- Intent first: file a Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages with L&I after award, before work begins.
- Monthly in between: file certified payroll with L&I at least once a month through the PWIA system — every prevailing wage job, any size.
- Affidavit last: file an Affidavit of Wages Paid after the work is done; it must be certified before final payment and retainage release.
- Where: all of it goes through the My L&I Contractor Portal online.
- Payment hook: the awarding agency confirms approved Intents before paying — no Intent, no money.
The thing that makes Washington different
Most states ask for certified payroll and leave it there. Washington brackets the whole job with paperwork and ties your money to it. Before you start, you file a Statement of Intent. While you work, you file certified payroll monthly. When you finish, you file an Affidavit of Wages Paid — and that Affidavit has to be certified before the awarding agency releases your final payment and retainage. For a small sub, the cash-flow risk is the part that bites: skip the Intent and the agency literally can't pay you; skip the Affidavit and your retainage just sits there.
Step 1 — Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages
Every contractor and subcontractor on a contract subject to prevailing wages must file a Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages (the "Intent") with L&I under RCW 39.12.040. File it right after the contract is awarded and, if possible, before work begins. It tells the state who's working the job and what classifications and rates you'll pay. The awarding agency is responsible for confirming that you and all your subs have approved Intents on file before it makes payments — so a missing Intent stalls everyone's checks, not just yours.
Step 2 — Monthly certified payroll through PWIA
Under RCW 39.12.120, contractors and subcontractors must file certified payroll reports at least once a month for all prevailing wage jobs — regardless of the project amount — directly with L&I through the online Prevailing Wage Intent and Affidavit (PWIA) system. The report shows each worker's classification, hours, the prevailing rate paid (base plus fringe), and deductions. Because it goes straight to L&I, not just to the public body, the state has a running record of whether you're keeping up.
Step 3 — Affidavit of Wages Paid
After the work is complete, every contractor and subcontractor files an Affidavit of Wages Paid with L&I (RCW 39.12.040). The Affidavit has to be certified by L&I before final payment and the release of retainage. This is the filing small subs forget, because by then the work feels done — but until the Affidavit clears, your last payment and your retainage stay locked.
The pain here is less about a flat fine and more about frozen money. No approved Intent and the agency can't pay you. No certified Affidavit and your retainage doesn't release.
On top of that, paying below the prevailing wage exposes you to back wages and L&I enforcement, and filing a false Intent, certified payroll, or Affidavit carries civil penalties and can put your standing to bid on public works at risk.
How to stay clean in Washington
- File the Intent first — right after award, before the crew shows up — so payments aren't held.
- File certified payroll monthly with L&I through PWIA, on every prevailing wage job, any size.
- Don't forget the Affidavit at the end — your retainage waits on it.
- Classify by the work performed and pay the correct prevailing base + fringe for each worker.
- Do it all in My L&I, keep your login current, and make sure every sub files too.
Don't let an Affidavit hold your retainage
PrevailComply does the classification and fringe math, generates your federal WH-347 and the Washington certified payroll, and keeps the Intent → monthly → Affidavit sequence on track so your payments and retainage aren't held up. Tell us you're in WA and we'll prioritize it.
The bottom line
In Washington, think of it as a sequence, not a single form: Intent, then monthly certified payroll, then Affidavit — all through My L&I, with your payments and retainage riding on the bookends. Start your federal report with the free WH-347 generator, walk the federal form with the WH-347 step-by-step guide, and see what underpayment penalties add up to with the fine calculator. New to public works? Start with the first-timer's guide. Working other states too? See the California and New Jersey guides.
This guide is general information for small subcontractors, not legal advice, and reflects Washington State Department of Labor & Industries guidance on prevailing wage, the PWIA system, and RCW 39.12 as of June 2026. Deadlines, systems, and penalties can change — confirm against current L&I guidance and your project's documents.