Federal Davis-Bacon is not the only rule that applies here. Weekly payroll reports go directly to the awarding authority (not a state portal), by mail or email, each with a signed statement certifying the wages are accurate. That runs on top of, not instead of, the federal WH-347 whenever the project also has federal money in it.
Massachusetts at a glance
| Detail | Massachusetts requirement |
|---|---|
| Governing law | Mass. General Laws Ch. 149, § 27B |
| Filed with | The awarding authority directly, no state portal |
| Filing cadence | Weekly |
| Extra filing | Separate Statement of Compliance after a contractor's portion completes |
| Record retention | 3 years |
- Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149, § 27B sets the state's own prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements.
- Weekly payroll reports go directly to the awarding authority (not a state portal), by mail or email, each with a signed statement certifying the wages are accurate.
- A separate Statement of Compliance is due from each contractor after their portion of the project is complete.
- Records must be kept for three years, matching the federal Davis-Bacon requirement.
Mass.gov: Prevailing Wage Statutes
What this means for your paperwork
The state filing does not replace the federal one. The moment federal funding touches a Massachusetts project, the WH-347 still has to go out. Certified Payroll only handles the federal side: it checks the rate against the live SAM.gov wage determination and fills out the WH-347 with its Statement of Compliance. It does not file Massachusetts's own state form, so budget for that as a separate step if this project needs it.
Frequently asked
Does Massachusetts have its own prevailing wage law?+
Yes. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 149, § 27B sets the state's own prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements.
Does Certified Payroll file Massachusetts's state certified payroll form?+
No. Massachusetts payroll reports go straight to the awarding authority, not a state portal, by mail or email, with a signed statement of accuracy attached each week, and a separate Statement of Compliance is due again once a contractor's portion of the project wraps up. Certified Payroll handles only the federal side of that: the moment a Massachusetts project is also federally funded, it checks the rate against SAM.gov and fills out the WH-347 with its own Statement of Compliance automatically. The direct-to-authority state filing and its closeout statement still have to happen on their own.
This is a general informational summary, not legal advice, and covers state-level rules only. Verify current requirements with Massachusetts's labor department or a qualified compliance advisor before relying on it.