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Architecture Firms Timesheet

Harvest offers architecture firms a robust timesheet solution, effectively tracking billable hours and managing project costs with features tailored to the industry's unique needs.

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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 Imperative of Time Tracking in Architecture

Accurate time tracking is essential for architecture firms seeking profitability and project success. As firms strive to optimize project management, effective time tracking serves as the cornerstone of robust project accounting. Without meticulous tracking, architecture firms can lose more than 10% of billable hours due to inaccurate recall, directly impacting revenue. By capturing every billable minute, firms can ensure fair and accurate billing, ultimately transforming their understanding of labor costs and project pricing.

Moreover, compliance with US architectural standards demands precise documentation of time spent on project phases. This transparency not only aids in justifying invoices and reducing disputes but also enhances client relationships. Statistics reveal that misclassifying just 2 hours per week per employee in a 10-person firm can cost $104,000 annually at a $100/hour billing rate. Therefore, proper time tracking is non-negotiable for accountability and sustained profitability.

Understanding Billable vs. Non-Billable Hours in Architecture

In architecture, distinguishing between billable and non-billable hours is crucial for accurate financial management. Billable hours encompass time directly spent on client projects, such as designing and on-site visits, which can be invoiced. Non-billable hours, on the other hand, cover activities like administrative tasks and professional development that do not generate direct revenue.

Tracking both categories provides a comprehensive view of a firm's productivity and highlights areas for improvement. Industry benchmarks suggest top firms achieve 75-85% billable utilization, while the average hovers between 60-70%. By increasing billable utilization from 65% to 75%, an architect billing at $100/hour could add $20,800 in annual revenue per person. Thus, understanding and managing these hours is vital for operational health and growth.

Key Features of an Ideal Architecture Timesheet Solution

An effective timesheet solution for architecture firms must include phase-based and activity-specific tracking to capture every aspect of a project. Harvest offers these capabilities, allowing firms to track time against project budgets and differentiate between billable and non-billable tasks, ensuring project profitability. Integration with tools like Asana, QuickBooks, and Xero enhances coordination between time tracking and project management.

Moreover, mobile accessibility is crucial for architects who often work on-site or attend meetings. Harvest's platform supports web, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, ensuring no billable minute goes unaccounted for. By providing detailed reporting on team productivity and project profitability, Harvest enables architecture firms to make informed decisions and maintain project control.

Implementing Effective Time Tracking: Best Practices for Architecture Firms

For architecture firms, implementing effective time tracking practices is crucial to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Encouraging team members to log time immediately as tasks are completed helps prevent loss of billable hours and fosters accurate reporting. Descriptive entries provide context and improve client trust, while setting clear expectations reduces ambiguity in what constitutes billable work.

Regularly reviewing and approving time entries ensures consistency and accuracy. By leveraging time tracking data, firms can communicate transparently with clients, manage expectations, and make necessary project adjustments. Integrating time tracking with project management and payroll software through platforms like Harvest further streamlines workflows and enhances project management.

Harvest for Architecture Firms

See how Harvest's timesheet solution helps architecture firms track billable hours and manage project costs effectively.

Architecture firms timesheet tracking in Harvest software.

Architecture Firms Timesheet FAQs

  • Billable hours in architecture are those spent directly on client projects, such as designing and site visits, which can be invoiced. Non-billable hours include activities that do not generate direct revenue, like administrative tasks and professional development. Tracking both is vital for comprehensive financial management and profitability.

  • Time tracking is crucial for architecture firms to optimize project management and ensure profitability. Accurate tracking helps capture all billable hours, comply with industry standards, and enhance client trust through transparency and detailed documentation.

  • Harvest provides architecture firms with tools to track time against project budgets and differentiate between billable and non-billable tasks. It supports phase-based tracking and integrates with project management and accounting software, ensuring comprehensive project oversight and profitability.

  • Yes, Harvest integrates with various project management tools, including Asana, Trello, and Jira. This integration streamlines workflows by linking time tracking with project planning and management, helping architecture firms maintain project control and efficiency.

  • Best practices include logging time as tasks are completed, using descriptive entries, and setting clear expectations for billable work. Regularly reviewing and approving entries, along with integrating time tracking data with clients, enhances transparency and project management.

  • Harvest enhances project profitability by tracking time against budgets, offering detailed reports on team productivity, and providing insights into project phases. This helps architecture firms manage costs, optimize resource allocation, and ensure all billable hours are captured.

  • Yes, architecture firms can find free timesheet templates in formats like Excel and Google Sheets. These templates are useful for daily, weekly, or monthly tracking and often include features like auto-calculation and sections for notes. However, for more comprehensive needs, dedicated software like Harvest is recommended.