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Time Tracking
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Gps Time Tracking for Contractors

Contractors face significant revenue loss due to inaccurate time tracking. Harvest solves this by providing robust time tracking and project management tools tailored to contractors.

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What should you charge per hour?

Most freelancers and consultants dramatically undercharge. This calculator accounts for what most people miss: non-billable time, taxes, and overhead.

$
Accounting for vacation, holidays, sick days
60%
Most freelancers can bill 50-70% of their time. The rest goes to admin, marketing, proposals, and learning.
$
Software, insurance, equipment, accounting, taxes beyond income tax, etc.
Your break-even rate $0
Recommended rate (+20% buffer) $0
Billable hours per week 0h
Equivalent daily rate $0

Start tracking your billable hours

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

The Importance of Accurate Time Tracking for Contractors

Accurate time tracking is critical for contractors, as it directly impacts operational efficiency, cost management, and compliance. Industry research shows that manual time tracking systems can lead to errors affecting 1% to 8% of total payroll, making them unreliable for accurate billing and labor cost assessments. Furthermore, up to 75% of companies experience financial setbacks due to time theft, such as buddy punching. This inefficiency consumes leadership time, with 46% of leaders identifying it as a core challenge weekly.

While GPS time tracking promises enhanced accuracy and reduced fraud, Harvest offers a practical alternative for contractors focusing on time tracking and project budget management. Harvest allows users to track time specifically for different projects or tasks, linking hours directly to them. Although it lacks GPS features, Harvest's robust time tracking system ensures that contractors can manage their projects effectively without the need for complex GPS technology.

Managing Labor Costs Without GPS Tracking

Managing labor costs effectively is a significant challenge for contractors. GPS time tracking can offer precise labor cost tracking by verifying on-site presence and associating labor costs with specific tasks or project phases. However, Harvest addresses this need through its project budget tracking and timesheet features, enabling contractors to link labor costs to specific projects manually.

While Harvest does not support real-time GPS tracking, it provides essential tools for project management, allowing contractors to monitor their project budgets closely. This manual approach, combined with the ability to export timesheets, helps contractors maintain an accurate record of labor costs and make informed decisions about their workforce management. By focusing on project-specific time tracking, Harvest ensures that contractors can effectively manage labor expenses and optimize resource allocation.

Enhancing Project Management with Harvest

Project management is a complex task, especially for contractors handling multiple job sites. While GPS tracking offers real-time insights into crew locations and job progress, Harvest excels in project management by offering detailed budget tracking and reporting tools. These features empower contractors to make informed decisions about their projects, even without GPS data.

Harvest's project budget tracking allows contractors to assess their financial status in real-time, providing a clear view of labor costs and project expenses. This capability is crucial for ensuring that projects remain within budget and for identifying areas where cost savings can be achieved. By offering a comprehensive view of project finances, Harvest helps contractors manage their resources effectively and maximize profitability.

The Compliance and Legal Considerations of Time Tracking

Ensuring compliance with labor laws and addressing legal considerations is a vital aspect of time tracking for contractors. While GPS tracking can aid in maintaining accurate records, Harvest offers a compliant solution by allowing manual tracking of overtime and break times through specific tasks. This approach helps contractors meet legal record-keeping requirements without relying on automated systems.

Harvest's manual time tracking system provides flexibility, enabling contractors to document work hours accurately while maintaining compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Although it lacks geofencing and automated payroll features, Harvest supports contractors in managing their workforce within legal frameworks, ensuring that all tracked time is accounted for and accurately linked to specific projects.

Achieving Operational Efficiency with Harvest

Operational efficiency is a common goal for contractors, and while GPS time tracking can streamline processes, Harvest offers an effective solution through its manual time tracking and project management tools. Industry experts highlight the importance of accurate time tracking for enhancing operational efficiency, with many businesses seeing a return on investment within months of implementing modern tracking systems.

Harvest's focus on linking hours to specific projects or tasks ensures that contractors can manage their operations efficiently. By providing tools for time tracking without the need for GPS, Harvest helps contractors streamline their operations, reduce administrative burdens, and improve overall productivity. This approach allows contractors to focus on delivering quality projects while maintaining control over their budgets and timelines.

Harvest Time Tracking for Contractors

See how Harvest improves contractor time tracking and project management, offering tools that link hours to specific projects and tasks.

Harvest time tracking interface for contractors

Gps Time Tracking for Contractors FAQs

  • GPS time tracking offers contractors increased accuracy in time reporting, reduction in time theft, and improved labor cost management. It enables real-time verification of on-site presence and provides insights into crew locations and job progress. These features can enhance efficiency and contribute to more accurate billing.

  • Harvest helps contractors by offering robust time tracking tools that link hours directly to specific projects or tasks. This manual approach ensures that contractors can accurately track labor costs and manage project budgets without relying on GPS technology.

  • In the U.S., federal and state regulations protect employee privacy in GPS tracking. Employers must notify employees and obtain consent, ensuring tracking is limited to work hours. Violations can result in legal penalties. Harvest focuses on manual tracking, aligning with compliance needs without GPS.

  • Yes, solutions like Harvest offer cost-effective alternatives to GPS time tracking. By providing project-specific time tracking and budget management tools, Harvest helps contractors manage their operations efficiently without the need for advanced GPS features.

  • Harvest allows contractors to manually track overtime and breaks by creating specific tasks. This approach ensures compliance with labor laws and provides flexibility in managing work hours, even without automated GPS or payroll features.

  • When choosing a time tracking app, contractors should look for features like project-specific time tracking, budget management, and easy timesheet exports. While GPS and geofencing can be beneficial, tools like Harvest focus on linking hours to projects, which can suffice for many contractors.

  • GPS tracking improves field crew efficiency by providing real-time data on crew locations, facilitating better labor planning, and reducing time theft. This technology allows for optimized routing and timely decision-making, ultimately enhancing project management and cost control.