Construction payroll (raya)
On the job site, "running the raya" or "paying the raya" means putting together the weekly labor settlement: you take each worker in the crew, work out how much they earned that week, and add up the total to be paid. The name comes from the old habit of marking a line (raya, in Spanish) for each day worked on a list —which is exactly the attendance log.
The payroll can be built two ways, depending on how the workers were hired. When they are paid a day wage (per day worked), each worker's pay is the number of shifts recorded in the attendance log multiplied by their daily rate —including half days, late arrivals, or absences that adjust the amount. When they are paid by piecework (per unit of work produced), the pay comes from the units completed and approved during the week multiplied by the piece rate. It is common for a single payroll to combine both: part of the crew on a day wage and certain tasks on piecework.
The core input for the payroll is the attendance log: without the daily record of who showed up, who was absent, and who worked half a day, you cannot correctly calculate the weekly pay. That is why the natural flow is attendance log → payroll → payment. Keeping the payroll in order lets you control labor cost week by week and by work front, check it against the budget, and leave a record of who was paid and how much.
Formula
Example
A crew of 6 is paid a day wage. From the week's attendance log, a skilled worker logged 6 days at 500 = 3,000; a helper logged 5.5 days (one half day) at 350 = 1,925. The week's payroll is the sum of all the workers, and it is what the foreman hands out on Saturday.
| Worker | Trade | Days | Scheme | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JMJosé Martínez | Site foreman | 6 | Day rate | $3,180 |
| PRPedro Ruiz | Mason | 5.5 | Day rate | $2,145 |
| LGLuis Gómez | Journeyman | 6 | Piecework | $2,760 |
| MSMiguel Sández | Laborer | 6 | Day rate | $1,890 |
| FCFinishing crew | 3 people | — | Piecework | $8,400 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the raya on a construction site?
It is the weekly payroll or list used to pay the labor force on a construction project. It brings together each worker in the crew with the amount owed to them for the period, whether by days worked (day wage) or by work completed (piecework).
How do you put together the weekly payroll?
You start from the attendance log: for each worker on a day wage, multiply the days actually worked (including half days) by their daily rate; for piecework, multiply the approved units by the piece rate. The sum across all workers is the total payroll to be paid.
What is the difference between the payroll, day wage, and piecework?
The payroll is the complete weekly payment document. Day wage and piecework are the two ways of calculating how much goes into that payroll: a day wage pays per day worked and piecework pays per unit of work produced. A single payroll can include workers on a day wage and tasks on piecework.