See the ratio while you can still change it
CrewSnap tracks each project's apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio as you assign crews. On prevailing-wage, PLA, and union work, that puts the number in front of you while the schedule is still a draft, rather than after the week is worked and the hours are already owed.
The cost is set when the work happens
The federal rule ties the ratio to the job site and to work actually performed. Under 29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)(i)(C):
"The allowable ratio of apprentices to journeyworkers on the job site in any craft classification must not be greater than the ratio permitted to the contractor as to the entire work force under the registered program or the ratio applicable to the locality of the project."
"In addition, any apprentice performing work on the job site in excess of the ratio permitted under this section must be paid not less than the applicable wage rate on the wage determination for the work actually performed."
Read those two together and the practical consequence is clear enough: the obligation attaches to hours as they are worked. That is why the useful moment to look at a ratio is the moment you are deciding who goes where. More on what happens when the ratio is exceeded →
A scheduling tool, not a payroll system
- Holds the allowable ratio you set for each project
- Shows how an assignment affects that ratio while you are making it
- Applies first-apprentice-free rules where they apply to you
- Produces ratio compliance reports on demand
- Produce or file certified payroll. It is not a payroll system and does not replace one
- Decide what your allowable ratio is. That comes from your registered program or the locality of the project
- Give legal advice on prevailing-wage obligations
Most of the software that ranks for apprentice-ratio searches is certified-payroll or compliance software, and it does a job CrewSnap does not do. The difference worth knowing is when each one tells you something: payroll systems work from hours already recorded, and a scheduling board works from assignments not yet made.
Common questions
Does CrewSnap file certified payroll?
No. CrewSnap is a scheduling tool. It tracks the apprentice-to-journeyworker ratio as you assign crews so you can see a problem while the schedule can still change, but it does not produce or submit certified payroll reports. Most contractors run it alongside a payroll or compliance system rather than instead of one.
What happens if a project goes over the apprentice ratio?
Under 29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)(i)(C), any apprentice performing work on the job site in excess of the permitted ratio must be paid not less than the applicable wage rate on the wage determination for the work actually performed. In practice that means the cost of an over-ratio assignment is set the moment the work happens.
Where does the allowable ratio come from?
From the contractor's registered apprenticeship program, or the ratio applicable to the locality of the project. The regulation ties the job-site ratio to the ratio permitted for the entire workforce under that registered program. CrewSnap stores the ratio you set per project; it does not determine what your ratio should be.
Does it support first-apprentice-free rules?
Yes. Some programs and agreements allow the first apprentice on a crew to sit outside the normal ratio calculation. CrewSnap can apply that rule per project where it is the rule you are working under.
Can I print something for an inspector or a compliance officer?
Yes. Ratio compliance reports can be generated on demand and exported to PDF or Excel, or added to a dashboard for ongoing visibility.
This page describes what the software does. It is not legal advice on your prevailing-wage obligations, and the governing rules are your registered program, the applicable wage determination, and your state apprenticeship agency.
Ratio tracking happens inside the schedule
Ratio compliance is not a separate module. It reads the same assignments you make on the scheduling board, which is what lets it show you the effect of a change as you make it.
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