Time tracking for architecture and engineering firms
A design team rarely spends a whole day on one project. The morning goes to the preliminary design of a school, then a coordination meeting about a housing block, then a site visit an hour's drive away. TimeTracking records hours per project and phase, with site visits and mileage alongside, so project leads see where the fee goes while there is still time to steer.
How design and engineering firms use TimeTracking
Set up projects and phases
Each phase you agree a fee for, from concept to construction supervision, becomes its own line under the project. Hours then land on the phase they belong to.
Switch between projects during the day
Stop the timer on one project and start it on the next, or fill in the day afterwards. Recurring meetings are proposed from last week's entries.
Log site visits with mileage
On site, the mobile app records the visit, travel time and kilometres, plus parking or other expenses with a photo of the receipt.
Review and report per phase
The project lead approves the hours and sees totals per phase and person, ready to compare with the fee budget or export to your project administration.
Hours per phase, not just per project
Fees in architecture and engineering are usually agreed per phase: concept design, preliminary design, final design, permit application, tender, construction supervision. A project total says little if the design phase ate the budget for site supervision. In TimeTracking each phase is set up as its own line under the client and project, so every hour is recorded against the phase it belongs to.
That makes the end-of-phase moment concrete. When a phase is delivered, you know how many hours it took, per person and per discipline, and that knowledge feeds the next fee proposal.
- Phases as separate lines under each project
- Hours per phase, person and period
- Phase totals as input for the next fee proposal
Fee budgets per phase in view
Reports show approved hours per project and phase for any period. Set them next to the hours budget you agreed for that phase and the project lead sees at a glance whether the final design is still on track or already past its budget halfway through.
Because the hours are reviewed before they reach the report, the numbers you discuss in the project meeting are the same numbers that end up in your project administration. Reports can be shared or exported as CSV or XLSX for your own budget overview.
Several projects in one day
Designers and engineers switch projects constantly. The timer in the web app and the mobile app moves from one project to the next in a few taps, and entries can be added or corrected afterwards with a note on what was done. Last week's entries are turned into proposals for recurring work, such as the weekly design team meeting, so confirming takes one tap.
Google Calendar and Outlook sync for these proposals is coming soon. Until then, predictions use your recent entries.
Site visits, travel and mileage
Site visits, client meetings and inspections are part of the job, and so is the drive to get there. TimeTracking records travel time and kilometres as their own types, separate from the hours on site, so they can be reimbursed at your rates and reported per project. Parking, train tickets and other expenses are logged with a photo of the receipt.
On a building site without signal, the mobile timer keeps running and hours are queued until the phone is back online. TimeTracking does not track location continuously.
- Travel time and kilometres per trip
- Expenses with a receipt photo
- Timer that keeps running offline
- No continuous location tracking
Extra work with numbers to back it up
Scope changes are common: an extra variant for the facade, a redesign after the permit authority's comments, additional structural calculations. Record that work on a separate line, such as additional work under the project, and you have the hours ready when the conversation with the client comes.
Where the client wants to confirm those hours, they can approve them through a secure magic link without creating an account. Their name and the time of approval are stored.
Open to your project administration
TimeTracking does not invoice and does not replace your project management or ERP software. It delivers approved hours, travel and expenses as configurable CSV, XLSX or JSON exports, or through the REST API and webhooks. Exported periods are locked, and corrections go into the next open period.
Customer data is stored in the EU, in Ireland. Pricing is free for up to 5 users, then €1 per user per month on Core, including mileage, expenses and approvals, with no seat minimum.
Frequently asked questions
Can we track hours per project phase?
Yes. Set up each phase as its own line under the project. Reports then show hours per phase, person and period.
Can we compare hours with the fee budget for a phase?
Yes. Reports show approved hours per phase for any period, which the project lead compares with the agreed budget, in TimeTracking or in an export.
Are site visits and mileage included?
Yes. Travel time, kilometres and expenses with receipt photos are part of Core at €1 per user per month.
Can someone work on several projects in one day?
Yes. Switch the timer between projects or add entries afterwards. Each entry carries its own project, phase and note.
Does it sync with Google Calendar or Outlook?
Calendar sync is coming soon. Proposals already use your recent entries.
Does TimeTracking create invoices?
No. It exports approved hours, travel and expenses to the software you invoice from, as CSV, XLSX, JSON or through the API.
Related pages
Staffing agencies
Placements, client approval by magic link, AI parser, conflict detection and payroll exports.
Construction
A timer that keeps running offline, hours per site and a kiosk at the gate.
Logistics and warehouses
Rostered shifts, one-tap confirmation, kiosk clock-in and night shifts done right.
See pricing
Free for up to 5 users. Core from €1 per user per month, everything included.
Try TimeTracking free
Free for up to 5 users. Core from €1 per user per month, everything included.