California eCPR XML Export: Contractor's Guide

April 22, 2026 — WH347.io Team

California requires all contractors on public works projects to submit certified payroll electronically through the DIR's eCPR system. Here's what the requirements look like and how WH347.io generates a ready-to-upload XML file.

California has some of the most stringent certified payroll reporting requirements in the country. For contractors working on public works projects in the state, compliance isn't optional — and mistakes can hold up progress payments, trigger audits, or result in penalty assessments from the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR).

WH347.io now supports direct California eCPR XML export, generating files that are ready to upload to the DIR's eCPR system without any manual data entry. Here's what that means, why it matters, and what the California requirements actually look like.

What Is the California eCPR?

The Electronic Certified Payroll Report (eCPR) is California's online system, managed by the DIR, for collecting certified payroll records from contractors and subcontractors on public works projects covered by prevailing wage law. Since 2020, the DIR has required all contractors on covered projects to submit payroll data electronically through the eCPR portal. The DIR provides an XML upload option for contractors submitting records for multiple employees or multiple weeks — which is exactly what WH347.io generates.

DIR Registration (PWCR Number)

Every contractor and subcontractor must register with the DIR's Public Works Contractor Registration program (PWCR) before bidding or working on any public works project. The PWCR number is a 10-digit identifier (or NA for owner-operators in some cases) and must appear on every certified payroll report submitted to the DIR.

Contractor License (CSLB)

The California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) license number and license type must be reported on every eCPR submission. Three license types are recognized: CSLB (Contractors State License Board), PL (Public Law designations), and OTHER.

Double-Time Hours

California labor law requires double-time pay after 12 hours in a single workday, and for all hours on the 7th consecutive day of work in a workweek. The eCPR XML format has a dedicated DT (double-time) field for each day of the week, separate from ST (straight time) and OT (overtime). WH347.io tracks and exports all three hour types, so the XML reflects your actual pay liability.

California-Specific Deductions

The eCPR requires a more detailed deduction breakdown than the federal WH-347. California reports include separate line items for FICA, federal withholding, state withholding, CA SDI (State Disability Insurance), fringe benefits (health & welfare, pension, vacation/holiday, training, fund administration, dues), travel and subsistence, savings, and net pay.

Prevailing Wage Work Classifications

California requires that every employee's work classification be explicitly reported — not just their job title. Classifications are set by the DIR and vary by county and trade. Common examples include Carpenter, Electrician (Inside Wireman), Laborer (Group 1), Operating Engineer (Group 3), and Plumber. WH347.io stores classifications at the project level and assigns them per employee.

Apprenticeship Compliance

California has strict apprenticeship ratio requirements on public works. Apprentices must be enrolled in a Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS)-approved program, and the eCPR must reflect their apprenticeship program name, labor classification, and program type. WH347.io tracks OA (Out-of-Area) and SAA (State Approved Apprenticeship) programs per employee.

Statement of Non-Performance

For any week where no work was performed on the project, California requires a Statement of Non-Performance rather than a blank or omitted report. WH347.io handles this automatically — if no timecards exist for a given week, the export produces a valid non-performance XML record so you stay in compliance without any manual filing.

What WH347.io Generates

The XML export from WH347.io is validated against the DIR's official XSD schema before download. Every field is in the correct element and namespace, FEIN and PWCR numbers are validated for format, license type is constrained to the accepted values, and employee names are capped per schema requirements. The export filename follows the DIR's naming convention: {projectID}_{contractAgency}_{MMDDYY}.xml.

SSN Handling

Social Security Numbers are required on California eCPR submissions. WH347.io stores SSNs using AES-256-GCM encryption — the full SSN is encrypted at rest and only decrypted at the moment the XML is generated server-side. The plain SSN is never stored in the database or logged. Only the last four digits are retained in readable form for display purposes.

Who Needs This

• California state-funded construction projects.
• Local public agency projects — cities, counties, school districts, water districts.
• Any project subject to California prevailing wage law (Labor Code §1720 et seq.).
• Both prime contractors and every subcontractor on the job, regardless of tier.
• Federal projects in California may also require eCPR submission in addition to the federal WH-347, depending on the awarding agency.

Getting Started

• Set your Primary State to California on your organization profile.
• Create a project with California as the jurisdiction.
• Fill in your PWCR number, CSLB license number, and contractor license type on the project.
• Import or enter your employees with full SSNs and work classifications.
• Enter timecards for the pay period week.
• Navigate to Reports → CA eCPR XML Export and download the file — ready for the DIR eCPR portal.

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