Paycor Payroll Review for Construction Businesses: Pros, Cons & Alternatives

Paycor processes payroll for thousands of businesses across multiple industries, but how well does it handle construction’s unique challenges? This review examines Paycor’s capabilities specifically through a contractor’s lens.

What is Paycor?

Paycor is an HR and payroll software provider that has been operating for over 30 years. In 2024, Paycor was acquired by Paychex, one of the largest payroll providers in the United States.

Following the acquisition, Paychex integrated Paycor’s platform into its broader service ecosystem while maintaining the Paycor brand and core functionality for its existing customer base.

Paycor’s platform offers human capital management (HCM), payroll processing, tax filing, benefits administration and talent management services.

Paycor serves various industries with their platform, with a focus on empowering leaders and frontline managers. While they process payroll for companies in construction, Paycor is not exclusively construction-focused.

Key Paycor Payroll Features

Paycor’s HCM platform combines HR and payroll capabilities into a unified system designed to handle employee administration, regulatory compliance and workforce management across diverse business environments.

Here’s how Paycor’s features work:

#1: Payroll Processing

Paycor offers payroll services built for different business sizes, from small companies to mid-market organizations. The platform manages payroll through several features:

• Online payroll processing
• Payroll tax calculations and payments
• Federal and state compliance support
• Direct deposit and check printing options
• Unlimited payroll runs per month
• Employee self-service portals

Paycor can also handle garnishments at different service levels, with basic client-managed options or enhanced Paycor-supported garnishment management.

#2: Time Tracking and Labor Management

Paycor provides time and attendance tools that integrate with their payroll system, including:

• Time tracking with labor cost allocation
• Employee scheduling capabilities
• PTO tracking
• Mobile apps
• Shift swap

The platform includes labor distribution reporting to help track employee hours across different projects or cost centers.

#3: HR and Compliance Management

Beyond payroll processing, Paycor provides HR management features, including:

• Employee onboarding with digital workflows
• E-Verify services for employment verification
• Benefits administration through third-party connections
• HR support center with access to certified HR professionals
• Compliance services for changing laws and regulations
• Labor law poster subscriptions

The platform includes compensation insights and benchmarking capabilities to help organizations compare pay scales to industry standards.

#4: Integrations and Business System Connectivity

Paycor syncs with a variety of software systems, including:

• Accounting platforms
• Time tracking applications
• Benefits administration systems
• 401(k) providers
• Third-party apps for various business needs

These pairings extend Paycor’s capabilities by connecting data across business systems.

Paycor Service Package Structure

Paycor structures their services across multiple tiers based on business size:

For Small Businesses (under 50 employees):

• Basic – Essential payroll and tax services, direct deposit, wage garnishments, employee self-service and online reporting
• Essential – Adds onboarding, time off manager, E-Verify, HR support center, recruiting (3 jobs) and basic analytics
• Core – Includes Paycor Analytics, recruiting (5 jobs), HR support center on-demand, benchmarking and diversity metrics
• Complete – Everything in Core plus unlimited recruiting jobs, advanced talent management features and compensation planning

For Mid-Market Businesses (50+ employees):

Paycor offers custom packages designed to meet the specific needs of larger organizations, with pricing determined through consultation with their sales team.

Ratings and Reviews

Here’s what users have said about their experiences with Paycor:

Paycor’s Strengths and Limitations for Construction

Paycor provides payroll and HR solutions with broad coverage and multiple service tiers. For construction companies with straightforward payroll needs, Paycor offers:

• Payroll processing with tax compliance across federal and state levels
• Integration capabilities with existing business systems
• Multiple service packages from basic payroll to full HCM suites
• Time tracking and job costing features
• HR support and compliance resources

However, contractors should carefully evaluate whether Paycor’s general-market approach meets specialized construction industry requirements.

The platform is designed to handle uncomplicated payroll scenarios, but contractors with complex needs — such as union requirements, prevailing wage compliance or certified payroll reporting — may find limitations.

Fortunately, there are specialized alternatives designed to handle the unique challenges of construction payroll, union requirements and certified reporting.

Payroll4Construction: Specialized Construction Payroll Solutions

Payroll4Construction provides payroll services built exclusively for contractors, helping them overcome union requirements, prevailing wage rules and certified reporting challenges.

Construction-Specific Payroll Features

Unlike general payroll providers, Payroll4Construction is designed to help contractors handle the complex requirements that construction companies face daily:

• Union Tracking: Manages union contracts, calculates benefit contributions, processes fringe benefits and handles complex reporting requirements specific to construction trades
• Prevailing Wage Rates: Automated compliance tracking for government contract work with real-time rate updates, ensuring Davis-Bacon Act compliance
• Multi-State Processing: Seamless payroll processing for construction crews working across state lines with proper tax compliance
• Certified Payroll Reporting: Automated generation of Form WH-347 and other certified payroll reports for Department of Labor (DOL) compliance
• Construction Compliance: Comprehensive regulatory compliance designed specifically for the construction industry

Advanced Integration and Project Support

Create a complete construction workforce management platform with Payroll4Construction’s various integrations, including:

• Accounting Systems: Connects with popular construction accounting software like QuickBooks®, Sage 100 Contractor, FOUNDATION® and Viewpoint for seamless data flow
• Time Tracking Apps: Links the office with the field through mobile time collection solutions
• HR Systems: Integrates with onboarding, benefits administration and employee management platforms

Dedicated Construction Industry Support

Payroll4Construction is designed to help contractors with specialized support services, including:

• In-house Construction Payroll Specialists: Support team with deep construction industry knowledge and experience who understand the nuances of contractor payroll
• Industry-Specific Implementation: Guided setup designed specifically for construction business workflows, ensuring smooth transitions and proper configuration
• Ongoing Compliance Guidance: Proactive updates on changing regulations, prevailing wage rate changes and evolving union requirements specific to your projects

How Contractors Can Choose the Best Payroll Solution

The right solution doesn’t just process paychecks. It provides visibility into your operations, helps control project costs, ensures compliance with complex regulations and improves overall project management capabilities.

Before choosing a payroll provider, ask yourself:

• Does the provider specialize in construction or offer it as a general add-on?
• Can the system handle complex union requirements and benefit calculations?
• Does the platform provide project-based cost tracking and reporting?
• Are prevailing wage and certified payroll capabilities built-in or additional services?
• Does the provider offer construction industry expertise or general business support?
• Can they handle Davis-Bacon Act compliance and Form WH-347 reporting?

If you’d like to explore how specialized construction payroll services could benefit your construction company, Payroll4Construction experts are ready to help you find the perfect fit for your unique requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Paycor?

Pros: Paycor offers HR and payroll services with user-friendly interfaces, multiple service tiers and tax compliance capabilities. The platform provides reliable processing and improved customer support for standard business needs.

Cons: Paycor’s construction features are general business tools rather than purpose-built solutions for contractors. This can create challenges when handling construction-specific requirements like prevailing wages, union reporting and certified payroll compliance. Setup processes and support responsiveness can vary.

Which is Better for Construction Payroll, Paycor Or Payroll4Construction?

For construction businesses, Payroll4Construction offers significant advantages because it’s built exclusively for contractors.

While Paycor provides general payroll features suitable for uncomplicated scenarios, Payroll4Construction specializes in union payroll, prevailing wages, certified payroll reporting and construction compliance from the ground up.

What Should Construction Businesses Look for in a Payroll Provider?

Construction businesses should prioritize providers that offer:

• Built-in prevailing wage compliance
• Union payroll capabilities
• Certified payroll reporting (Form WH-347)
• Multi-state processing
• Project-based cost tracking
• Dedicated construction industry support

Look for providers with proven experience navigating the complex intersection of federal, state and local wage laws that impact construction projects, particularly those involving government contracts.

What Makes Payroll4Construction Different From Paycor?

Payroll4Construction is designed exclusively for construction companies, offering specialized features like:

• Automated prevailing wage compliance
• Complex union reporting
• Dedicated construction industry support

Unlike Paycor’s general platform designed for multiple industries, every feature in Payroll4Construction is built specifically for contractors’ unique needs.