Does this sound familiar? You provide a customer with a time estimate for a construction project. But when it's time to invoice the customer for the work, you realize that the project used up significantly more hours than you estimated.. 

You now have two options: 

1. Stick with the original estimate, or…
2. Surprise the customer with an increased bill.

Both options are dissatisfactory as they might ruin the project's profitability or the client’s trust (which will negatively impact customer lifetime value, any potential recurring business, and/or referrals). 

To prevent this scenario, project owners often turn to time tracking apps for construction. This allows construction companies to: 

• Stay on schedule: Track the real-time productivity of their workers to ensure all construction projects stay on schedule - and make quick flexible changes if they’re not.
• Stay on budget: Immediately notice when a task takes longer than expected, allowing project owners to make quick changes and inform clients beforehand maintaining their trust (and therefore their willingness to pay).
• Streamline payroll: Gone are the days of tediously filling out timesheets. Let your workers clock in for work - and get instant access to timesheets that make payroll a breeze (even if you’re dealing with multiple projects). 
• Make better estimates: Both for proposals and ongoing projects. Compare your actual time spent with your estimates to easily identify bottlenecks.
• Detect fraud: Prevent buddy punching and other time theft through accurate time tracking data.
  

Given that there are a lot of construction time tracking apps available - and there’s no one-size-fits-all for every company - one naturally might ask:  

What is the best software to track time in construction?

The good news is that there are many different construction time tracking apps available to choose from. The bad news is that sorting through them all can be a tedious process. 

To help you with the process, we have published an in-depth comparison of the 15 best construction time tracking apps (as of 2024):

1. Buildbite - Best for small and medium-sized businesses
2. Buddy Punch - Good for preventing ‘buddy punching’
3. ExakTime - Good alternative to Buddy Punch
4. ClockShark - Good GPS tracking
5. Timeero - Good mileage tracking 
6. Quickbooks Time - Good payroll integration
7. Clockify - Good allrounder 
8. Insightful - Good for office workers
9. Hubstaff - Good alternative to Clockify
10. ClickUp - Good third-party integrations 
11. Procore - Good for larger enterprises
12. Fieldwire - Good alternative to Procore
13. Connecteam - Good for general companies
14. Raken - Good for field supervision
15. Contractor Foreman - Good for overall construction management 

In this post, we’ll compare and contrast the following in detail:

• Key features and capabilities
• Pricing (monthly and annual plans, free trials)
• Reviews (customer reviews, online ratings from G2 and/or Capterra) 

Disclaimer: Buildbite is our solution. We’ve done our best to present the information evenly because we want you to make an educated decision. That said, we are proud of our software and built it with the construction time tracking features and ease that we’d want. Learn more about the software – or try it free for 14 days. 

The 15 best construction time tracking apps in detail: 

1. Buildbite – Best for small and medium-sized businesses

Why Buildbite is the best construction time tracking software: 

Buildbite offers all the time-tracking features a small to medium-sized business desires. Additionally, the app is: 

• Affordable, so it doesn’t break the bank for even the smallest construction company.
• Mobile-friendly, so your workers can use the app on every job site (and project owners no matter their location)
• Easy to use, so you and your workers can get started quickly with minimal effort. 

→ Sign up for your free trial today

How it works: 

These are some of the comprehensive time tracking features Buildbite has to offer:

• Real-time location-based time clocking: Instead of filling out tedious timesheets, let your workers log in on the construction site with one tap on their mobile phone and start tracking time spent on tasks. 
  
  
• Task monitoring: Stay up to date on all of your projects by having a real-time overview of the hours logged by your workers on tasks. Quickly identify delays in advance and keep the project on schedule. 
  
  
  
• Productivity analytics: Utilize time-tracking reports to analyze team and individual productivity. Payroll is suddenly easy - and so is identifying bottlenecks and rewarding the right workers. 
  
  
  
• Easy to use mobile app: Collaborate with team members in the comfort of your home using Buildbite’s app, available on iOS, Android, and desktop.
  
  
• Comparing actual time spent with estimates: Stay up to date with actual time spent and compare it with your original estimates. Set up time triggers for each time estimate and receive automated notifications when certain time thresholds are exceeded.
  
  
  

• Invite clients to the app and keep transparency: It happens that actual time spent exceeds your estimates, and some things might be out of your control. Buildbite allows you to keep clients up-to-date and involved throughout the project to avoid any unpleasant surprises when they get invoiced.
  

Pros:

Buildbite is the best solution for the time-tracking needs of small to medium-sized construction companies.

Here’s why:

• Specifically engineered for construction: Track hours logged on tasks, on multiple projects - in an all-in-one construction software. Gone are the days of using multiple apps to keep in the loop of your projects, now you can manage your entire team, clients, and multiple projects (including time-tracking) in one solution. 
  
  
  
  
• Affordability: Buildbite is significantly more affordable than other time tracking software as it only charges $107 per month (archiving projects is free of charge) for an unlimited number of projects.
  
  
• Ease of use: The setup of Buildbite is engineered to be intuitive. There’s a single user interface across mobile and desktop. You don’t need to be tech-savvy nor do you need to train your team or clients to use it.
  
  
• No learning curve: You can download the app on your mobile phone and set up time tracking in minutes – for free. In addition to that, you have integrated onboarding, tooltips, and coach marks.
  

Cons:

• Might not offer all features larger, $500m - $1b projects need. Such as in-depth productivity analytics (of both on-site and office workers).

Reviews: 

Pricing:

We offer a Basic, Standard and Premium plan that allow unlimited projects and time tracking. The Premium plan costs $179/mo  if paid annually, and $219/mo if paid monthly.

Click here to see our pricing in detail.

Additionally, we offer a free 30-day trial where you can download the software today and see its benefits instantly. The deal is simple: If you are not amazed by the time-tracking capabilities of Buildbite, you don’t pay. 

This is a completely risk-free offer, allowing you to implement the software quickly and see its benefits first-hand.

→ Sign up for your free trial today.

2. Buddy Punch - Good for preventing ‘buddy punching’

How it works: 

Buddy Punch is a comprehensive time-tracking solution. 

The integrated ‘time card app’ allows employees to clock in and out - and guarantees that the feature is not manipulated by including: 

• GPS tracking - workers can only check in on-site
• IP address locks - workers can only check in from a given device
• Facial recognition - workers can only check in with their face (avoids ‘buddy punching’)

In short: Where the app shines - as the name implies - is avoiding ‘buddy punching’. This means the app helps prevent workers clocking in for their peers and therefore gives the project manager certainty that tasks and projects are completed on time (with the right headcount). 

Pros: 

• Comprehensive features that avoid time clock manipulation
• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain of a lack of report customization

Pricing: 

Plans range from $4.99/mo per user for basic time tracking. To $7.99/mo per user for more advanced features, such as GPS tracking. The above pricing does not include the base fee of $19/mo.

4.8 out of 5 on G2

3. ExakTime - Good alternative to Buddy Punch

How it works: 

ExakTime is a well-established construction time tracking app originally founded in 1999. 

The time tracking app offers a host of features, including: 

• Digital time clock data
• Real-time employee location tracking
• Photo ID capture 

The Photo ID feature is called ‘FaceFront Biometrics™’ - and was created to ensure every employee is tracking their time accordingly (and not clocking in with each other's timecards). As such, it’s a valuable alternative to Buddy Punch. 

Pros:

• Specifically engineered for construction
• Good for larger projects
• Mobile application

Cons: 

• Users complain about the software being buggy at times
• Users report that the ease of use is low
• Can be expensive

Pricing: 

Plans are billed annually and start at $59/mo. Additional users can be added for $9/mo. For all features, one needs to contact their sales team.

4.2 out of 5 on G2

4. ClockShark - Good GPS tracking

How it works: 

ClockShark is specifically designed for field service and construction businesses, offering time tracking features such as: 

• Time clock
• GPS tracking, including ‘Breadcrumb trails’ - automatic snapshots of employee locations taken every 15 minutes. 
• Scheduling

ClockShark boasts about a 30% increase in payroll completion if construction companies use their software. On top of that, ClockShark offers a wide variety of other features that may allow construction companies to manage most of their day-to-day work in one app. 

Pros: 

• Specifically engineered for construction
• Good schedule overview
• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Users complain about a lack of overtime features, such as customizing it per week or day (different overtime compensation on holidays)
• Users report limited customization options for reports and invoices

Pricing: 

Plans range from $40/mo to $60/mo. Additional users can be added for $8/mo and $10/mo in the latter plan. The more expensive plan includes all features, including ‘clock-off questions’ and ‘paid-time-off’.

4.6 out of 5 on G2

5. Timeero - Good mileage tracking

How it works: 

Timeero is known for its comprehensive feature set for time tracking, including GPS time and mileage tracking features.

The mileage tracking feature is rather unique to the application and makes it an ideal fit for construction companies that reimburse their contractors based on miles driven to the job site. 

The feature also allows the project manager to see a detailed route, to make sure that contractors get to the job site as quickly as possible. This might be an interesting feature for seasoned workers who might be required to visit multiple job sites in a day. 

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain about a steep learning curve when it comes to the mobile application. 
• Some users report double punches and missed time on the app

Pricing: 

Plans range from $4/mo per user for basic time tracking. To $11/mo per user more advanced features, such as HIPAA Compliance (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).

4.9 out of 5 on G2

6. Quickbooks Time - Good payroll integration

How it works: 

QuickBooks Time is known for its user-friendly mobile app and robust time tracking features, stating payroll savings of up to 4%. 

It provides detailed time card reports, staff scheduling, and communication tools, enhancing project efficiency. 

Quickbooks Time’s unique strength is its closeness to Quickbooks, a popular accounting platform. Therefore the Quickbooks integration is seamless - and payroll is even easier than with other time tracking applications. 

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain about frequent mobile updates, which some workers might struggle with

Pricing: 

Plans range from $20/mo per user (+$8/mo per additional user)  to $40/mo per user (+$10/mo per additional user). The more expensive plan includes all-time tracking features, such as GPS, project, and mileage tracking.

4.5 out of 5 on G2

7. Clockify - Good allrounder

How it works: 

Clockify is a general time-tracking app, used by various companies including Amazon, Disney, and Sony. 

They offer a comprehensive free plan that includes a time tracker, a calendar, and basic integrations (Outlook and Google Calendar). 

Subscribers of the paid version have additional capabilities, including: 

• Setting hourly wages
• Assigning tasks according to availability
• Monitoring labor expenses
• Budget analysis

As such, it’s a good general solution for companies in a wide variety of niches, including construction. 

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons: 

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain about the scheduling feature being unintuitive

Pricing: 

Plans range from $79/mo for one user to $249/mo for 6-8 users. Additional users can be added for $20/mo or $200/year.

4.5 out of 5 on G2

8. Hubstaff - Good alternative to Clockify

How it works: 

Hubstaff offers time tracking, productivity monitoring, and workforce management tools. It supports: 

• GPS location tracking 
• Automated time cards
• Labor estimates, and job costing (accurate tracking of all costs)

Hubstaff also offers over 30+ integrations, including Slack, Quickbooks, and PayPal. Due to its comprehensive feature set, along with a good amount of integrations - Hubstaff can be used for a variety of industries (including construction). 

Pros: 

• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain about frequent updates of the application

Pricing: 

Plans range from $4.99/mo per user to $25/mo per user for all features. The cheapest plan requires 2 users (adjusted price: $9.98/mo), and the more expensive plan is billed annually. 

The more expensive plan includes all features, including GPS tracking and a custom corporate application.

4.3 out of 5 on G2

9. Insightful - Good for office workers

How it works: 

Formerly known as Workpuls, Insightful is designed for time tracking, productivity, and efficiency across industries. 

The time tracking app provides: 

• Real-time monitoring
• Manual time entries
• Productivity reports

Where Insightful excels, as the name implies, is offering detailed insights and reports into the hours logged by workers. 

The downside is that the software is not created for mobile, and the advanced productivity reports can only be properly used for workers constantly on their laptop or computer (as the application takes screenshots, and analyzes ‘unproductive work’). 

This makes Insightful an ideal solution for larger construction companies that want to keep closer track of their office staff rather than field teams.

Pros: 

• Good user-friendly interface

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• No mobile application
• Users complain about the lack of third-party integrations, such as Slack or Teams

Pricing: 

Plans range from $8/mo per user to $15/mo per user for all features. The more expensive plan includes features such as automatic time tracking and workflow analysis.

4.7 out of 5 on G2

10. ClickUp - Good third-party integrations

How it works: 

ClickUp is a comprehensive solution for construction businesses, amassing 9,237 reviews on G2, as of January 2024. 

It's customizable and integrates with over 1,000+ tools, including Slack, Google Drive, and Outlook. 

This makes Clickup suitable for managing multiple projects, tracking resources, and ensuring efficient time management.

The platform also shines in managing multiple projects simultaneously, allowing for the creation of separate workspaces for each project. ClickUp provides real-time progress tracking through its dashboard and reporting features.

Pros: 

• A lot of very positive reviews about the application
• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• Users complain of a steep learning curve due to the comprehensive feature set

Pricing: 

Corporate plans range from $10/mo per user to $19/mo per user for all features. The more expensive plan offers all features, including timesheets and custom reports.

4.7 out of 5 on G2

11. Procore - Good for larger enterprises

How it works: 

Procore is built for larger and more complex projects. Procore’s time tracking feature set includes:

• Workforce planning
• Field productivity
• Project timesheets

Procore’s time tracking features allow you to monitor tasks on large-scale projects with 100s of workers in real-time. This helps you avoid unwanted surprises with better project visibility.

Procore is known for its reliability, wide range of top features, and reasonably understandable interface for newcomers to the technology.

Pros:                                                                                 

• Specifically engineered for construction
• Strong time tracking tools
• Integrates well with other software
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Users complain about a steep learning curve for new users (due to having a lot of features you'll need to get used to)
• Can be expensive

Pricing:

Procore’s pricing is not visible on the page. Based on this review it starts at $375 per month:

4.6 out of 5 on G2

12. Fieldwire – Good alternative to Procore

How it works:  

Fieldwire is best suited for medium to large-sized businesses, which makes it a good alternative to Procore.The time tracking features include: 

• Team scheduling
• Gantt chart project scheduler
• Task management

Fieldwire is known for its solid basis of time-tracking tools that allow project managers in large organizations to keep projects on schedule and budget. 

The comprehensive feature set may bring along a steep learning curve: Some users have complained about the difficulty of using ‘advanced task management’. 

Pros:

• Specifically engineered for construction
• The software offers enterprise-level scalability that is unmatched.
• Good documentation features
• Mobile application

Cons:

• For smaller projects, some of the time-tracking features Fieldwire offers are unnecessary (such as the ‘related tasks’ feature, which gives larger teams an overview of when their task might be conflicting with another similar task) Paying for features you don’t use is not ideal
• Users complain about a steep learning curve
• Can be expensive

Pricing:

While there are free plans to try Fieldwire out, the functional plans range from $39 - $79/mo per user. If you have a team of 10 people it would cost you $390 - $790 monthly.

4.5 out of 5 on G2

13. Connecteam - Good for general companies

How it works: 

Connecteam is a much more general time tracking software and not specific to the construction industry. It’s used by companies such as Volvo, Hertz and Subway. 

Nonetheless, it offers a wide range of time tracking features that can benefit construction companies - including: 

• Schedule planner
• In-app time clock
• Timesheet management

Overall, Connecteam offers a holistic solution for businesses of various niches.

Pros:

• Good team scheduling software
• Very user-friendly and intuitive
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Less focused on construction-specific time tracking
• No monthly pricing plans are available (less flexibility)
• Some users report that there are limits to the customizable reports and not all information is available
• Setting up the software can be complex and time-consuming for businesses who don’t have the technical expertise

Pricing:

From $29 to $99/mo for the first 30 users. Requires an annual commitment.

4.4 out of 5 on G2

14. Raken App - Good for field supervision

How it works: 

Raken App is a construction management software offering good time tracking features. They include: 

• Schedule planner
• In-app time clock
• Timesheet management

The app is comprehensive and allows construction companies to manage their projects in one application.

Where Raken App really shines however is its detailed field management features, which allow close monitoring of workers. This close supervision can be important for jobs with higher safety risks. 

Raken App is therefore a solid choice for construction companies that need strong field supervision and safety management. 

Pros:

• Specifically engineered for construction
• User-friendly interface
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Some limitations in custom report creation
• Pricing not publicly visible
• Users report regular updates that they struggle to keep up with

Pricing:

The pricing is not publicly visible, and we have not found any public data on the pricing of the software.

4.7 out of 5 on G2

15. Contractor Foreman - Good for overall construction management

How it works: 

Contractor Foreman is an all-in-one construction management suite that includes many time-tracking features. 

The features include a Gantt chart project scheduler: A tool that allows you to show the duration of tasks visually on a timeline. 

The software is known to add additional features regularly, but this comes at a cost: Some of these features are reported to be buggy by users. 

Pros:                                                                                     

• Specifically engineered for construction
• Good task visualization (Gantt chart project scheduler)
• Integrates well with other software
• Mobile application

Cons:

• Users complain about the software being buggy at times
• Some users complain about the product's usability - making it hard for their contractors to use the software
• Some users also complain about the lack of support, and “tricky” cancellation policies, make sure to read through them carefully

Pricing:

Plans are paid annually and quarterly - and range from $49/mo to $312/mo for all features.

4.5 out of 5 on G2

5 things you should look for in a construction time tracking software tool

1. Real-time location-based time tracking: Get an accurate overview of hours worked and guarantee workers are on-site and productive. 
2. Task-specific time tracking: Identify non-productive work quickly and adjust work processes accordingly.
3. Easy-to-use mobile application: The best app is of no value if it’s not used by your construction workers. A user-friendly mobile application guarantees that your workers will use the app whenever they are on-site. 
4. Push notifications: Automatically remind your construction workers about clocking in and out of tasks guaranteeing that the timesheets are accurate and payroll is almost effortless.
5. Economical pricing: Time-tracking software should be affordable for your company. It’s even better if the software contains additional features that might allow your workers to only use one app for communication, document storage, and time tracking. 

What is construction time tracking software?

Construction Time Tracking Software is a digital tool engineered for monitoring and recording the hours worked by employees on construction sites. 

The software automates the process of tracking labor hours, simplifying payroll and project management. 

Say ‘good bye’ to filling out tedious timesheets, and say ‘hello’ to automatic time tracking with easier monitoring, scheduling, and smooth payroll. 

How does construction time clock software work?

Construction time clock software typically involves workers clocking in and out using a digital system, usually a mobile app. 

The software records these timestamps (which are typically location sensitive, so workers can only clock in on the job site) and automatically calculates total hours worked. Construction time clock software also typically offers task-specific hour logging, so the project owner instantly sees which tasks are on track - and which are running behind. 

This significantly reduces the effort and time project managers have to invest in making sure the project stays on budget and time. 

What are the benefits of construction time tracking software?

The benefits of construction time tracking software are numerous. They include: 

How do I track a contractor's time?

There are two ways to track a contractor’s time: 

1. With paper timesheets, or:

2. construction time tracking software

While paper timesheets are more affordable, they: 

• Cost time and effort, and therefore might not be scalable.
• Are “reactive” and lack real-time capability to track progress.  
• Are error-prone, and therefore may lead to costly mistakes. 

On the other hand time tracking software: 

• costs almost no time and effort, and gives you and the contractor instant oversight of hours logged (for all projects).
• is accurate (with location-based tracking) and transparent - and therefore significantly facilitates payroll. 

So… out of these two options - what’s the best solution for you? 

Originally, it might be a good idea to start with paper timesheets. This is a great choice if the company only recently has been founded and employee management is not yet tedious. 

But as the company grows and admin tasks such as time logging become more cumbersome…

… time tracking software becomes critical. 

Especially since time-tracking software can be very affordable. 

For example, Buildbite, a best-in-class software specialized for small to medium-sized construction companies, offers a host of time tracking features that start at $107 per month for an unlimited number of projects. 

Start your free 14-day trial here. 

Which is the best software for project hours tracking?

The best software for project hours tracking depends on specific project needs and company requirements. Popular options include: 

• Clockify - good for general companies

• Procore - good for larger construction companies

• Buildbite - best for small- to medium-sized construction businesses

These software offer features like real-time location-based time tracking and mobile accessibility. Making it ideally suited for the tracking actual time spent on each task and project. 

The right project hours tracking software, such as Buildbite, can immediately relieve project owners of time-tracking tasks, freeing up significant time and effort that can be applied in more productive areas - such as acquiring more deals.

→See for yourself by signing up for your free trial of Buildbite today.