The Best Construction Timesheet App to Cut Costs and Boost Field Accuracy

Still Chasing Paper Timecards at the End of the Week?

If you’re a general contractor who self-performs—or a sub juggling crews across multiple sites—you know the drill: stacks of handwritten timecards, hours of deciphering chicken scratch, and chasing down foremen to correct missing hours. By the time it all makes it into payroll, the deadline’s already breathing down your neck.

Sound familiar?

This is a costly bottleneck.

Manual time tracking eats into profitability. It delays payroll, muddies job costing, and opens the door to compliance issues—especially if you’re working with union labor or on certified payroll jobs. And the worst part? Most of it is preventable.

So why are so many contractors still relying on outdated methods?

Let’s be honest: many construction teams are stuck using what’s "familiar," even if it costs them thousands in inefficiencies. The real issue isn’t resistance to change—it’s that most so-called "construction timesheet apps" out there aren’t built for construction. They don’t speak the language of job codes, crew-based time, or multi-state wage rules.

But there’s a better way.

In this article, we’ll break down the biggest time tracking challenges contractors face—and show you how the right construction timesheet app (one actually designed for GCs and subs) can transform the way your team works in the field and in the back office.

Ready to stop playing catch-up with payroll? Let’s dive in.

The Pain Points GCs and Subs Face Today

Let’s cut to the chase, time tracking in construction is about managing labor cost, ensuring compliance, and keeping your projects profitable. But if you're still relying on spreadsheets, paper timecards, or a generic mobile app not built for the field… you're likely feeling the pain in more ways than one.

Here are the real-world issues contractors like you are dealing with every week:

1. The Field-to-Office Disconnect

Your crews are spread across multiple job sites. Some clock in from their trucks. Others forget entirely. And by the time those timecards hit the office? You’re left guessing whether the hours are even accurate.

“How do you collect time data from crews across multiple jobs?”
“Have incorrect timecards ever led to overpayment or compliance issues?”
—Real discovery questions from payroll admins and project managers​​

This extends beyond an administrative concern—it's a significant business risk.

2. Compliance Chaos: Certified Payroll, Prevailing Wage & Union Rules

If you’re working government contracts or handling union labor, every missed field on a timecard can become a massive liability. Manually calculating fringe benefits or classifying wages by region? That’s a nightmare waiting to happen.

And don’t even get started on reconciling overtime, shift differentials, or per diem pay across jobs in different cities or counties.

3. Time Theft & Human Error

Paper timecards invite buddy punching. Rounding up start times? Common. Illegible writing? Constant. Even small inaccuracies add up—stealing productivity and throwing off your job costing metrics.

“How critical is accurate time data for your job cost reports?”
“Have you had to reprocess payroll due to bad timecards?”
—Questions that keep controllers and CFOs up at night

4. Office Teams Drowning in Manual Entry

Payroll admins are burning hours just trying to keep up:

• Chasing down foremen for missing cards

• Manually entering time into ERP systems

• Double-checking cost code accuracy

• Reconciling hours across projects

This isn't scalable. And it drains your top talent.

5. Limited Mobile Access for the Field

Your team doesn’t have time to mess with clunky apps or desktop-only tools. They need something mobile-friendly, intuitive, and fast—so they can log hours, assign job codes, and submit reports without jumping through hoops.

And when they’re out of cell service? Offline mode better be baked in.

These pain points aren’t just frustrating—they’re expensive. Every delay, error, or oversight chips away at your margin.

In the next section, we’ll break down what to look for in a real construction timesheet app—and how the right solution can erase these issues before they even start.

What to Look for in a Construction Timesheet App

Here’s the thing: not all timesheet apps are created equal. A generic time tracking tool might work for an office team or a small service business—but throw it into a commercial job site, and it falls apart fast.

If you’re a GC or subcontractor managing crews across multiple locations, your needs are unique. You don’t just need time tracking—you need a timesheet app built for the way construction actually works.

Here’s what to look for:

1. Designed for the Field, Not the Front Desk

Your crew doesn’t work at a desk, and your timesheet app shouldn’t expect them to. Look for a mobile-first interface that’s:

• Simple to use with dirty hands and bright sunlight

• Fast for foremen to clock in crews in batches

• Built for both iOS and Android devices

• Offline-capable for remote sites without service

Pro Tip: hh2’s mobile time entry works even when you’re out of cell range. No signal? No problem—data syncs when you’re back online.

2. Seamless ERP Integration

You need your time data to flow directly into payroll, job costing, and compliance systems without double entry or formatting nightmares.

Look for a timesheet solution that:

• Integrates with your ERP (like Sage 100, Sage 300, Viewpoint Vista, Foundation, etc.)

• Supports two-way sync for employees, jobs, cost codes, and time

• Updates in real-time to avoid bottlenecks between field and office

hh2 connects directly to top ERPs, giving payroll and accounting teams clean, coded data with zero rework.

3. Smart Compliance Features for Construction Payroll

The app should do more than just track time—it should support the way you pay your people:

• Certified payroll and prevailing wage rules

• Union rules and shift differentials

• Automatic overtime calculations

• Multi-state wage and tax logic

hh2 Remote Payroll is purpose-built to support certified jobs, union workforces, and complex wage classifications—without needing a spreadsheet wizard in payroll to piece it all together.

4. Crew-Based Entry and Approval Workflows

Foremen should be able to log hours for the whole crew in minutes—not toggle through dozens of individual timecards. And office teams should be able to approve and push time through with one click.

Look for:

• Crew time entry

• Supervisor approval workflows

• Custom rules for validation (missed punches, cost code checks, etc.)

Faster approvals mean faster payroll and more accurate job cost reports.

5. Real-Time Reporting & Dashboards

A construction timesheet app should give both field leaders and office admins real-time visibility into:

• Hours worked per project

• Labor cost-to-date vs budget

• Overtime trends

• Missing or unapproved time

With hh2, you don’t just capture time—you turn it into insights.

Up next, we’ll show you how hh2’s Remote Payroll delivers all this—and more—as the best-in-class timesheet app for construction.

Why hh2 Is the Best Construction Timesheet App Alternative

There are plenty of apps out there claiming to help you track time. But very few are built from the ground up for the construction industry—let alone with certified payroll, union labor, and multi-job complexity in mind.

That’s where hh2 Remote Payroll stands apart.

It’s not just a timesheet app. It’s a construction-grade time tracking platform built specifically for general contractors, subcontractors, and self-perform crews who are tired of juggling spreadsheets, chasing field reports, and crossing their fingers on payroll day.

Let’s break down what makes hh2 the clear choice:

1. Seamless Integration with Your ERP

hh2 was built to connect—not compete—with your existing systems. Whether you use Sage 100, Sage 300 CRE, Viewpoint Vista, Foundation, or Trimble, hh2 plugs in with:

• Two-way syncing of employees, jobs, cost codes, and timecards

• Real-time data transfer to eliminate double entry

• Accurate, timely job cost data without the usual delays

ERP Integration means your field and back office finally speak the same language.

2. Mobile-First, Built for the Jobsite

Field teams can clock in, enter time, and assign cost codes from the app—on any device. Foremen can log time for entire crews in just a few taps.

Even better?

• Offline mode keeps data flowing even without service

• Photos, notes, and approvals can be added directly to time entries

• Supervisor sign-off keeps workflows tight and accountable

Field users love it because it works the way they do. Office teams love it because they stop chasing timecards.

3. Payroll Compliance Without the Headaches

hh2’s Remote Payroll app doesn’t just collect hours—it does the heavy lifting behind the scenes:

• Automatically handles certified payroll, prevailing wage, and union rules

• Applies project-specific pay rates and job classifications

• Flags missing punches, duplicate entries, or anomalies

• Generates reports formatted for government submission or audit review

Spend less time worrying about compliance and more time running your projects.

4. Instant Visibility Into Labor Costs and Job Performance

With hh2, labor data becomes a powerful project management tool:

• See daily summaries of hours by job, cost code, or crew

• Spot overtime trends before they become a problem

• Sync directly with job cost reporting to track budget-to-actuals

Real-time insights mean no more waiting until month-end to spot payroll issues.

5. Trusted by Thousands of Contractors

hh2 is used by over 3,500+ construction companies, processing $16 billion+ in payroll transactions annually​. It’s proven. It’s scalable. And it’s trusted by payroll admins, project managers, and CFOs alike.

Don’t just take our word for it:

“When I think back to the Stone Age of how we did payroll, I can’t imagine doing it without hh2.”
— Lorraine Searcy, ANCHOR 41 CONSTRUCTION​

Ready to See It in Action?

If you’re ready to stop fighting timecards and start winning with accurate labor data, it’s time to give hh2 Remote Payroll a closer look.

Schedule a free demo today and see how easy tracking time can really be.

Ready to Ditch the Paper? Here’s What Happens Next

By now, one thing should be clear: the old way of managing construction timesheets just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Whether it’s lost paper cards, late approvals, compliance mistakes, or just the sheer headache of entering time manually—every inefficiency chips away at your bottom line.

But the good news? You don’t have to settle for that.

hh2 Fits Right Into Your Workflow

One of the biggest reasons contractors choose hh2 is because it works with the systems you already use—not against them.

With deep, proven integrations into ERPs like:

• Sage 100 Contractor

• Sage 300 CRE

• Viewpoint Vista

• Trimble

• Foundation

...hh2 acts as the bridge between your field operations and your back-office accounting.

No more double entry. No more formatting chaos. Just clean, real-time time data flowing into your payroll and job costing.

Built for GCs and Subs Who Self-Perform

You manage multiple crews, job sites, and pay rates. You deal with union rules, prevailing wage, and certified payroll. You need a solution that’s as tough and flexible as your business.

That’s hh2 Remote Payroll:

• Built by construction professionals

• Used by thousands of contractors across North America

• Backed by real support from a team that gets your world

It’s Time to Take Back Control of Your Labor Costs

Imagine this:

• Foremen logging crew hours in seconds

• Office teams processing payroll with confidence—not scrambling

• Job costs staying accurate and up-to-date

• Compliance handled without a second thought

This isn’t a dream. It’s what hh2 customers experience every week.

Let’s Get to Work

Stop letting outdated systems drag your business down.
Start tracking time the right way—with the best construction timesheet app in the industry.

Book a live demo now and see how hh2 Remote Payroll can streamline your workflow, cut costs, and keep your projects on track.