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Construction compliance and finance, explained
Reference guides for the rules that decide whether a contractor gets paid and stays out of trouble. Every page names the governing statute, the form, and the agency, so you can check the source yourself.
Start with the fundamentals
Public-works compliance and construction finance run on a small set of rules that rarely change but carry real penalties when you get them wrong. These guides cover the ones contractors ask about most.
Each guide leads with a short definition written to answer the question directly, then works through the details with citations. Read them in any order. They cross-link where the topics connect.
Guides
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between certified payroll and prevailing wage?
Prevailing wage is the rate you must pay; certified payroll is the weekly report that proves you paid it. On federal work the rate comes from a Davis-Bacon wage determination and the report is Form WH-347.
Where should I start if I am new to public works?
Read the prevailing wage guide first to understand the rate you owe, then the certified payroll guide to understand the report you file each week. If you work in California or Oregon, read the matching state guide next.
Are these guides specific to any software?
No. They explain the rules as the agencies write them, with citations to the statute and form. They are useful whether or not you ever use compliance software.
Do these guides cover every state?
The certified payroll state guides currently cover California, Oregon, and federal Davis-Bacon work, where the rules are well defined and the wage data is complete. More states are in progress.
How current is this information?
The guides reflect rules in effect as of 2026, including the California private retention cap that took effect January 1, 2026. Rates and thresholds change, so confirm against the primary source before you rely on a number.
Who publishes the federal prevailing wage rates?
The U.S. Department of Labor sets Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates and publishes them as wage determinations by county and craft on SAM.gov. States that run their own prevailing wage programs publish separate rate schedules.
Compliance software that reads the rules for you
Buildalytic audits certified payroll against the wage determination before you submit, so a wrong rate or a missing classification gets caught here instead of in an audit.