Escondido, California
Payroll built for Escondido trades & restaurants.
Escondido contractors, growers, restaurants, and auto shops deal with California's daily overtime, SDI/PFL, and EDD filings on top of running the work. We run payroll for North County crews, classify your team correctly, and set up Profit First so the owner takes a real paycheck — flat monthly fee.
— What you get
The full payroll stack, run by humans in California.
Owner-first payroll
We restructure the payroll cycle so you — the owner — get paid first, every period.
Workers' comp audit defense
We handle the annual NCCI audit directly. You don't lose a day off the job.
W-2 vs 1099 review
Nevada's misclassification penalties are brutal. We document the call so you survive it.
Modified Business Tax filings
Quarterly MBT, UI, 941, 940 — filed and paid on time, every time.
— Nevada specifics
No state income tax. Plenty of other traps.
Modified Business Tax
1.378% on wages over $50k/quarter (general business). Easy to miscalc, expensive to fix.
Workers' Comp
Mandatory from employee #1 in Nevada. Annual NCCI audit determines your final premium.
Unemployment Insurance
New employer rate ~2.95%. Filed quarterly with DETR. Late = penalties.
No state W-4
Federal only. But local jurisdictions and tip credits still apply.
— Neighborhoods we serve
From Downtown Escondido to Poway.
- Downtown Escondido
- Felicita
- Rincon del Diablo
- Hidden Meadows
- San Pasqual Valley
- Valley Center
- San Marcos
- Vista
- Rancho Bernardo
- Poway
Industries we run payroll for in Escondido:
- General Contractors
- HVAC
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Auto Service
- Landscaping
- Restaurants
- Agriculture & Growers
— What Escondido owners say
"Switched from a national payroll company. Cheaper, faster, and they actually answer the phone."
"California OT used to be a guessing game. Now it's just on the paystub, correct."
"Owner draws are clean, taxes are funded, sleep is back."
— FAQ
Do you serve Escondido and North County San Diego?+
Yes — Escondido is core territory. We work with crews across San Marcos, Vista, Valley Center, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, and Hidden Meadows.
How much does payroll cost in Escondido?+
Flat monthly fee starting around $189/mo for small crews. Includes CA tax filings, SDI/PFL, EDD reporting, year-end W-2/1099, and Profit First setup.
Do you handle California daily overtime and meal/rest premiums?+
Yes. 1.5x after 8/day, 2x after 12/day, 7th-day rules, meal-period and rest-break premiums — all calculated automatically.
Can you do certified payroll for prevailing-wage jobs?+
Yes — weekly certified payroll, DIR registration, and DAS-140/142 filings for public-works jobs in San Diego County.
Do you work with growers and ag operations?+
Yes. We handle ag overtime phase-in (AB 1066), H-2A coordination, and piece-rate pay rules common to North County growers.
Stop overpaying for payroll in Escondido.
Free 20-minute diagnostic. We'll tell you straight whether we can save you money — or whether you're already in good hands.
— Founder story
Built by blue-collar, for blue-collar.
Profit First Payroll was founded by Matt Frechette, who brings 20+ years of hands-on experience in blue-collar environments. He's seen shops thrive — or unravel — because of poor cash flow, inconsistent owner pay, late crew checks, and workers' comp audit nightmares. PFP is built explicitly for trades and labor-heavy businesses: proper crew classification, project-based volatility, and protecting profit in high-risk industries.