Compare payroll software for painting companies, residential and commercial painters, and teams managing W-2 crews plus 1099 subcontractors.
Painting contractors need payroll that handles W-2 painters and office staff, 1099 subcontractors when you use them, and labor cost that ties to jobs or projects when you use QuickBooks. Our picks work for small and growing operations—from residential and commercial painters to teams that want an all-in-one platform or simple flat-rate payroll.
Our top payroll picks for painters.
Best overall for small painting companies4.8From $49/moAll-in-one payroll with 1099 support for subs, contractor self-service, and automatic tax forms. Handles W-2 and 1099 in one system. Built-in time tracking for crews. No sales cycle—good for owners and office managers running payroll.
Best for painting companies using QuickBooks4.6From $30/moPayroll inside QuickBooks so labor cost flows into job costing and projects. Ideal when you run invoicing and books in QuickBooks. Pay painters and 1099 subs in the same system; time tracking can tie hours to jobs.
Best value for straightforward payroll4.5From $40/moFlat pricing and one plan. Pay W-2 employees and 1099 subcontractors with tax forms included. Simple for small teams—works with any accounting software. Support included.
Best for growing painting teams4.4From Custom pricingPayroll and HR that scale to more crews and job sites. Custom pricing and optional dedicated support. Good when you're expanding and want a full-service partner for compliance and multi-state.
Side-by-side at a glance.
| Software | Best for | Starting price | Payroll types | Standout feature | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gusto | Best overall for small painting | $49/mo | W-2, 1099 | 1099 subs; time tracking; all-in-one | Read review |
| QuickBooks Payroll | Painting using QuickBooks | $30/mo | W-2, 1099 | Labor cost in jobs; job costing | Read review |
| OnPay | Best value; straightforward payroll | $40/mo | W-2, 1099 | Flat pricing; 1099 included | Read review |
| ADP | Growing painting teams | Custom pricing | W-2, 1099, multi-state | Scale; optional dedicated support | Read review |
What to look for when you're choosing payroll as painters.
Painting companies often have W-2 painters and office staff plus 1099 subs for peak season or specialty work. Your payroll system should handle both in one place—correct withholding for W-2, no withholding for 1099, and the right tax forms (W-2 vs 1099-NEC) at year-end. Contractor self-service lets subs view pay stubs without extra admin.
Labor cost by job or project is central to painting profitability. If you run your books in QuickBooks, payroll that posts labor to jobs (QuickBooks Payroll) keeps job costing accurate. Gusto and OnPay sync to QuickBooks but don't push cost to jobs the same way; they're still strong for running payroll and tracking who worked where.
Crew hours can be captured with mobile apps, time clocks, or manual entry. The best setup syncs hours into payroll so you're not re-entering data. Gusto has built-in time tracking; QuickBooks Payroll integrates with QuickBooks Time for time-by-job. Accurate hours support job costing and overtime compliance.
1099 subcontractors need 1099-NEC at year-end. Confirm your payroll provider includes 1099 runs and e-file without per-form fees. Running contractor payments through the same system as W-2 payroll keeps one record and simplifies reporting.
Many painting contractors have an owner or office manager running payroll. Choose software that's straightforward to set up and run—published pricing, no long sales cycle, and support when you need it. Gusto and OnPay are built for self-serve; QuickBooks Payroll fits if you already use QuickBooks; ADP offers dedicated support when you're ready to scale.
How each pick fits painters: what to validate in a trial, with links to our full reviews and official sites.
Gusto is capable payroll software for painting contractors that mix W-2 crews, sprayers, and 1099 drywall or pressure-wash partners across residential and commercial sites. Self-serve tools and contractor portals keep color schedules from delaying payroll approvals. During your first payrolls, confirm deposits, overtime on long production weeks, and reimbursements for lift rentals or parking that should not distort taxable wages incorrectly. Model a pay cycle with a new construction job, a repaint with warranty touch-ups, and a 1099 scaffolding vendor to validate classifications side by side. If you track interior versus exterior divisions, verify dimensions on payroll exports before finance closes. Add another crew lead or benefits when backlog steadies.
QuickBooks Payroll is payroll software painting companies rely on when QuickBooks already handles estimates, change orders, and job P&L, and labor must post to each job automatically. True margin on repaint versus new construction depends on burdened payroll in the same ledger. On trial payrolls, reconcile labor to two active jobs with different spec levels and confirm burden, workers’ comp class, and materials pass-through reimbursements map as your accountant expects. Integrate QuickBooks Time so supers approve hours before payroll, including multi-site travel days. Check local taxes if you work across city lines on commercial towers. Clean job feeds keep bids honest when GCs compare labor rates.
OnPay is payroll software for painting teams that want flat pricing clarity while scaling up for summer exterior season and trimming back in winter. Support helps when a GC delay pushes overtime the same week subs invoice. Use early payrolls to prove deposits, new-hire reporting, and 1099 handling for regular texture or spray partners. Import a payroll with per-job bonuses and warranty callback hours to see blended rates behave. Map GL accounts once if QuickBooks receives payroll entries so job classes stay aligned. Predictable fees help when paint houses invoice net-45 while payroll is weekly.
ADP belongs in payroll software evaluations for painting enterprises spanning states, commercial GC programs, or union apprenticeship tracks that need deeper serviced compliance. Quoted onboarding aligns earning codes with how you report to developers and insurers. After go-live, audit tax registrations for jurisdictions where large commercial crews temporarily work. Test multi-branch labor splits if you separate residential from commercial books. If prevailing wage or certified payroll is on the horizon, review sample registers with ADP before the first agency submittal. Compare total serviced cost once those proofs look production-ready.
Head-to-head comparisons to narrow your choice.
Gusto and QuickBooks Payroll both handle W-2 and 1099 payroll with automatic tax filing, but they target different workflows. Gusto is a sta…
Compare →Gusto and OnPay both serve small businesses with payroll, tax filing, and benefits, but they take different approaches. Gusto offers more HR…
Compare →Gusto and ADP both offer payroll, tax filing, and HR, but they serve different scales. Gusto is built for small businesses with transparent…
Compare →
ADP and Paychex are two of the largest full-service payroll and HR providers. Both use custom pricing and serve small business through enter…
Compare →For more options across all use cases, see our best payroll software roundup. To compare platforms side-by-side, see our payroll software comparisons.
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