I've worked on multiple state prevailing wage jobs where I had to file an intent to pay prevailing wages and an affidavit of wages paid after the project is completed. Over the past 5-6 years I have never been required to submit certified payrolls on any of these projects. I got an email from a company I did a project for last year saying the contracting agency is requiring certified payrolls. My argument has always been that we provide professional services and it has worked until now. Any way I can argue this?
Your help is appreciated, my accounted has never done certified payrolls and I really don't want to start.
> My argument has always been that we provide professional services and it has worked until now.
It's not the nature of the services, it's the requirement for PW that determines the exposure to certified payroll. Some agencies are more lax than others in requiring CP, though I note that a client of long standing that has never before asked for CP has begun to require it. They're still trying to get their procedures set up, though, and so far the jobs I've done since they began implementing the policy have been completed before the staff charged with processing CP have been notified of a subject work order. I'm sure they'll get it figured out soon, at which point I'll have to start complying.
If you have worked on "multiple state prevailing wage jobs", then why weren't you prepared to comply with the requirements?
I am not privy to your contract, or the project specifics, but most State funded construction projects covered by prevailing wage laws are required to submit certified payroll statements indicating proper worker classification and wages.
How else would a state agency verify compliance?
If you are going to take the work, it would seem that you have to be willing to comply with all the requirements.
In a former job I was on the other end. I kept a diary every day of names and what they were doing to check against certified payroll. Fun times, don't miss it.
T-Ray,
It really depends on what you are doing under the contract. If you are providing construction layout, then in Washington you fall under PW. You can check with the state for the specifics, but Washington does have a classification for surveying when providing construction related services. At least it is somewhat black and white there, in Oregon we do not have our own classification and fall under general laborer's rates for the guy pounding the hubs under time constraints. As for the the certified payroll, if you use QuickBooks it will create them for you, one of the only good things it does. Also, it is my understanding that owners are not subject to PW so if you are a solo shop you should not need to provide the certified payroll.
We did a monitoring/testing project for the Columbia River Crossing last year that was a royal pain. It almost took an act of congress to get registard to be able to file the intent. To make things even more complicated, only about 10% of the project was construction layout, the rest was professional services, and all of it was in Oregon. But we still had to jump through WSDOT hoops because of the way CCR is set up.
Professional Services has nothing to do wit CP.