If you’ve ever spent a Monday morning texting foremen for missing hours or fixing overtime mistakes after a long week, you’re not alone. Time tracking in construction is messy, especially when crews are moving between sites, clocking in late, or writing hours on paper (if at all).
We’ve tested dozens of tools and talked to contractors who needed more than just a digital punch clock. They needed a construction time tracking system that works offline, tracks crews, handles job costing, and plays nice with payroll, without slowing down the field.
In this guide, you’ll find 6 construction-ready time tracking apps that solve real problems. Whether you’re managing union crews, juggling cost codes, or just tired of late-night payroll math, these tools help bring accuracy, visibility, and peace of mind to your jobsite hours.
How We Evaluated Construction Time Tracking Tools
Time tracking in construction isn’t just about clocking in and out. It’s about accuracy, accountability, and keeping payroll clean, even when your crew is working offline, across multiple jobsites, or under union rules.
To find the best tools, we used a 100-point scoring system based on real jobsite needs. Here's what made the cut:
- Core Time Capture: Does it let crews clock in via mobile, kiosk, or foreman mode, even offline? Can it track breaks, prevent edits after a shift, and handle multiple pay periods or time zones?
- Mobile Usability in the Field: Is the app fast, reliable, and easy to use? Can workers clock in with minimal taps? Does it support English and Spanish?
- GPS & Anti-Fraud Tools: We gave extra credit for apps with geofencing, GPS tracking, photo verification, and anti-buddy-punching features. Some even support QR/NFC tags at gates or tool yards.
- Job & Cost Code Tracking: Can employees switch tasks mid-shift and assign time to cost codes, equipment, or phases? We looked for tools that make job costing easy without slowing down the crew.
- Payroll Compliance: Overtime rules (including California), union tracking, prevailing wage support, and certified payroll exports all factored in.
- Supervisor Controls: We rewarded platforms that give foremen control — crew start/stop, mass approvals, notes, and timecard exceptions.
- Reporting & Forecasts: Real-time dashboards, budget-vs-actual insights, overtime alerts, and exportable reports earned points.
- Integrations: We looked for seamless connections to payroll and accounting tools like QuickBooks, ADP, Sage, and construction ERPs like Procore or Autodesk Build.
This checklist helped us zero in on systems that aren’t just built for construction — they’re built for crews who need to track time with confidence.
The Best Time Tracking Software for Construction
OnTheClock: Best for Small Construction Companies and Subcontractors
Available on: Web, iOS, Android
If you’re managing a small construction team – maybe 5 to 50 workers – you need a time-tracking system that’s easy to deploy, easy to use in the field, and doesn’t overwhelm you with features you’ll never use. At OnTheClock, I’ve worked with many small contractors who were getting bogged down with paper timecards, “who’s on site” calls, and last-minute overtime surprises. That’s why we built OnTheClock as a streamlined mobile-friendly platform that fits smaller crews without sacrificing key capabilities like job codes, mobile clock-in, and integration readiness.
Your foreman can open the mobile app, tap a job or cost code, clock the crew in, and head off with confidence that the office will see hours in real time. Your office manager won’t have to fix spreadsheets after hours. And you’ll maintain visibility over job costing and overtime without paying for enterprise features your crew will never use.
For a small construction company wanting to track time reliably, manage basic job codes, and reduce the chaos of Monday morning payroll corrections, OnTheClock delivers that mobile option with simplicity.
Pros
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Intuitive and easy to use
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All-in-one solution
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Great customer support
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Budget-friendly
Cons
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Needs internet or wifi access to work
Pricing
- 30-day free trial available
- Plans start at $5/month base fee + $4 per user/month
Built to End Your Scheduling Stress.
Try it free and see how effortless scheduling can be.
ExakTime: Best for Contractors Needing Strict Compliance
Available on: Web, iOS, Android & Kiosk
When you’re running construction crews across multiple sites, compliance isn’t optional—it’s essential. With ExakTime, we built a time-tracking system that keeps you on top of field hours, meal breaks, location verification, and cost-code allocation without losing the simplicity your crew needs.
If you’ve been chasing timecards at coffee shops, sorting through spreadsheets late nights, or worried about audit risk from prevailing-wage jobs, this tool helps bring the field and office together. ExakTime connects mobile apps, rugged kiosks, and job-site hardware so everyone clocks in, and you get the visibility.
Beyond just hours worked, ExakTime supports GPS geofencing, photo ID capture, equipment tracking, and certified-payroll reporting, giving you the controls you need to stay compliant while keeping crews productive.
Pros
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Accurate GPS verification
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Easy for crews to use
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Job-costing tools
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Strong payroll integrations
Cons
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Limited customization options
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Occasional sync or app glitches
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GPS accuracy can vary
Pricing
- Plans start at $9 per user/month + base fee
ClockShark: Best for Crew Scheduling and Job Costing Compliance
Available on: Web, iOS and Android
If your team is out in the field—moving between job sites, switching tasks mid-shift, and using mobile devices more than desktop computers—ClockShark gives you a platform built for that environment. With a mobile app designed for ease of use and crew-friendly scheduling tools, it lets foremen and managers stay in control without forcing workers into complicated workflows.
One foreman can clock in an entire crew via the “Crew Clock” feature, making it practical for jobsites where not every worker has a smartphone. Its drag-and-drop schedule board lets you create, move or copy shifts quickly, even when things change at the last minute. And because job costing is built into every shift, you get insight into how time breaks down by task, project, or cost code.
The mobile apps also support GPS location tracking, geofencing, and “Who’s Working Now” views so you can see where people are and what they’re doing. For a contractor who wants a construction time tracking system that blends field-mobility with job costing and scheduling, ClockShark makes a strong case.
Pros
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Easy for crews to use
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Excellent customer support
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GPS/geofence accountability
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Speeds payroll and job costing
Cons
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GPS/sync issues at times
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QuickBooks setup confusion
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Limited overtime settings
Pricing
- 14-day free trial available
- Plans start at $40/month base fee + $9 per user/month
Connecteam: Best for All-in-one Mobile Crew App
Available on: Web, iOS and Android
If you prefer a single app instead of juggling five different ones, Connecteam is built for your world. It wraps time tracking, scheduling, communication, training and forms into one mobile-first platform. Field workers clock in or out, update jobs, submit forms, and managers see everything from the office.
From a construction management standpoint, this matters. You’ll avoid chasing paper timesheets, missing crew updates, or filming jobsite sign-in and forms manually. Connecteam lets you schedule crews via mobile, track hours by job or task, send instant updates, and capture proof of work and safety tasks, all in real time. For instance, foremen can use the mobile time clock, the scheduler sends shifts to workers’ phones, and job costing links directly into those entries.
Another key benefit: training and compliance live in the same app. You can assign mobile courses or safety checklists, track completion, and keep an audit trail, especially valuable when you’re juggling crews in the field and need proof of training or forms for audits. For contractors who want one tool for their crew, schedule, compliance, and time tracking and they want mobile simplicity, Connecteam stands out.
Pros
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Easy to use
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All-in-one platform
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Strong team communication
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Quick setup/onboarding
Cons
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No offline clock-ins
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Higher-tier pricing
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Integration gaps
Pricing
- 14-day free trial available
- Plans start at $ 29/mo For the first 30 users (per module)
busybusy: Best for Equipment Tracking
Available on: Web, iOS and Android
If your job sites aren’t just about tracking time, but also tracking machines — who’s using what, where it’s located, how many hours it’s on site — then busybusy is built to deliver. With crews in the field and equipment moving from site to site, this app brings field data and asset data into the same mobile view.
From a mobile-first perspective, busybusy offers reliable clock-in/out even offline, GPS location and breadcrumb tracking of both personnel and equipment, and a clean mobile UI that crews can adopt quickly. What really sets it apart is the equipment-tracking functions: idle hours vs active hours, equipment lists by site, and operator logs attached to machines. For a mobile crew app that gives you oversight on labor and major assets, busybusy stands out.
That said, if you only need basic time tracking without heavy visual oversight of equipment or asset movement, you might find parts of the system over-built. Still, for mobile crews and site supervisors needing both time and asset control, busybusy offers a strong solution.
Pros
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Intuitive and easy to use
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Strong job costing
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Reliable GPS
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Clean reporting
Cons
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Occasional glitches
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Too many unused features
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GPS requirements feel intrusive
Pricing
- 14-day free trial available
- Plans start at $40/month base fee + $9.99 per user/month
Raken: Best for Daily Field Reporting
Available on: Web, iOS and Android
If you’re managing multiple jobsites and still using paper logs, spreadsheets, or end-of-week catch-ups, you’ll appreciate how Raken brings field data into one app. It’s built for jobsites — crews input hours, progress, safety checks, and photos in real time, and managers back in the office see it almost instantly.
Raken simplifies daily reporting in a way that helps you avoid surprises: no more digging through stacks of paper or wondering whether your time-cards match what got done. With its mobile app crews can clock in, upload photos, attach notes, track material or equipment use, and share it all with you at the office.
For contractors who value visibility as much as clock-in accuracy — especially when jobsite conditions, safety logs, quality inspections, and equipment usage come together — Raken provides a unified mobile platform your team can actually use. It’s not just about time tracking; it’s about turning field activity into documentation, insight, and profit.
Pros
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Easy to Use
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Excellent Daily Reports
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Strong Documentation Tools
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Great Customer Support
Cons
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Occasional glitches
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Adoption Difficulty
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Confusing Features
Pricing
- 14-day free trial available
- Pricing available on request
What Is Construction Time Tracking Software?
It works just like a regular time clock, but it has specific features designed for construction. For example, it includes job costing, so you can see how much time your crew spends on each project, phase, or task, not just total hours worked.
With construction time tracking software, you can:
- Track hours by job, phase, or cost code
- See overtime before it happens
- Keep accurate records for payroll and certified jobs
- Spot problems early, like missing hours or off-site punches
Who Benefits Most from Construction Time Tracking Software?
Anyone managing a construction crew can benefit from a system that tracks time accurately and automatically. Whether you run a small contracting business, oversee multiple job sites, or manage a handful of field workers, reliable time tracking helps you stay organized and in control.
This kind of software is especially useful for:
- Crew leaders and foremen who clock in teams and review hours before payroll.
- Small construction company owners who need simple, mobile tracking without hiring extra office staff.
- Project managers balancing multiple jobsites and trying to control labor costs.
- Trades and subcontractors who need verified hours for certified payroll or client billing.
If you’re managing people in the field, this tool saves you hours of admin time, reduces payroll mistakes, and gives you confidence that every minute worked is accounted for.
Why Construction Companies Rely on Time Tracking Tools
Time tracking tools allow construction companies to manage their teams and their resources with confidence. When you’re running projects across different sites, keeping track of who’s working, for how long, and on what job isn’t easy — especially when every hour affects your budget.
A construction time tracking system brings all of that information together. It helps you:
- See where crews are working in real time
- Verify hours with GPS and photo punches
- Track labor costs by job or phase
- Prevent overtime surprises before payroll
- Spot delays early and adjust schedules quickly
Accurate time data doesn’t just protect your bottom line — it protects your crew. It ensures everyone is paid fairly, overtime rules are followed, and compliance records are ready when you need them.
Key Features Every Construction Time Tracking App Should Have
Not all time tracking apps are built for construction. Fieldwork adds layers of complexity — multiple sites, variable shifts, heavy equipment, and crews that move daily. The best tools simplify all of it, helping you manage people, time, and costs from anywhere.
When choosing an app, make sure it includes features made for the job site:
- Crew and Individual Clock-Ins: Let foremen clock in an entire crew at once, or allow workers to clock in on their phones.
- Offline Mode: Keeps tracking hours even when your team loses signal.
- GPS and Geofencing: Confirms that clock-ins happen where the work actually is.
- Job Costing: Tracks time by job, phase, or cost code so you know where every dollar goes.
- Photo Verification: Adds accountability with optional photo or face recognition on each punch.
- Automatic Overtime Calculations: Helps you avoid payroll surprises and stay compliant with labor laws.
- Mobile Dashboard: Gives supervisors real-time visibility across crews and sites.
A solid time tracking system does more than log hours — it builds trust, improves payroll accuracy, and gives you insight into where your projects stand day to day.
How to Choose the Right Time Tracking System for Your Crew
Choosing the right time tracking software for your construction team doesn’t have to be complicated. The best way to find the right fit is to walk through each step and match the software’s features to the way your crew actually works.
Step 1: Identify your field challenges
Start with what’s slowing you down today. Are your crews missing clock-ins? Is payroll taking hours to verify? Are you losing track of labor costs by job? Defining your pain points helps you focus on the tools that actually solve them — not just the ones with the longest feature list.
Step 2: Prioritize construction-specific features
Look for systems built with job sites in mind. A great construction time tracker should handle GPS verification, cost codes, crew clock-ins, and offline tracking. These features are what separate real jobsite tools from generic time clocks.
Step 3: Test how it fits your daily routine
Think about how your team starts and ends their day. If foremen clock in crews, make sure the app allows mass punches. If your projects move daily, GPS geofencing and project-based job codes are essential. The right system should match your workflow, not force you to change it.
Step 4: Keep compliance top of mind
Labor laws, meal breaks, and certified payroll rules can cost you if ignored. Choose software that automatically applies overtime rules, tracks breaks, and keeps an audit trail. Compliance should be built in, not added later.
Step 5: Evaluate mobile usability
Your crew will use the app on their phones — probably with gloves on and low signal. Test how fast it opens, how clear the screens are, and whether it still works offline. If it’s not simple for your crew, they won’t use it.
Step 6: Check integrations before committing
A strong system should work with your payroll and accounting tools, like QuickBooks or ADP. If it doesn’t, you’ll end up doing double data entry. Integrations save hours every pay period and prevent manual errors.
Step 7: Run a pilot before rollout
Don’t onboard your whole company at once. Try it with one crew for two weeks. Track how long it takes to clock in, approve timecards, and sync payroll. If it feels natural in the field, it will scale easily across every project.
Step 8: Measure support and training quality
Even the best software fails without good onboarding. Look for responsive support, short setup guides, and an easy way to train your crew. The faster they get comfortable, the sooner you’ll see value.
Step 9: Compare your top two and decide
Once you’ve tested your options, compare them based on accuracy, mobile experience, and how well they fit your current workflow. The best time tracking system isn’t the most complex — it’s the one your crew actually uses every day.
Tips for Rolling Out Time Tracking Successfully on the Jobsite
Switching to a new time tracking system can feel like one more thing on your plate, but with the right approach, it becomes one of the easiest upgrades you’ll ever make. The key is to make it simple, clear, and consistent from day one.
Start small and build confidence: Begin with one crew or one project before rolling it out company-wide. This gives you time to iron out small issues, test the mobile app in the field, and collect honest feedback from the people actually using it.
Be upfront with your team: Explain why you’re changing systems and how it helps them — not just you. Accurate hours mean faster, more reliable paychecks, fewer disputes, and proof of work for clients. When your crew sees the benefit, adoption comes naturally.
Create a clear policy: Write down simple rules for clocking in, breaks, and job codes. Consistency prevents confusion later and makes payroll easier to verify. Keep it short and post it where everyone can see it — in the trailer, the app, or both.
Train in minutes, not hours: Walk your team through the basics: how to clock in, change job codes, and check their hours. Most of today’s tools only take a few taps, so a quick hands-on demo at the start of a shift is all it takes.
Appoint a crew champion: Pick one foreman or supervisor to help others get comfortable with the app. Having a go-to person in the field cuts down on calls to the office and keeps everyone on track.
Monitor, then fine-tune: For the first few weeks, check reports regularly to spot missing punches or issues with syncing. Use that data to adjust your workflow — maybe set up geofencing or add a break reminder if needed.
Celebrate quick wins: When your first payroll runs smoothly or you catch an error before it costs you overtime, call it out. Showing your team that the system works builds trust and keeps them engaged.
