Payroll for Plumbing Companies IL & WI | Payroll Freedom

Payroll for Plumbing Companies

Plumbing crews move between job types daily. Your payroll should keep up.

Correct W-2 classification, certified payroll on prevailing wage jobs, and a crew that splits time between service calls and bid work — plumbing payroll has more moving pieces than a standard setup can handle. 20+ years serving businesses in Illinois and Wisconsin.

In one sentence: Payroll Freedom provides payroll for plumbing companies in Illinois and Wisconsin — including correct W-2 crew setup, certified payroll reporting support, wage rates tracked separately for service calls and prevailing wage jobs, and electronic onboarding — for a base fee of $45 to $95 per payroll run plus $3.35 to $9.70 per employee.

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What we handle for plumbing companies

Correct W-2 crew setup

Certified payroll reporting support

Electronic new hire onboarding

Pay-as-you-go workers’ comp

Payroll tax filings

Retirement plan contributions through payroll

Direct deposit & pay stubs

See how it works

Watch: How We Handle Plumbing Payroll in Under 2 Minutes

In this video (1:37): electronic onboarding, retirement contributions through payroll, wage rates tracked separately for service calls and prevailing wage jobs, certified payroll reporting support, and pay-as-you-go workers’ comp.

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The plumbing payroll problem

Generic payroll wasn’t built for a crew that switches job types daily.

Most national payroll providers can run a standard biweekly check fine. Plumbing payroll — with mixed prevailing wage and standard jobs, classification risk, and a tight labor market — needs more than that. On Illinois public works, certified payroll is filed monthly, and federally funded jobs bring federal requirements of their own.

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Crews paid as 1099s create real audit exposure

If you set the schedule, supply tools or materials, and direct the work, that may point to an employee relationship — and the stakes are higher on prevailing wage jobs, where misclassification compounds with wage compliance violations.

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Certified payroll reporting falls through the cracks

If you win a prevailing wage or public works job and your payroll provider has never set up certified payroll reporting, you’re at risk of missing the filing. In Illinois, failing to file a certified payroll is a violation of the Prevailing Wage Act, and underpayments carry penalties that start at 20% of the amount underpaid.

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Mixed crews on mixed projects are hard to track

A plumber working a service call Monday and a prevailing wage job Tuesday needs hours and wage rates tracked correctly for each — something most generic payroll software has no concept of.

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Workers’ comp audits create year-end surprises

Annual audits based on estimated payroll mean either overpaying all year or facing a large true-up bill. Pay-as-you-go lines premiums up with your payroll cycle — no lump-sum payments and no year-end audit surprises.

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No retirement plan means losing licensed plumbers

Your licensed plumbers have options in a tight labor market. A retirement plan is a real retention tool and a meaningful tax benefit for you as the owner.

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Your payroll company doesn’t know your name

You’ve got a certified payroll question before a filing deadline. Your national provider has a hold queue. We have a person — in Mundelein or Grafton — and you know who they are.

How we solve it

Plumbing payroll, set up correctly — prevailing wage included.

We bring the platform and the people to handle payroll the way a plumbing business actually needs it done. On iSolved. With a real local team behind it.

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Correct W-2 Crew Setup

We help you set crews up correctly as W-2 employees from the start, so you’re not carrying classification risk that compounds on every payroll run — and especially not on prevailing wage jobs. Pairs directly with worker classification review through our sister company, Accounting Freedom.

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Certified Payroll Reporting Support

We help structure your payroll workflow so certified payroll reporting on prevailing wage and public works jobs is accurate and submitted on time — every time, not just when someone remembers.

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Mixed Project & Wage Rate Tracking

iSolved tracks hours and wage rates separately across project types, so a plumber working both prevailing wage and standard jobs in the same pay period is paid and reported correctly for each.

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Electronic Employee Onboarding

New crew members complete I-9s, W-4s, direct deposit authorizations, and state withholding on their phone before day one. No paper holding up a start date.

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Pay-As-You-Go Workers’ Comp

Premiums line up with your payroll cycle, so there are no lump-sum payments and no year-end audit surprises. Available as an add-on at $10 per payroll.

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Retirement Contributions Through Payroll

Contributions to your retirement plan run directly through payroll — SIMPLE IRA, 401(k), and other plans. Helps you retain licensed plumbers who have options in a competitive labor market.

Not sure if your current crew is classified correctly, or how sales tax and membership revenue fit into your bigger tax picture? Our sister company Accounting Freedom handles worker classification, sales tax, and job costing for plumbing companies. One call, both sides covered. Learn more about Illinois payroll tax requirements and Wisconsin payroll tax requirements for small businesses.

Plumbing is one of the trades we serve. See all contractor payroll services, or jump to Electrical, HVAC, Landscaping, or Roofing.

What it costs

Transparent pricing, with every fee disclosed upfront.

Every payroll run has a base fee that depends on how often you pay: $45 weekly, $64 bi-weekly or semi-monthly, or $95 monthly. On top of that, you pay a per-employee rate: $3.35 on Core, $5.30 on Core+, or $9.70 on Core Pro.

Additional states are $10 per state per payroll, pay-as-you-go workers’ comp is $10 per payroll, and there’s a one-time $300 implementation fee. For example, an 8-person crew on a bi-weekly Core plan pays $90.80 per payroll.

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Ready to get payroll right?

Certified payroll, classification, compliance. All handled, every month.

Let’s walk through your current crew setup and show you what correct classification, certified payroll reporting, and fast electronic onboarding could look like on iSolved — no commitment, no pressure.

Request a Meeting See Your Price

Illinois: 847-566-0902 | Wisconsin: 262-375-2440