies to each worker on each project.
Union CBAs specify different wage rates for apprentices at each level of their apprenticeship program -- typically expressed as a percentage of journeyman wages (40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%) depending on completion of the program. When an apprentice progresses to the next level, their rate must be updated before the next payroll cycle. CBAs also set maximum ratios of apprentices to journeymen on any project, and violating the ratio creates a grievance exposure. BEG tracks each apprentice membership status, updates rates at each progression milestone, and monitors apprentice-to-journeyman ratios on active projects.
On federal Davis-Bacon projects, the WH-347 Certified Payroll Report must be filed weekly -- including weeks with no work performed, where a no-work certification is required. State prevailing wage projects follow their own reporting schedules, which vary by state. Prevailing wage rate determinations are updated periodically by the Department of Labor and by state prevailing wage agencies. A contract that begins at one wage determination may be subject to updated rates mid-project depending on the contract modification history and project type. BEG manages the certified payroll submission calendar for every active project and monitors wage determination updates that may affect your active contracts.
Who This Serves
Union IBEW agreements, apprentice rate progressions, fringe fund remittances, and certified payroll on federal electrical installations all require dedicated payroll management.
UA union agreements, multi-local work when crews travel across jurisdictions, and Davis-Bacon compliance on federally assisted building projects.
IABSW union agreements on bridge and building projects, multi-state work, and prevailing wage requirements on federal infrastructure contracts.
GCs who employ union tradespeople directly on government projects and need certified payroll reporting across all trades on the project.
Insulation, fire protection, and mechanical contractors with mixed union and non-union crews working on the same project under different wage requirements.
Large enough to have active union agreements and government contracts, too small to justify a dedicated payroll compliance specialist with CBA and Davis-Bacon expertise.
What You Get
Common objection: "Switching payroll systems is too disruptive."
We do not require you to switch platforms. BEG operates as your managed payroll team inside your current system. If you want to move to a better platform, we can handle that too -- but it is never a requirement to get started.
Common objection: "Payroll services always add fees for every little thing."
The $25-$45 PEPM rate is all-inclusive: payroll processing, tax filing, compliance updates, year-end W-2s, and support. One number, everything included.
Common objection: "Payroll vendors disappear after onboarding."
Your BEG payroll specialist is your ongoing contact. When something changes -- a new hire, a state registration, a compliance update -- you send one message. There is no ticket queue, no chatbot, and no calling a 1-800 number. Your team has a real person who knows your account.
The Math on Waiting
An internal payroll specialist at your trades and manufacturing operation costs $60,000-$100,000 per year in fully-loaded compensation. Fully managed payroll at $25-$45 PEPM on a 50-person team costs $15,000-$27,000 per year. Every pay cycle on a union contract is a compliance event. One missed CBA provision or incorrect fringe benefit calculation triggers a grievance or audit.
Your Next Transition Window
Payroll transitions take 30-60 days. If you want a clean cutover at Q3, Q4, or January 1 -- the window to start is now. Companies that miss the quarter-start timing typically wait another 3 months. The savings you defer are gone for good.
15 minutes. We scope your payroll, give you a fixed monthly cost, and show you what transition looks like.
FAQ
Union and non-union electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, welders, ironworkers, carpenters, heavy equipment operators, and other skilled trades and construction workers.
No. We operate as your managed payroll team inside your existing system. Migration is an option, never a requirement.
Everything: payroll processing, federal and state tax filing, compliance updates, year-end W-2s, and dedicated BEG support.
30-60 days from scope review to first managed payroll run. We handle setup, testing, and go-live. Your team reviews and approves before anything goes live.
Your rate adjusts with headcount. Adding or removing employees updates your monthly cost at the same per-employee rate. No contracts to renegotiate.
Davis-Bacon rates are set by the Department of Labor for specific job classifications on federally funded projects. Union wages are set by collective bargaining agreements between the employer and the union local -- independently of any federal requirement. On a federal project with union workers, both may apply simultaneously and the higher rate governs. BEG tracks which obligation applies to each worker on each project and applies the correct rate.
BEG calculates union fringe contributions per hour worked for each member, produces the required remittance report listing each member and their hours, and remits to the appropriate trust funds on the schedule set by the CBA -- typically monthly or weekly. Health and welfare, pension, apprenticeship, and industry promotion fund contributions are tracked and remitted separately from wage payroll.
When crews travel into another local jurisdiction, the work may fall under the host local agreement rather than the home local agreement. This can require a letter of assent with the host local, payment at host local wage rates, and contributions to host local trust funds for hours worked in that jurisdiction. BEG tracks project location alongside hours worked to apply the correct agreement for each location.
BEG tracks each apprentice membership status and program completion percentage, updates their rate at each CBA-specified progression milestone, and monitors the apprentice-to-journeyman ratio on active projects. When a progression milestone is reached, the updated rate takes effect before the next payroll cycle -- no manual adjustment required from your team.
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