This checklist is operational guidance, not legal advice. Confirm the federal, state, local, contract, and funding-source requirements that apply to each project.
Data hygiene
- Project ID, contract ID, phase, and cost-code values are consistent across payroll, time, and ERP or job-cost systems.
- Covered-project indicators are clearly defined and maintained.
- Employee legal name and identifying details are complete where required.
- HR job titles are mapped separately from certified payroll trade classifications.
- Prevailing wage rate tables are current for the applicable project and jurisdiction.
- Fringe benefit, union benefit, and cash-fringe treatment is documented.
- Apprentice, trainee, helper, foreperson, and multi-rate scenarios are mapped.
- Earning codes and deduction codes are tied to certified payroll reporting logic.
- Manual spreadsheet dependencies are identified and assigned an owner.
Process controls
- Field supervisors understand the level of time detail required for covered work.
- Split-shift, multi-job, and multi-classification time entry is tested.
- Late time edits require documented approval.
- Classification changes require documented approval.
- Rate changes and retroactive corrections require documented approval.
- Change orders are reviewed for certified payroll impact.
- Union and benefit updates are routed to payroll before the affected cycle.
- One person owns submission readiness, and one person owns integration or file-generation issues.
Submission readiness
- Portal access, user roles, and authentication are confirmed.
- Contractor registration or project registration details are available where required.
- Test files or sample entries have been validated where the portal allows it.
- Rejection and resubmission steps are documented.
- Submission deadlines are mapped to the payroll calendar.
- Supporting documentation is stored with the payroll cycle or project record.
- Audit trail reports can show who changed key payroll fields and when.
- A post-cycle review captures exceptions and permanent fixes.