Certified payroll in Texas: what applies, and to whom you file

Texas has no statewide electronic filing portal like California’s DIR — but that does not mean certified payroll is optional. What you file depends on who funds the job.

Federally funded projects: WH-347, weekly

Any Texas project with federal money covered by the Davis-Bacon Act (highways with federal aid, HUD-assisted housing, federal buildings) carries the standard federal requirement: weekly certified payroll on form WH-347 or its equivalent, submitted to the contracting agency within seven days of the pay date.

State and local public works: Government Code Chapter 2258

For state or locally funded public works, Texas Government Code Chapter 2258 requires paying the prevailing wage rates adopted by the public body awarding the contract — and the public body enforces it, with penalties assessed per worker, per day for underpayment. Many Texas awarding bodies (cities, counties, school districts, universities) require certified payroll records as their evidence, and most accept or expect the WH-347 format even though the mandate is state-level. The submission goes to the awarding body itself, not to a state portal.

Practical upshot for Texas subs

You end up producing the same weekly artifact — a WH-347-format certified payroll — with the destination varying by project: federal agency, general contractor, or the city’s compliance office. The free generator covers the form; the upload beta reads your payroll report and fills it for you.