Contractors working on state Department of Transportation (DOT) projects
are often required to submit certified payroll reports in AASHTO XML format.
This requirement applies to projects managed through AASHTOWare Project Civil
Rights & Labor systems, which most state DOTs use to track prevailing wage
compliance on federally funded transportation work.
What Is AASHTO XML Certified Payroll?
AASHTO stands for the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials. AASHTOWare is the software suite developed and
licensed through AASHTO that state DOT agencies use to manage transportation
projects, including the Civil Rights & Labor module that handles certified
payroll compliance.
When a contractor works on a federally funded transportation project, the
state DOT typically requires weekly certified payroll submissions in AASHTO XML format.
Unlike a standard WH-347 Form or paper submission, an XML file is a
structured data file that the AASHTOWare system can read, validate, and process
automatically.
The XML format allows DOT agencies to verify prevailing wage compliance
across thousands of payroll records without manual data entry. For contractors,
it means every weekly submission must conform to a specific technical structure
or risk rejection.
What Information Is Included in an AASHTO XML File
An AASHTO XML certified payroll file contains all the same information
found on a traditional WH-347, organized in a machine-readable format. This
includes contractor and payroll header details, payroll start and end dates,
employee identification and classification data, hours worked and wage rates,
and fringe benefit program information.
The XML structure follows specifications defined in AASHTO's technical
resource kits. Each data element must appear in the correct order, with the
correct formatting, or the file will fail validation when uploaded to the
AASHTOWare system.
Why DOT Agencies Require XML Submissions
State DOT agencies process a high volume of certified payroll reports
across active projects. Manual review of paper or PDF submissions would be
impractical given the number of contractors, subcontractors, and weekly reports
involved.
AASHTO XML submissions allow the AASHTOWare Project Civil Rights &
Labor system to import payroll data automatically and cross-check it against
project wage determinations. The system can flag underpayments, classification
errors, missing fringe benefits, and other compliance issues without a
compliance officer or auditor manually reviewing every line of every report.
For contractors, the XML format also creates a cleaner audit trail. Every
submission is timestamped, validated, and stored in a centralized system, which
reduces ambiguity if a compliance question comes up later in the project.
Common Challenges With AASHTO XML Certified Payroll
Most contractors generate AASHTO XML files manually, which creates
several recurring problems.
XML coding is technical work. Payroll staff who are familiar with wage
determinations and certified payroll requirements are not typically trained in
XML formatting standards. Creating a compliant file from scratch requires
either learning the technical specifications or relying on IT support, both of
which slow down weekly submissions.
Formatting errors are the leading cause of file rejection. A missing tag,
an incorrect data element, or a structural issue in the XML can cause the
entire submission to fail validation. The DOT agency may return the file for
corrections, hold project payments pending resubmission, or flag the contractor
for additional compliance review.
Multi-state work multiplies the problem. Contractors operating across
several states deal with different AASHTOWare configurations, different
state-specific data elements, and different submission timelines. Managing this
manually across multiple projects ties up payroll staff and increases the risk
of errors.
How Automated AASHTO XML Generation Works
Certified payroll software designed for DOT projects eliminates the
manual XML coding step entirely. The contractor enters or imports payroll data
the same way they would for any certified payroll report. The software then
converts that approved data into a properly formatted AASHTO XML file, ready
for direct upload to the AASHTOWare system.
This process removes the technical barrier that typically requires
payroll staff to learn XML standards or coordinate with IT. It also significantly
reduces the formatting errors that cause file rejections, since the XML is
generated by the system rather than coded by hand.
For contractors managing multiple state DOT projects, automated XML
generation handles state-specific variations in the background. The same
payroll data can be exported in the correct format for each state's AASHTOWare
configuration without separate processes or duplicated work.
Davis-Bacon Compliance on Transportation Projects
The Davis-Bacon Act applies to all federally funded transportation
projects, which means contractors must pay prevailing wages and fringe benefits
established by the U.S. Department of Labor for each job classification.
Certified payroll documentation is how contractors prove ongoing compliance
with these requirements.
On AASHTO projects, certified payroll must document all employee hours
and classifications for each week, show that wages paid meet prevailing wage requirements, include fringe benefit amounts, be submitted within required
timeframes, and remain available for audit by government agencies.
Missing or delayed submissions can trigger compliance investigations and
project payment holds. Inaccurate submissions, especially those rejected due to
XML formatting errors, create additional audit risk and can delay project
milestones.
Simplifying AASHTO XML Submissions With eMars
eMars generates AASHTO XML certified payroll files automatically from
approved payroll data, formatted for direct upload to AASHTOWare Project Civil
Rights & Labor systems. Payroll teams enter data the same way they do for
any certified payroll, and the system handles the technical conversion in the
background.
The platform supports AASHTO XML auto-fill across multiple state DOT
agencies, with state-specific configuration built into each project. This
eliminates the formatting errors that cause file rejections and removes the
technical learning curve for payroll staff. Over 50,000 users trust eMars for
certified payroll compliance on Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage projects.
Working on a DOT project that requires AASHTO XML submissions? Contact
eMars today to schedule a demo and see how automated XML generation fits into
your certified payroll workflow.
