How GPS Time Tracking Saves Construction Crews 10+ Hours a Week
Paper timesheets are costing you money. Here's exactly how GPS time tracking works — and why contractors who switch never go back.
Most time clock apps were built for office workers. They look great in a demo, fall apart on a job site. Bad cell service, dirty hands, crew members who "forget" to clock in — none of that is accounted for in the average HR software's roadmap.
We spent three months testing 12 of the most popular time clock apps with real contractors. Here's what we found.
Before we get into the rankings, here's what separates a good contractor time clock app from a bad one:
Trade Clok was built specifically for trades. GPS clock-in, equipment hour tracking, smart reminders for forgotten clock-ins, and one-click payroll export. Free for solo owners. Teams start at $14/month per seat — no setup fee, no contracts.
Best for: Contractors, landscapers, plumbers, painters, roofers — any crew that works in the field.
ClockShark has solid GPS tracking and a good mobile app. It's more expensive than Trade Clok and doesn't have equipment hour tracking, but it has more integrations and a more polished admin dashboard. Good choice if you have 20+ employees.
Best for: Mid-size construction companies with dedicated office staff.
Workyard has strong construction-specific features including project cost tracking and integration with construction management software. It's the most expensive option on this list.
Best for: General contractors managing complex multi-phase projects.
Homebase works well if you have a mix of field and office employees. It's not construction-specific, but it's affordable and easy to use.
Best for: Small businesses with both field and office staff.
If you're already deep in the QuickBooks ecosystem, QuickBooks Time integrates seamlessly. It's not built for trades specifically, but the payroll integration is unbeatable.
Best for: Businesses already using QuickBooks for accounting.
For most contractors with field crews of 5–25 people, Trade Clok hits the best combination of features, price, and ease of use. The equipment hour tracking alone pays for itself — most contractors find 10–15% more billable hours in the first month.
Paper timesheets are costing you money. Here's exactly how GPS time tracking works — and why contractors who switch never go back.
Labor hours are only half the story. Here's why equipment hour tracking changes everything for contractors who want accurate job costs.
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