Construction Payroll for East Valley Contractors

$75 per employee, per month. That's the flat PEO administrative fee for approved East Valley construction employers. Workers' compensation premiums, employee benefit premiums, wages, employer payroll taxes, and any other applicable costs are calculated separately and listed in your proposal before you agree to anything. See full pricing details.

Construction payroll built for East Valley work

East Valley contractors work at both ends of the market. Subdivisions keep going up in Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, and southeast Gilbert, while Chandler and Mesa have large semiconductor, data center, and industrial projects that pull in electricians, pipefitters, and concrete crews. A small contractor can go from tract-home punch lists to a subcontract on a big commercial site in the same month.

That kind of mix needs a payroll setup that can keep up:

• Weekly and biweekly payroll processing, with payroll tax administration
• Overtime and multiple pay rates for the same employee, including different rates on residential and commercial work
• Time tracking across jobsites and job-cost reporting, depending on provider and arrangement
• Workers' compensation payroll reporting by classification
• Certified payroll support where available
• Onboarding help when you staff up quickly for a big job

Your proposal shows which of these are included and which cost extra.

Crossing into Pinal County

Queen Creek sits on the Maricopa-Pinal county line, and San Tan Valley and Apache Junction pull East Valley crews into Pinal County every week. Arizona payroll rules, such as the state minimum wage, paid sick time, and unemployment tax, are the same on both sides of the line. What usually changes is the paperwork your general contractors and insurers want for each job, so it helps to track hours by jobsite from the start.

Keeping good hands when the big projects are hiring

When large commercial and industrial projects staff up, smaller contractors feel it first. Offering health, retirement, and other benefits gives you a way to compete for experienced workers and keep the crew you've trained. Benefit options come through our provider partners, subject to plan and eligibility requirements, and premiums are separate from the $75 PEO administrative fee.

Certified payroll on East Valley public work

Road, transit, airport, and other public projects around the East Valley that use federal money can carry Davis-Bacon prevailing wage rates and weekly certified payroll reports, and those requirements often flow down to subcontractors. On February 27, 2026, a three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division One, in an opinion by Presiding Judge Michael S. Catlett, held that a 1984 voter-approved state law (A.R.S. § 34-321) bars Phoenix and Tucson from requiring prevailing wages on city construction contracts (Associated Minority Contractors of Arizona v. City of Phoenix, No. 1 CA-CV 24-0658; see also KJZZ coverage). What the ruling means for contractors. Federal Davis-Bacon requirements are separate and still apply to covered federally funded or assisted work. Your contract documents say what applies. Learn what certified payroll is and what to ask a provider.

Three ways to set up payroll for your East Valley crew

• Payroll only. Payroll processing and tax filings for your crew, without changing your benefits or how you manage your people. Priced separately from the PEO rate.
• Standalone employee benefits. Medical, dental, vision, retirement, disability, and life insurance options, whether or not you change payroll.
• PEO. A professional employer organization shares certain employer tasks with you, like payroll and benefits administration, for a flat $75 per employee per month once approved. You still run your business and your crews.

None requires the others. See what each option covers and what you still handle.

Payroll basics for East Valley employers

General information, not legal or tax advice. Figures checked October 2026; most change each January.

• Minimum wage. Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, and Queen Creek don't set their own minimum wages, so the Arizona statewide rate applies: $15.15 an hour as of January 1, 2026. Hours your crews work inside Tucson ($15.45) or Flagstaff ($18.35) city limits fall under those cities' higher rates. Industrial Commission of Arizona

• Paid sick time. Employees earn at least one hour for every 30 hours worked. Employers with 15 or more employees must allow up to 40 hours a year, and smaller employers up to 24. A.R.S. § 23-372
• State unemployment tax. For 2026, new Arizona employers pay 2.0% on the first $8,000 of each employee's wages. Established employers receive their own assigned rate. Arizona DES
• Workers' compensation. Arizona employers with workers regularly employed in their business generally must carry coverage, with limited exceptions. A PEO arrangement may include it, so ask when comparing. A.R.S. § 23-902

For the full week-to-week process, see how to do construction payroll, step by step.

Trades we work with

Roofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, framing, drywall, excavation, landscaping, and general contracting companies across the East Valley.

Areas we serve

Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Apache Junction, Ahwatukee, and the rest of the East Valley. For central Phoenix and Scottsdale, see our Phoenix construction payroll page. Elsewhere in Arizona, see our pages for Phoenix, the West Valley, Tucson, and Flagstaff.

How it works

1. Tell us about your business. Your trade, employee count, and what you need help with. No payroll documents needed to start.
2. We review your options. We coordinate with our provider partners on payroll, PEO, workers' compensation, or benefits options that fit.
3. Get a clear breakdown. Review the proposed services and every cost in writing before you decide.

PayMyCrew is an independent sales and referral business working with provider partners. We don't operate a PEO, underwrite insurance, or issue benefit policies; those come from the providers. More about us.

East Valley construction payroll questions

Do you work with construction companies in Mesa, Chandler, and Gilbert?

Yes. We work with contractors across the East Valley, including Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, and Apache Junction. Conversations happen by phone, video, and email, and we reply to quote requests within one business day.

Do Mesa, Chandler, or Gilbert have their own minimum wage?

No. They follow Arizona's statewide minimum wage, which is $15.15 an hour as of January 1, 2026. Tucson and Flagstaff are the Arizona cities with their own higher rates.

Do payroll rules change when my crew works in Pinal County?

Arizona's state payroll rules, such as the minimum wage, paid sick time, and unemployment tax, are the same in Maricopa and Pinal counties. Tracking hours by jobsite still helps with job costing, workers' compensation reporting, and any project-specific requirements.

What does construction payroll cost in the East Valley?

For an approved PEO arrangement, the administrative fee is a flat $75 per employee per month. Workers' compensation premiums, employee benefit premiums, wages, and employer payroll taxes are calculated separately and shown in your written proposal. Payroll-only and standalone benefits are priced separately.

Can I get payroll or benefits without a PEO?

Yes. Payroll only, standalone employee benefits, and a PEO are each available on their own. None requires the others.

Information checked October 2026.