For Arizona construction employers
Payroll only, benefits, or a PEO?
There are three common ways to get help with payroll and employees. Here's what each one generally covers, what you would still handle, and what to ask during your introductory call.
Every provider and agreement is different. This page describes how these arrangements generally work. The specifics for your business, including services, responsibilities, and pricing, are confirmed with the provider before you sign anything.
At a glance
| Payroll only | Standalone benefits | Payroll with broader employee support (PEO) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes | Who runs your payroll | The benefits you can offer | Certain employer tasks are shared with the provider |
| What stays the same | Your benefits and HR setup | Your payroll setup | You run your business, jobs, and crews |
| Worth a look if | You want help running payroll and keeping up with filings | You want to offer benefits without changing payroll | You want payroll, benefits, and other employee tasks handled together |
Payroll only
An outside provider runs payroll for your business. You remain the only employer.
Generally covers
- Running payroll on your schedule
- Paychecks or direct deposit
- Calculating tax withholdings
- Payroll tax deposits and filings, depending on the service
- Year-end wage forms such as W-2s
You still handle
- Hiring, scheduling, and managing your crews
- Tracking and approving hours
- Employee benefits, unless set up separately
- Workers' compensation coverage
- HR policies and employee questions
Questions to ask
- Do you support our pay schedule, such as weekly?
- How do hours get from our job sites to payroll?
- Which tax filings are included?
- Is certified payroll for prevailing-wage jobs available?
- How is pricing structured?
Confirm with the provider: exactly which filings are included, who is responsible if a filing is late or incorrect, pricing, and whether certified payroll is supported. Payroll-only services are priced separately from the PEO administrative fee.
Standalone employee benefits
Benefit options for your employees, set up on their own. You don't have to change how you run payroll.
Generally covers
- Access to employee benefit plans, such as health coverage
- Other options that may be available, such as dental, vision, retirement, disability, and life insurance
- Help with enrollment, depending on the provider
You still handle
- Your payroll, including benefit deductions
- Hiring and managing your crews
- Deciding how much your business contributes
Questions to ask
- Which plans are available for a business our size?
- Are there eligibility or participation requirements?
- What would the business be expected to contribute?
- How do deductions connect to our current payroll?
- When can employees enroll?
Confirm with the provider: plan availability for your business, eligibility and participation rules, costs, and renewal terms. Standalone benefit plans are priced separately from the PEO administrative fee.
Payroll with broader employee support
Often arranged through a professional employer organization, or PEO.
What's a PEO? A professional employer organization is a company that enters a shared-employment arrangement with your business, often called co-employment. In general, the PEO takes on certain employer tasks, such as running payroll and administering benefits, while you keep directing the work and managing your team. Which responsibilities are shared is set by the agreement you sign.
Generally covers
- Payroll processing and payroll tax filings
- Access to employee benefit plans, such as health, dental, vision, retirement, disability, and life insurance
- HR support, such as onboarding paperwork and help with policies
- Workers' compensation coverage, usually under the PEO's policy, with the premium billed separately
You still handle
- Running your business and your jobs
- Hiring, scheduling, and directing your crews
- Job-site safety and day-to-day supervision
- Reporting and approving hours
- Decisions about pay and what you contribute to benefits
Questions to ask
- Which responsibilities does the agreement give the PEO, and which stay with us?
- Is workers' compensation included, and how are our trades classified?
- Which benefit plans are available?
- How is pricing structured?
- What does it take to end the agreement?
- Who is our day-to-day contact?
Pricing through PayMyCrew: $75 per employee per month for PEO administration in Arizona, subject to provider approval (other states quoted separately). Workers' compensation premiums, employee benefit premiums, wages, employer payroll taxes, and any other applicable costs are calculated separately. See pricing and the calculator.
Confirm with the provider: how responsibilities are divided under the agreement, whether workers' compensation is included and what it covers, and the term and cancellation conditions.
Smaller crew?
Smaller businesses are welcome to reach out. Which arrangements are available depends on the provider and your situation, so we'll explain what's open to you after we learn about your business.
Reviewing a proposal? Our guide to choosing a payroll service covers how hours get into payroll, connecting your existing software, the full cost, switching, and a checklist to use before you sign. Running payroll yourself? See how to do construction payroll.
Common questions
What happens if there's a payroll mistake or a tax notice?
Before choosing a provider, ask who handles corrections and tax notices, how to report a problem, and what response times you can expect. Confirm whether corrections or amended filings cost extra and how responsibility for any penalties or interest is addressed in the agreement. The answer depends on the service and the circumstances; don't assume every issue is covered.
What payroll tasks will the provider handle, and what will I still need to do?
The division of work depends on the service you choose. Confirm who enters employee information, submits and approves hours, processes payroll, and handles tax deposits and filings. Also ask who manages benefits deductions and employee questions. You continue running your business and directing your crew; the provider's responsibilities should be clearly described in your agreement.
Not sure which fits?
Tell us about your business and we'll lay out the options, with the pricing for each. No payroll documents needed, no obligation to switch. Or schedule a 15-minute call