Contractor Rate Auditing with CSV Upload

Manually reviewing contractor-submitted rates against the prevailing wage schedule is time-consuming and error-prone at scale. WageHound's upload tool automates the comparison — import any contractor's payroll data in CSV format and instantly see where rates fall short, match, or exceed the published prevailing wage.

The Problem: Manual Rate Verification at Scale

On a large NYC construction project, you might have 20–40 active subcontractors. Each week, each sub submits certified payrolls covering dozens of workers across multiple classifications. A project manager reviewing each line item manually faces:

Hundreds of rate entries per week across all subs
Rate comparisons that require pulling the current Comptroller schedule for each trade
Classification-level mismatches that are invisible unless you know the current rate for each tier
Annual July 1 updates that require re-checking every rate in your tracking system

WageHound's upload tool replaces this manual process with a structured import and automated comparison against the prevailing wage schedule stored in the database.

Step 1: Prepare the CSV File

The upload tool accepts a standard CSV format. Required columns:

contractor_name, trade, job_classification, hourly_rate

Optional benefit columns (include any that your contractor has broken out):

annuity, pension, welfare, jib_assessment, educational_cultural, vacation_holiday, other_benefits_1, other_benefits_2, other_benefits_3

Data preparation tip: The most effective source for this data is the contractor's LCPtracker export. LCPtracker allows certified payroll submissions to be exported as CSV — map the relevant columns to WageHound's format and you can audit any pay period in minutes.

Step 2: Upload and Preview

After selecting your CSV file, WageHound parses the data client-side before any import. The preview step shows:

Row validation

Each row is checked for required fields. Invalid rows (missing trade or classification, unparseable rate) are flagged in yellow with an explanation. Valid rows show a green indicator.

Rate preview table

The first 10 valid rows are displayed in a table showing contractor name, trade, classification, and submitted rate — so you can confirm the import is reading your file correctly before committing.

Project assignment

Associate the upload with an existing project or create a new one. Projects let you organize multiple payroll periods for the same job and track rate compliance over time.

Step 3: Reading the Comparison Output

After import, WageHound generates a comparison table matching each uploaded rate to the current prevailing wage for the same trade and classification. The table shows:

Column	What It Tells You
Contractor Rate	The base hourly rate the contractor submitted in the CSV
Union Rate	The current prevailing wage base rate for that trade/classification
Dollar Difference	Contractor rate minus union rate — negative means underpayment
% Difference	Underpayment or overpayment as a percentage of the prevailing rate
Benefits Submitted	Sum of all fringe benefit columns provided in the CSV
Benefits Required	Total required benefit contributions from the prevailing schedule
Package Comparison	Total package (base + benefits) side by side for both sources
Lower Source	Flags which source has the lower total package cost

Interpreting the Results: What Requires Action

Negative dollar difference (Contractor < Union)

This is a potential prevailing wage violation. The contractor is paying less than the published rate for that classification. Required actions:

1. Confirm the trade and classification match is correct — mismatches in naming can cause false negatives
2. Check if the effective date on the submitted rate predates a July 1 update
3. Issue a written cure notice to the contractor requiring correction and retroactive make-whole payment

Zero base difference but benefits gap

The contractor is paying the correct base wage but reporting low (or zero) fringe contributions. This pattern is common in non-union shops that pay the prevailing base rate as cash-in-lieu of benefits but fail to fully document it. Require the contractor to provide fund remittance receipts or evidence of cash supplement payments.

Positive difference (Contractor > Union)

The contractor is paying above the prevailing rate. This is not a violation but may indicate a negotiated premium rate in a PLA, or that the contractor is using a Foreman rate where a Journeyman rate was expected. Verify the classification before marking it compliant.

No match found

The trade/classification combination in the CSV does not match any entry in the WageHound database. This could mean: (a) the classification is named differently in the schedule, (b) the trade is not yet in the WageHound database, or (c) the contractor is using a non-standard classification that requires manual review.

Using Projects to Track Over Time

Each CSV upload is tied to a project. By uploading monthly or quarterly snapshots of contractor payroll data, you build a longitudinal compliance record that shows:

Whether a contractor corrected a previously flagged underpayment
Whether rate adjustments were made after the annual July 1 update
Which trade packages have chronic compliance issues vs. which are clean
A complete audit trail that demonstrates owner due diligence in monitoring

This audit trail is valuable if the project is ever subject to a Comptroller investigation — it demonstrates that the owner actively monitored contractor rates and took corrective action when gaps were identified.

✓ Contractor Rate Audit Workflow

Export certified payroll data from LCPtracker or collect from contractor in CSV format.
Map contractor columns to WageHound's required format (contractor_name, trade, job_classification, hourly_rate).
Upload to WageHound and assign to the correct project.
Review the comparison output — flag all rows with negative dollar differences.
Issue written cure notices for any underpayments within 5 business days.
Archive the comparison report as part of your project compliance file.
Re-upload the following month to confirm corrections were applied.

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