About Blackrock Development:
Company size: 14+ employees
Where: Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia
Client Industry: Construction
Joined OnPay: November 2023
HOW IT ALL STARTED
From a small college crew to commercial experts
For Blackrock Development Management (BDM), the story began in 2014 with a group of college friends. What started out as a small group of residential developers quickly grew into a full-service general contracting and construction management consulting firm — trusted all across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia areas.
How did they build such a strong foundation? BDM’s leadership team spent years learning the ropes at billion-dollar commercial construction firms. This gave them the deep technical expertise, robust networks, and high-level systems needed to handle complex projects. But at their core, they’ve never lost the tight-knit dynamic of those early college days.
THE CHALLENGE
Building a business faster than payroll could keep up with
As BDM took on larger commercial projects, they wanted to take manual processes — like tracking hours, calculating deductions, and cutting physical checks — out of the equation. With crews crossing state lines daily, the complexity of construction tax withholding threatened to stall their momentum and divert the focus from delivering premier projects. It was time to rebuild their payroll process from the ground up. BDM needed:
- Automated multi-state tax compliance and payroll tracking for a team of W-2 workers and 1099 contractors
- Transparent, predictable pricing without hidden fees
- A straightforward platform to sync workers’ compensation and 401(k) retirement plans
THE SOLUTION
Simplifying construction payroll operations with a top-rated solution
Like most business owners, BDM’s founders did their homework before choosing a payroll provider. Looking for a solution built to handle the unique demands of the building industry, they searched payroll software for construction and found OnPay.
What stood out was OnPay’s ability to simplify even the most complex scenarios. With automated multi-state tax calculations and integrated access to workers’ compensation, BDM found a platform that could support both their day-to-day operations and long-term growth. It also delivered exactly what they needed for employee benefits.
The owners were able to seamlessly set up a 401(k) plan through OnPay’s integration with Betterment at Work, knowing employee deductions would sync automatically in the background — without adding any extra administrative work for the team.
Construction review
“I really love OnPay’s customer service. They get back to me so fast. I also really like how OnPay monitors different states for taxes. If we set up an employee incorrectly, OnPay will send us a message saying we need to send a form for D.C. or something like that. They really monitor that, and it makes me feel more confident. The customer service is really knowledgeable.”
— Erica M., Accountant, Blackrock Development Management
THE RESULTS
Maximized time (and savings) through the OnPay x Betterment partnership
Today, BDM has found the right fit for their growing team: OnPay for payroll, matched with Betterment at Work for a streamlined 401(k) plan. Together, they take the headache out of multi-state compliance and employee benefits. OnPay handles the complex tax details of moving between job sites in under one hour a month, while Betterment at Work makes retirement planning and automatic contributions effortless for the crew. Thanks to a 360° payroll integration, employee and payroll data flow back and forth automatically — no manual uploads or data entry required. With their back-office logistics finally automated, the team has more time to focus on what they do best: delivering high-quality projects for their clients.
Paid non-client. Views may not be representative. See G2 reviews. Learn more.
