How to file certified payroll in Washington (L&I PWIA XML)

Intent first, then certified payroll

Every Washington public-works project gets an L&I-assigned Intent ID when you file the Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages. Your certified payroll uploads are bound to that Intent. The Intent ID is not derivable from payroll, so PayrollPenguin captures it on the project and flags it as a blocking anomaly if it is missing — you can never certify a placeholder.

Washington requires the full SSN

Unlike the federal WH-347 (which shows only the last four digits), the Washington record requires the worker’s full SSN per RCW 39.12.120. PayrollPenguin never stores full SSNs by default — it keeps only the last four digits. You supply the full number just-in-time at export: it’s validated against the stored last four, used in memory on the server to build the file, logged as an access, and discarded. A missing SSN is flagged as an anomaly you must resolve first.

Trade codes, counties, and daily hours

L&I’s schema uses a 4-letter trade code (e.g. ELEC, CARP) and a Washington county per line, with daily hours capped at 24. PayrollPenguin maps your classification to the trade code, normalizes the county, and reshapes your weekly hours into the per-day cells — it reformats your numbers; it never invents a wage.

How to file Washington certified payroll

1. Import your payroll run. Upload your ADP, Gusto, QuickBooks, Paychex, or CSV payroll for the pay period.
2. Pick the Washington project. Select the public-works project and enter its L&I Intent ID so the filing is bound correctly.
3. Resolve missing-SSN / Intent-ID anomalies. Washington requires the full SSN and the Intent ID; PayrollPenguin flags either one before you can certify.
4. Certify and export the PWIA XML. Sign the Statement of Compliance, then download the L&I-ready PWIA XML to upload.

Frequently asked questions

What is the L&I Intent ID and where do I get it?

It is the identifier L&I assigns when you file the Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages for a project. Your certified payroll uploads reference it. Enter it on the project in PayrollPenguin so the PWIA file is bound to the right Intent.

Why does Washington need the full SSN?

RCW 39.12.120 requires the full Social Security Number on the certified payroll record. PayrollPenguin never stores the full number by default — it keeps the last four digits only. You provide the full SSN at export; it’s checked against the stored last four, used in memory to build the file, logged, and discarded. The interface only ever shows the last four.

Is PayrollPenguin a compliance guarantee?

No. PayrollPenguin is a reporting and formatting tool — it formats your payroll to the L&I PWIA specification and flags anomalies. You certify and L&I / the awarding agency reviews.