Construction Reporting Software That Simplifies Job Costing and Payroll

If you're a self-performing general contractor, you know the headaches that come with managing job costing and payroll. Between juggling cost codes, union requirements, certified payroll reports, and field data that trickles in late—or not at all—it's a wonder your team has any time left to actually manage projects.

And let’s be honest: construction accounting isn’t like any other industry. Your costs are moving targets, your crews are spread across counties, and your margins live or die by how fast and accurately you capture the numbers.

This is where construction reporting software can be a game-changer. But not just any solution. You need software that speaks your language—the language of job sites, change orders, cost codes, and compliance.

In this article, we’ll break down how the right construction reporting software—like hh2 Remote Payroll—can simplify job costing, streamline payroll, and help you stay compliant without drowning your back office in paperwork.

Let’s dig in.

Why Job Costing and Payroll Are So Complex in Construction

For general contractors who self-perform, job costing and payroll aren’t just back-office chores—they're mission-critical operations that directly impact profitability.

But they’re also notoriously complex. Here's why:

Multiple Jobs, Ever-Changing Costs

Most contractors are managing dozens of jobs across different counties or states. Each site comes with unique wage requirements, materials, and schedules. Keeping job costs accurate in real-time? Nearly impossible without digital tools that sync everything.

Prevailing Wage & Certified Payroll Compliance

If you’re working on public projects, certified payroll reporting isn’t optional—it’s a legal requirement. But prevailing wage rates shift based on location, trade, and project scope. And if you get it wrong? You're staring down audits, fines, or worse.

Timecards from the Field = Chaos

Let’s face it—collecting timecards via spreadsheets, texts, or crumpled paper slips is a logistical nightmare. Missing hours, incorrect cost codes, and overtime mishaps not only slow down payroll but wreck job cost tracking.

Union Payroll Requirements

Unionized labor adds another layer of complexity. Each union may have its own rules for dues, fringes, and reporting. Trying to handle that manually—or even in your ERP alone—leaves room for costly mistakes.

Disconnected Systems = Double Entry

Maybe your field teams use one tool, your payroll department another, and your ERP something entirely different. When those tools don’t talk to each other, it creates delays, duplicate data entry, and plenty of frustration.

The High Cost of Disconnected Systems

It’s not just that disconnected systems are inconvenient—they’re expensive.

When your field crews, payroll staff, and project managers are all working from different tools (or worse, paper), small errors add up fast. And in construction, "small errors" can mean thousands of dollars in lost revenue, delayed payments, or even fines.

Here’s what happens when your tech stack doesn’t play nice:

Field Teams Waste Time on Admin

Your field crew didn’t sign up to be data clerks. But when there’s no streamlined way to report time or job codes, they’re stuck filling out forms, texting in hours, or calling the office. Multiply that by every crew member, every job site, every week—and the wasted time (and payroll inaccuracies) add up fast.

Double (or Triple) Data Entry

Let’s say someone fills out a paper timecard. That gets passed to a supervisor, who retypes it into a spreadsheet, which your payroll admin then rekeys into the ERP. Every handoff is a chance for an error—misentered hours, wrong job codes, missed OT.

And fixing those mistakes? That’s another round of back-and-forth. It’s not just inefficient. It’s a liability.

Inaccurate Job Costing = Bad Bids and Lost Margin

If your labor costs aren’t updated in real time, your job cost reports are outdated before you even open them. That means you're flying blind on forecasting, and when you bid the next job, you're guessing instead of estimating based on actuals.

Suddenly, your margin disappears. You don’t realize the overages until the job is over—and by then, it’s too late.

Delayed Payroll = Unhappy Crews (and Risk)

Slow or inaccurate payroll doesn’t just irritate your workforce—it can cause legal issues, especially when prevailing wage or union rules are involved. A misstep here can trigger audits, lawsuits, and a major hit to your reputation.

No Real-Time Sync With ERP

Even with powerful systems like Sage 300, Vista, or Foundation, your ERP is only as good as the data feeding into it. If that data arrives late or dirty, your reports won’t reflect what’s actually happening on the job.

It’s like trying to steer a ship while watching a video feed on a 3-day delay.

What to Look for in Construction Reporting Software

Not all software is created equal—especially in the construction world. If you're evaluating tools to simplify job costing and payroll, it's easy to get distracted by dashboards and buzzwords. But the best solutions aren't flashy—they're field-tested, finance-friendly, and built with your boots-on-the-ground crews in mind.

Here’s what matters most when choosing the right construction reporting software:

Seamless ERP Integration (No More Double Entry)

Look for software that integrates directly with your ERP—Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Foundation, you name it. The magic is in the two-way sync: time data flows from the field to the back office, while job and cost code data flows back out to the jobsite. No rekeying. No guessing.

✅ hh2 Remote Payroll integrates directly with leading ERPs—keeping your accounting and field teams aligned in real time.

Mobile Access That Actually Works

If your software doesn’t work on a mobile device, it doesn’t work—period. You need a solution your field crews can use without a learning curve. Think timecards, cost code selection, and field notes all in one app, with offline functionality when signal cuts out.

👷 "The guys in the field can use the mobile app or the website. We no longer had to go out to the job site to view a report..." – Steve Haynes, FAHS Construction Group

Automated Time and Attendance Tracking

Manually chasing timecards is a full-time job. Smart software should let you automate time collection, validate hours against job codes, and route approvals up the chain—all before payroll day.

Look for features like:

• Daily field time entry

• Geofenced clock-in/clock-out

• Crew time entry and supervisor approvals

• Overtime calculations and alerts

Job Costing That’s Always Up to Date

When time and labor data sync in real time, you get job cost reports that reflect what’s actually happening. No more waiting until the job’s over to spot budget overruns.

That means:

• Better forecasting

• Smarter bids

• More profitable jobs

Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage Compliance

If you’re doing Davis-Bacon or other government work, you need software that automates certified payroll reports and ensures correct wage rates by job, trade, and location. Bonus points if it handles union requirements too.

✅ hh2 Remote Payroll does this out of the box—saving you hours on compliance.

Cloud-Based, Secure, and Scalable

Modern software should work from anywhere, scale with your business, and keep your data safe. Cloud-based platforms eliminate the hassle of managing servers or backups—and they’re essential for supporting remote and hybrid workflows.

How hh2 Solves the Puzzle: Job Costing Meets Payroll

At this point, it’s clear that construction payroll and job costing are tightly intertwined—and if either system breaks down, your project margins suffer. That’s where hh2 Remote Payroll and its suite of cloud-based tools come in. Built specifically for construction, hh2 doesn’t just patch problems—it solves them at the source.

Here’s how:

Two-Way Sync With Your ERP

hh2 connects directly with leading ERPs like Sage 300 CRE, Vista, Spectrum, and Foundation, creating a live data loop between the field and the back office. No more rekeying, exporting spreadsheets, or chasing down missing data.

• Job codes and cost codes flow from the ERP to the field.

• Timecards, labor costs, and approvals flow back automatically.

"We’ve eliminated double entry and improved our job costing accuracy across the board."
– Lorraine Searcy, Anchor 41 Construction

Streamlined Time Capture From the Field

With the hh2 mobile app or web portal, field teams can:

• Clock in and out using geolocation or biometric features

• Enter crew time in bulk

• Assign time to the correct job and phase with ease

• Submit notes and photos with daily reports

This isn’t just “digitized paper”—it’s a time capture system designed for real-world job sites, not office desks.

Built-In Certified Payroll and Prevailing Wage Support

Need to generate certified payroll reports for Davis-Bacon or state-funded projects? hh2 makes it automatic.

• Pulls prevailing wage data from your ERP

• Matches wage rates to jobs and classifications

• Generates federal, state, and union-compliant reports

• Cuts hours off your reporting process—and reduces audit risk

Real-Time Job Costing That Tells the Truth

Since labor data flows instantly from the field into the ERP, your job cost reports are always current. That means:

• No more guessing where you’re over budget

• Accurate labor burden tracking by job

• Faster, more confident decision-making

Whether you're tracking against original estimates or adjusting for change orders, you finally have the visibility to protect your margin.

Mobile Approvals and Automation

Time approvals, change orders, and document reviews can happen on any device. Supervisors get automated alerts, and nothing moves forward without signoff.

• No more bottlenecks waiting for in-office approval

• Reduce payroll prep time from days to hours

• Avoid missed deadlines and late paychecks

Cloud-Based and Scalable for Growth

hh2 is built on a secure, cloud-native platform designed to scale with you—no servers to manage, no upgrades to install.

• Works from anywhere: office, field, or remote

• Supports hybrid work and distributed teams

• Designed for GCs and subcontractors scaling from 25 to 250+ employees

Field-Tested Results: How Real Contractors Use hh2

The best proof that a tool works? Hearing how it performs out in the wild—on muddy job sites, across multiple crews, and under tight deadlines.

hh2 isn’t just another construction software vendor—it’s a partner trusted by over 3,600 construction companies, managing $16+ billion annually through its connected solutions.

Here are a few snapshots from the field that show how hh2 is changing the game:

From Paper Chaos to Paperless Payroll

“Since we started using Document Flow from hh2, we've been able to accomplish one of our primary goals—going paperless. No more filing cabinets. No more manual entry.”
— Brian Kelling, METRO AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY

Brian's team was drowning in paper-based processes—slowing down payroll, creating compliance risks, and wasting hours on admin. hh2’s cloud tools gave them instant access to documents, mobile approvals, and faster payroll prep. The result? Fewer mistakes and way more time saved.

Field Time Without the Friction

“hh2 made it really easy because the guys in the field can use their mobile app or the website. We no longer had to go out to the job site to view a report or go to a filing cabinet.”
— Steve Haynes, FAHS CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Steve’s crews don’t have time to fiddle with clunky tools. With hh2, they just open the app, log their time, and get back to building. Back in the office, reports sync automatically with the ERP—no back-and-forth needed.

Payroll That’s Finally Painless

“When I think back to the Stone Age—how we did payroll before—and I think about how payroll is now, I can't imagine doing it without hh2.”
— Lorraine Searcy, ANCHOR 41 CONSTRUCTION

Lorraine’s team was spending hours (sometimes days) on time collection, approvals, and data entry. Now? They run payroll with confidence, knowing everything flows from the field into Sage 300 without manual rework.

Real Impact, Real Results

Across the board, contractors using hh2 report:

• Up to 50% faster payroll processing

• 100% reduction in double entry

• More accurate job costing

• Stronger audit readiness

• Higher field team satisfaction

These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re business-critical wins that protect margins, reduce risk, and free up your team to focus on what they do best—building great things.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is construction reporting software?

Construction reporting software helps contractors track and manage critical job site data like labor hours, cost codes, payroll, and compliance reports. It connects field data with back-office systems, giving project managers and payroll teams real-time visibility into job costing and financial performance.

How does construction reporting software help with job costing?

By capturing time, labor, and material costs in real time—right from the field—construction reporting software ensures every dollar is allocated to the correct job and phase. This allows for more accurate job costing reports, tighter budgets, and better decision-making.

With hh2's construction job costing software, labor hours flow directly into your ERP, eliminating manual entry and improving cost tracking.

Can construction payroll software handle certified payroll and prevailing wage?

Yes—especially if you're using hh2. hh2 Remote Payroll automates the generation of certified payroll reports and supports Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage compliance. It assigns correct wage rates by job, location, and worker classification—so you can avoid errors and audits.

Does hh2 work with my existing ERP like Sage 300 or Vista?

Yes! One of hh2’s biggest advantages is its two-way integration with top ERPs including:

• Sage 300 CRE

• Viewpoint Vista

• Foundation

• Spectrum, and others

This means your job costing, payroll, and time tracking data sync automatically between systems—no double entry, no delays.

Can I track time from the field with hh2?

Absolutely. hh2 offers a mobile time clock for construction that lets your crews clock in/out, track hours, and allocate time to jobs and cost codes—all from their smartphone or tablet.

Whether you're on-site or remote, field data flows back to your payroll system in real time.

What types of contractors benefit from hh2?

hh2 is built for self-performing general contractors and subcontractors who need:

• Union payroll tracking

• Multi-state timekeeping

• Certified payroll reports

• Real-time job costing

• Integration with construction ERPs

If you’re managing labor-intensive projects with complex compliance requirements, hh2 was made for you.

Is hh2 cloud-based and secure?

Yes—hh2 is fully cloud-based, which means your data is accessible from anywhere, updated in real time, and protected with enterprise-grade security. There’s no server to manage and no manual updates to install.

A Better Way to Manage Construction Reporting

In construction, the margins are tight, the stakes are high, and there’s zero room for guesswork.

Job costing and payroll reporting aren’t just back-office functions—they’re the financial heartbeat of every project you run. And when those processes rely on disconnected systems, manual entry, and outdated workflows, the results can be costly: blown budgets, delayed paychecks, compliance headaches, and frustrated teams.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the right construction reporting software—one that’s purpose-built for self-performing general contractors—you can:

✅ Automate certified payroll and prevailing wage compliance
✅ Sync field data with your ERP in real time
✅ Eliminate double entry and manual errors
✅ Give field crews a mobile tool they’ll actually use
✅ Get accurate job costing insights—before it's too late

That’s what hh2 Remote Payroll delivers.

Whether you're using Sage 300, Vista, or Foundation, hh2 plugs directly into your ecosystem to streamline workflows, reduce risk, and give you control over your labor costs.

No more paper. No more bottlenecks. Just smarter, faster reporting—and payroll you can run with confidence.

👷 Ready to Take Control of Job Costing and Payroll?

If you’re tired of chasing timecards, cleaning up bad data, or dealing with software that wasn’t built for construction, it’s time for a change.

👉 Explore hh2 Remote Payroll
👉 See how it integrates with your ERP
👉 Schedule a demo and see the difference for yourself

hh2 is trusted by thousands of contractors. Let's make it work for you, too.