When evaluating time-tracking solutions, contractors will encounter two main categories of software:
Construction timesheet/time tracking apps: Also referred to as construction time clock apps, this software is designed primarily for employee time tracking. Common features include mobile apps for team members to clock in and out, digital timesheets, and sometimes scheduling and GPS location tracking. While they streamline time tracking and related processes, they are limited in scope and lack broader functionality to manage construction projects.
Construction management software with time Tracking/timesheets: Holistic software solutions that incorporate time tracking alongside the tools contractors use to manage projects and day-to-day business operations. These include CRM, estimating, purchasing, inventory, billing, payroll, reporting, and more. By integrating time tracking into a broader ecosystem, contractors benefit from real-time data, profitability insights, and streamlined workflows.
While timesheet-only apps improve processes over handwritten time cards and paper timesheets, they often fall short in providing (a) detailed information on how field crews spend their time, and (b) insights into how labor costs affect project profitability.
In this post, we’ll explore these limitations in detail, helping contractors make informed decisions about the product that best suits their needs. We’ll also provide a list of time-tracking apps to consider.
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Common Limitations of Construction Time Tracking Software
Labor costs represent one of the highest expenses for contractors, making accurate time tracking and management crucial. However, construction companies face unique challenges that many time-tracking point solutions fail to address:
Lack of task-level context and data: Construction workers often work on multiple tasks across different parts of a project. Tracking time at this level of detail is crucial for accurate job costing, yet many tools only allow broad time entry without the necessary task-level context.
Data integration problems: Using standalone time-tracking apps creates data silos. Project managers and back-office teams must manually transfer time data into accounting or project management systems, increasing the risk of errors and delays.
Delayed insights: With disconnected systems, contractors often discover budget overruns weeks or months after the fact, making it too late to make adjustments.
Compliance complexities: For unionized workers or government projects, compliance with prevailing wage laws, Davis-Bacon rates, or union-specific pay rules requires detailed data inputs—something many time tracking tools don’t provide.
For these reasons, many contractors are adopting holistic construction software with built-in time-tracking features instead of simpler time-tracking apps.
Construction Time Tracking Apps
Category #1: Construction Management Software with Time Tracking & Timesheets
The following solutions are holistic construction management platforms that include time tracking and timesheet software along with the other tools contractors need to run their business.
1. ServiceTitan
ServiceTitan provides comprehensive construction management software for subcontractors that helps them manage their entire business, including all of their projects, from one place.
Our time-tracking functionality, described below, streamlines workflows and provides users with real-time data to make faster, smarter business decisions.
Increase Control and Visibility with Task-Level Time Tracking
ServiceTitan’s timesheet tracking feature offers construction businesses flexible, role-specific time tracking with access to task-level data.
Timesheet tracking includes the following:
Customizable timesheet activities: Create tailored activity codes to track time for both job-related (e.g., on-site work, fabrication) and non-job-related events (e.g., training, meal breaks, PTO). Gain the flexibility to track labor with precision, ensuring all hours are categorized accurately for job costing and payroll.
Role-based visibility: Limit visibility of activity codes based on employee roles by showing technicians only relevant codes (ensuring that sensitive pay-related codes are only accessible to appropriate roles).
Associations and guardrails: Configure activity codes to require or allow associations with jobs, projects, project labels, and labor types. This ensures crew members link time entries to the correct projects or jobs, improving data accuracy for job costing and project tracking.
Labor burden: The option to assign each technician a burden rate — accounting for differences in the hourly cost of an employee — that help calculate accurate job costing for jobs and projects.
Tagging options: Add customizable tags to time entries for more detailed reports (e.g., “OSHA compliance” or “Safety Training”), enabling businesses to analyze and report on specific subsets of labor data without inflating the number of activity codes.
Memo capability: Technicians can attach memos to time entries to provide context (e.g., explaining why a job took longer than expected), reducing back-and-forth communication between the field and back-office, and streamlining payroll and project management processes.
Flexible pay configurations: Configure custom pay rates to meet complex payroll needs, such as paying premium rates for holidays, on-call shifts, or training at standard rates, ensuring payroll compliance and flexibility.
Enhanced reporting: All time entry data, including tags, associations, and memos, is accessible for detailed reporting. This provides insights into labor allocation and performance, enabling contractors to analyze costs, track training hours, and optimize resource use.
Integrated travel and commuting codes: Create activity codes for commuting or supply house runs to capture all aspects of labor, ensuring no time or expenses are unaccounted for in job costing or payroll.
Save Time and Effort While Processing Timesheets
ServiceTitan provides various features that reduce the time and effort required to process timesheets.
For example, our timesheet copy functionality allows users to replicate a crew member’s existing timesheet entries from one day to another. Users can copy all or select specific entries and make adjustments to reflect differences in the new day, such as altered work hours or breaks. The system includes guardrails to prevent time entry conflicts or overlaps.
This eliminates the need to manually recreate repetitive timesheet entries for crew members performing similar tasks across multiple days while ensuring greater accuracy and consistency.
In addition, our bulk timesheet functionality allows managers to create or edit timesheet entries for multiple employees simultaneously. For example, a crew working together on the same job with similar hours can have their time entries added as a group. Changes made to bulk entries can apply to all synced entries or be customized for individual employees, with a system indicating which entries remain synchronized.
This reduces repetitive data entry by allowing group time entries for crews or teams working together on the same schedule.
Track Labor Cost and Effects on Profitability in Real-Time
As you progress through a job — creating purchase orders, logging labor hours, processing change orders, receiving progress payments, and so on — ServiceTitan leverages automation to provide up-to-date project financials and job costing.
Instead of constantly needing to update a series of spreadsheets every time labor costs and material costs are incurred, this is done automatically for you in real-time, based on work that’s completed and entered into the system.
Your project summary table is continuously updated to reflect your current expenses:
Furthermore, you can view a more detailed breakdown of your actual costs versus your budgeted construction costs.
This will automatically update as you accumulate expenses from materials, equipment, and labor hours. It will display your margins in dollar and percent form to help you track job costs and profitability throughout your project.
You can also access a table breaking down your expenses in further detail:
You can click on any line item and see the exact source of where that expense came from (e.g., which technician logged those hours, or which purchase orders and vendors a given set of materials came from). This allows you to easily check your numbers and feel confident in your data sources.
When it comes time to send applications for payment and invoices at each stage of progress billing, this can also be easily accomplished from the project overview dashboard.
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What we’ve covered above is just a sampling of the desktop features that ServiceTitan offers for facilitating construction time tracking and job costing. We also offer tools for estimating, purchase orders, AIA-style progress billing, a mobile app (compatible with Android and iOS devices), forms and checklists, and more.
If you’re interested in learning more about how ServiceTitan’s cloud-based platform can help you manage and grow profitability in your contracting business, schedule a call with us for a live, one-on-one walk-through of the features and functionality we’ve discussed throughout this post.
2. Procore
Procore is a robust construction management platform with built-in time-tracking capabilities. It enables teams to log hours directly within the app, linking time entries to specific tasks or projects.
In addition to time tracking, Procore offers tools for project management, documentation, and collaboration. Its mobile app allows workers to access project data, submit timesheets, and stay updated on schedules from anywhere. Procore’s comprehensive feature set makes it a common solution among large construction firms.
3. FieldPulse
FieldPulse is an all-in-one field service software designed for trade contractors and construction professionals. Its time tracking feature allows workers to log hours easily, while GPS tracking ensures accuracy. Managers can view real-time updates on team locations and work hours, simplifying payroll and billing.
FieldPulse also includes job scheduling, estimates, and customer management features, making it more than just a time tracker. It integrates with QuickBooks and other accounting tools to streamline financial processes, making it a potential fit for growing businesses.
4. Raken
Raken is a construction management app that includes a straightforward time-tracking feature. Workers can log hours for themselves or their crews through the mobile app, making it easy to track labor across multiple sites. Managers can review and approve time entries, ensuring accuracy before payroll processing.
The app also provides daily reporting tools, photo documentation, and safety checklists, making it a well-rounded solution for construction teams. Its integrations with tools like Procore and Viewpoint add to its value for larger projects.
5. Buildxact
Buildxact is a construction software platform focused on simplicity and efficiency. Its time-tracking feature helps contractors monitor labor hours and link them to specific jobs or tasks. The app’s user-friendly interface ensures quick adoption by teams of any size.
Apart from time tracking, Buildxact offers estimating, scheduling, and job costing tools, helping businesses manage projects end-to-end. Integration with accounting tools like Xero and QuickBooks makes it a versatile choice for small to mid-sized construction firms.
6. eSUB
eSUB’s construction management platform offers eSUB Time, designed to streamline labor tracking. Workers can log hours via mobile devices, while supervisors can access approval workflows to ensure accuracy. GPS integration helps verify time entries, reducing discrepancies.
The platform also provides reporting tools, offering insights into labor costs and project progress. eSUB’s focus on subcontractor workflows makes it a potential option for teams that rely heavily on external labor.
Category #2: Construction Timesheet Apps (Point Solutions)
Some construction companies may just want a time-tracking solution. For example, those who are using Excel spreadsheets or a pieced-together system of different apps to run operations.
Also referred to as construction time card apps, the following point solutions are built just for time tracking and related processes.
7. ExakTime
ExakTime is a comprehensive time and attendance tracking solution for construction and field service industries. It offers a mobile app compatible with iOS and Android devices, enabling employees to clock in and out with a simple tap, while supervisors can manage entire crews' time entries. The system incorporates GPS geofencing and breadcrumb functionality to ensure workers are on-site and on-task, enhancing accountability and reducing time theft.
Beyond time tracking, ExakTime provides tools for project and cost code management, equipment tracking, and multimedia field notes, allowing for detailed documentation and efficient resource allocation. Its robust reporting capabilities offer insights into labor costs and project progress, facilitating informed decision-making. Additionally, ExakTime integrates with numerous payroll and accounting systems, streamlining payroll processing and ensuring compliance with labor laws.
8. ClockShark
ClockShark is a user-friendly time-tracking app tailored specifically for construction and field service teams. With GPS-based time tracking, employees can clock in and out directly from their mobile devices, giving managers real-time insights into who is working where. The software also includes geofencing, ensuring accurate tracking by reminding workers to clock in or out when entering or leaving job sites.
Beyond time tracking, ClockShark integrates seamlessly with popular payroll and accounting software like QuickBooks. It also offers job costing tools, enabling businesses to track labor costs per project. With a clean interface and robust reporting features, it’s ideal for mid-sized to small businesses.
9. Buddy Punch
Buddy Punch is an online time-tracking and scheduling solution designed to simplify workforce management across various industries, including construction. Employees can clock in and out using smartphones, tablets, or computers, with options for PINs, QR codes, facial recognition, or traditional username and password methods. The platform offers GPS tracking and geofencing to ensure employees are at designated job sites when clocking in, enhancing accountability.
Beyond time tracking, Buddy Punch provides features such as employee scheduling, paid and unpaid time-off management, and customizable reporting to streamline payroll processes. It integrates seamlessly with payroll software like QuickBooks, Paylocity, and Workday, facilitating efficient payroll management. The platform also supports real-time notifications and alerts, helping managers monitor attendance, overtime, and other critical metrics.
10. QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time is widely used in the construction industry. Employees can clock in and out via mobile devices, desktops, or kiosks, with GPS tracking ensuring location accuracy. The app also supports offline mode, so work hours are logged even in remote locations without internet access.
One notable feature of QuickBooks Time is its scheduling functionality, allowing managers to assign shifts and track attendance in one place. Additionally, integration with QuickBooks makes payroll processing simple. The app also offers customizable reports for tracking project progress and labor costs.
11. Hubstaff
Hubstaff is a comprehensive time-tracking and productivity-monitoring app that can work for construction teams. With GPS tracking, workers’ locations and time spent on-site are recorded automatically, offering transparency and accountability. Managers can also use geofencing to automate clock-ins and clock-outs based on location.
The app includes features like invoicing, payroll integration, and activity tracking, making it a complete solution for time and project management. Hubstaff supports integrations with over 30 tools, including Trello and Asana, to streamline workflows.
12. busybusy
The time card app, busybusy, is designed for remote industries, including the construction industry. Its GPS time tracking allows workers to clock in and out via their smartphones, capturing real-time location data for accuracy. The app also supports photo verification to enhance accountability and provides integrations with top accounting platforms.
ServiceTitan Software
ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially elevate the trajectory of their business. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, garage door, and chimney sweep shops across the country—and has increased their revenue by an average of 25% in just their first year with us.
