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Time Tracking
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Architecture Firms Time Tracking

Architecture firms face burnout with overtime. Harvest offers time tracking to manage billable hours and budgets effectively.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

The Indispensable Role of Time Tracking in Architectural Practice

Time tracking is a cornerstone for robust project accounting and profitability in architecture firms. Accurate time logs ensure that billable hours are maximized, directly impacting the firm's revenue. With 96.9% of architecture teams experiencing burnout due to chronic overtime, effective time tracking helps manage workloads and prevent burnout. By meticulously tracking both billable and non-billable hours, firms can mitigate revenue leakage from unbilled hours and prevent scope creep, which is vital for maintaining project profitability.

Moreover, time tracking provides a clear overview of labor costs, informing project pricing strategies and helping firms build more realistic schedules. According to a 2025 benchmark report, firms with strong project financial controls consistently outperform peers, highlighting the importance of precise time management. Harvest addresses these needs with its one-click start/stop timers and detailed reporting, which offer architecture firms the tools needed to maintain financial health and operational efficiency.

Essential Features: What Architects Need in Time Tracking Software

For architecture firms, time tracking software must offer phase-level tracking, allowing time to be logged against specific project phases such as schematic design and construction documents. This granularity is crucial for accurate reporting and project analysis. Integrations with existing project management and accounting tools are also essential to streamline workflows and avoid double data entry. With an industry median utilization rate of 81.9%, architects need tools that support both billable and non-billable hour tracking.

Mobile accessibility is critical due to the dynamic nature of architectural work, which often involves site visits and multiple project engagements. Harvest's platform offers seamless integration with tools like Asana and Trello, enhancing project management capabilities. Its mobile apps ensure that time tracking can occur wherever the work happens, supporting the flexibility required by architecture firms. With these features, Harvest enables architects to make data-driven decisions, optimizing both project management and financial outcomes.

Implementing Time Tracking: Best Practices for Success

Successful implementation of time tracking in architecture firms begins with defining clear objectives, such as enhancing billing accuracy or optimizing resource allocation. Communicating these goals across the team helps foster buy-in and reduces resistance to change. Structuring time tracking around project phases and specific tasks enables more granular data collection and reporting, which is essential for accurate billing and project analysis.

Encouraging real-time logging of hours enhances accuracy and reduces the need for backtracking, which can be burdensome and error-prone. Regular review and approval of time entries ensure data integrity and provide opportunities for feedback and adjustment. Harvest facilitates these processes with customizable project settings and detailed reporting. By leveraging historical time data, architecture firms can improve future project estimates and proposals, positioning themselves for long-term success.

Beyond the Clock: Strategic Advantages and Future Outlook

Time tracking extends beyond mere clocking of hours, offering strategic advantages in project management and profitability for architecture firms. By providing insights into team productivity and resource allocation, time tracking aids in optimizing firm operations. Firms that track time accurately are paid 20 days faster than those that don’t, improving cash flow and financial stability.

Accurate time tracking also enhances client trust and satisfaction by ensuring transparent and precise billing. Understanding utilization rates and setting role-specific targets help firms align their resources with business goals. As the industry shifts from manual spreadsheets to specialized software, tools like Harvest offer increased efficiency and reduced errors, paving the way for data-driven decision-making and growth.

Architecture Firms Time Tracking with Harvest

See how Harvest helps architecture firms track billable hours, manage budgets, and optimize project timelines effectively.

Harvest time tracking dashboard for architecture firms

Architecture Firms Time Tracking FAQs

  • Architecture firms track billable hours using time tracking software that allows logging of hours spent on specific project phases. This ensures accurate billing and project profitability. Tools like Harvest offer flexible per-project and per-person rates for precise tracking.

  • Time tracking software for architects should include phase-level tracking, seamless integration with project management tools, and mobile accessibility. These features help manage complex projects and ensure accurate billing. Harvest offers these capabilities, making it a suitable choice for architecture firms.

  • Time tracking improves project management by providing insights into team productivity, resource allocation, and budget adherence. It helps firms track both billable and non-billable hours, ensuring projects stay on schedule and within budget. Harvest supports these needs with detailed reporting and project analysis.

  • Architecture firms can integrate time tracking with design tools through platforms that offer seamless data flow, like Harvest. Integrations with Asana, Trello, and other tools ensure that time tracking complements the existing workflow without the need for double data entry.

  • Accurate tracking of billable hours ensures firms are compensated for all work performed, directly impacting revenue. It also aids in preventing scope creep and improving cash flow, as firms tracking accurately are paid 20 days faster. Harvest enables precise billing through detailed time logs.

  • Yes, Harvest can help prevent burnout by providing tools to manage workloads and track time effectively. By identifying imbalanced workloads, firms can distribute tasks more evenly and promote sustainable work practices, reducing the risk of burnout.

  • Harvest supports phase-level tracking by allowing time to be logged against specific project stages, such as schematic design and construction documents. This customization ensures accurate project analysis and billing, meeting the unique needs of architecture firms.