How to file certified payroll in Ohio (prevailing wage, WH-347)

Ohio has a state prevailing-wage law

Public-improvement projects in Ohio are frequently covered by the state prevailing-wage law, administered by the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage & Hour Administration. Covered work carries prevailing-wage rates and certified-payroll reporting obligations to the awarding authority. PayrollPenguin reads your payroll run, maps each worker’s classification to your hours and rates, and reshapes the data into the report — it reformats your numbers; it never invents a wage.

Ohio accepts the WH-347 format

Although awarding authorities may publish their own forms, Ohio accepts the federal WH-347 certified payroll format for prevailing-wage reporting. That keeps a single deterministic report covering both your Ohio public-improvement work and any federal Davis-Bacon work. PayrollPenguin generates the WH-347 with its Statement of Compliance and validates the output before presenting a file as ready.

ODOT federal-aid highway projects may route differently

On Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) federal-aid highway projects, certified payroll is sometimes routed through AASHTOWare Project Payroll rather than a paper WH-347 — confirm the submission channel per project with the awarding authority. PayrollPenguin keeps the underlying payroll data the same and flags anomalies regardless of the destination format you export.

How to file Ohio certified payroll

1. Import your payroll run. Upload your ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex, or CSV payroll for the pay period.
2. Pick the Ohio project. Select the public-improvement project and its awarding authority so the report is scoped correctly.
3. Resolve flagged anomalies. PayrollPenguin flags issues — missing fringe, classification gaps, or rates below the determination — for your review before you certify.
4. Certify and export the WH-347. Sign the Statement of Compliance, then download the file-ready WH-347 to submit to the awarding authority.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ohio have a state prevailing-wage law?

Yes. Ohio has a state prevailing-wage law, administered by the Ohio Department of Commerce, Bureau of Wage & Hour Administration, covering many state and local public-improvement projects. For certified payroll, Ohio accepts the federal WH-347 format.

Do I have to use Ohio’s own form, or can I use the WH-347?

Ohio accepts the federal WH-347 format for certified payroll reporting. Awarding authorities may publish their own forms, and ODOT federal-aid highway projects may route payroll through AASHTOWare Project Payroll — confirm the submission channel per project.

Is PayrollPenguin a compliance guarantee?

No. PayrollPenguin is a reporting and formatting tool — it formats your payroll to the WH-347 specification and flags anomalies. You certify and the awarding authority reviews.