Tracking time and attendance in construction: 7 best tools

Keeping accurate time and attendance records is a fundamental part of managing construction work.

First and foremost, it’s a legal requirement across Europe.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has confirmed that Member States must require employers to use a system that measures the duration of daily working time. In the UK, the Working Time Regulations oblige employers to keep ‘adequate’ working-time records and retain them for two years.

But even without the legal duty, accurate time and attendance tracking would still be critical for several reasons, including reducing payroll errors and keeping a closer watch on overtime and fatigue.

That’s because in the UK, 60% of employees say they have found mistakes on their payslips, and 21% have even changed jobs after being paid late or inaccurately. At the same time, around 2.2 million working days were lost in UK construction in 2024/25 due to work-related ill health or injury.

To manage these pressures—and many others that affect day-to-day site performance—construction businesses need reliable, accurate site data.

The best way to gather this data is by using a digital tool designed for tracking time and attendance in construction.

This article breaks down seven of the strongest options available and explains what makes each one a good fit for different types of construction businesses.

Key takeaways

• Start by deciding how broad a system you need
  Before comparing tools, decide whether you want simple attendance tracking or a wider workforce and project management platform. That choice will quickly narrow your list and prevent you from paying for features you won’t use.

• Accuracy and ease of use matter most on site
  Look for GPS stamping, geofencing, and simple mobile clock-ins that operatives can handle without friction. Accurate location data and straightforward controls reduce disputes, improve trust, and make daily management easier.

• Different tools suit different business sizes
  Clockify works well for small firms focused on affordability. Workyard and Jibble support growing or mid-sized teams with stronger GPS controls. ExakTime and Connecteam help larger or mixed teams manage more complex operations.

• Think beyond clock-ins
  The strongest systems link attendance with planning, cost codes, task confirmation, and signed briefings. That connection between presence and responsibility is what protects your business during audits, client reviews, and payroll checks.

• If you want one construction-focused system that covers everything, Onetrace stands out
  Onetrace combines accurate attendance tracking with workforce planning, compliance records, and project traceability. Its top overall score reflects that balanced, construction-led approach, making it the most complete option for subcontractors who want clarity, control, and accountability in one place.

An overview of the 7 best tools for tracking time and attendance in construction

1. Onetrace: Best for subcontractors needing end-to-end workforce accountability

Onetrace is purpose-built software for subcontractors in the construction industry, bringing together project and workforce data in a single central system.

It’s best for subcontractors who need full workforce accountability because it includes a dedicated workforce management product, not just a basic attendance tool. Operatives can record attendance quickly in the field, while managers gain clear oversight across sites through Timesheets, Signed Docs, and the Planner.

This gives subcontractors a direct link between who was on site, what was delivered, and how labour supports the wider project.

Onetrace key features

Onetrace’s Workforce product brings together the key features that support transparent and reliable attendance tracking across your sites, including:

• Live workforce visibility: Monitor who is on site today, this week, or this month, helping managers spot gaps early and keep projects on track.

• Mobile check-in and check-out: Record attendance directly in the app so operatives can clock in and out on site in seconds, creating accurate timestamps without paperwork or follow-up calls.

• GPS location stamping: Capture the exact location at the moment of check-in and check-out, giving managers clear, map-based proof of site attendance while avoiding continuous tracking during the day.

• Centralised attendance oversight: View attendance across individuals, teams, or projects from one dashboard, filter by timeframe, and export records when needed for payroll or reporting.

• Manual adjustments and approvals: Correct missed punches, log sickness or leave, and review overtime so records stay accurate without losing control.

• Operative declarations: Confirm attendance and task responsibility directly in the app, reinforcing that being on site also means being accountable for the work carried out.

• Signed document acknowledgements: Record when operatives read and sign RAMS or Toolbox Talks, creating clear evidence that they were present and briefed at the time.

• Integrated planning view: Align scheduled work with actual attendance so managers can quickly see if the right people are where they need to be.

Onetrace benefits

Together, Onetrace’s features give subcontractors:

• Stronger proof of attendance: Combine GPS-stamped check-ins, operative declarations, and signed acknowledgements to create verifiable records that meet the standards of client, auditor, and accreditation checks.

• Fewer payroll disputes: Rely on accurate, time-stamped attendance data to reduce errors, missed clock-ins, and disagreements over hours worked.

• Better workforce accountability: Link presence on site with confirmation of tasks and briefings, reinforcing that attendance also means responsibility.

• Improved site coordination: Keep operatives aligned with live schedules, maps, and directions, reducing confusion about where they need to be.

• Less admin, more control: Centralise attendance data across teams and projects, making it easier to review records, answer client queries, and stay compliant without extra paperwork.

Onetrace pricing

Onetrace runs on a flexible, per-user monthly subscription, so you can scale licences up or down as your workload changes.

If your sole focus is attendance tracking or workforce management, you can choose the Workforce product on its own.

If, however, you also want full project records and compliance tracking, you can pair Workforce with Traceability for features like customisable forms, drawings with pins, photographic evidence, approvals and professional reports, linking who was on site with what was delivered.

2. Clockify: Best for small construction businesses on a tight budget

Clockify is a general-purpose time-tracking and attendance software designed for teams across a wide range of industries.

Small construction businesses with limited admin resources and tighter margins will find it particularly useful, as it offers straightforward attendance tracking at a low entry cost.

Clockify key features

Clockify offers attendance tracking as part of a broader time-tracking platform, focusing on the following key features:

• Mobile time tracking: Record attendance from a phone or tablet so operatives can log hours on site without paper timesheets.

• Timesheet reporting: Generate summaries of hours worked across projects and team members to support payroll and internal reviews.

• Project-based tracking: Assign logged time to specific jobs and maintain visibility of labour allocation across multiple sites.

Clockify pricing

Clockify offers tiered pricing based on features and user access, with plans that scale from basic time tracking to more advanced reporting and management controls.

3. Workyard: Best for mid-sized field service construction teams

Workyard is a workforce management platform built for construction and field service companies, combining attendance tracking with scheduling and labour cost controls.

Mid-sized field service teams, in particular, will benefit from its strong GPS verification and job-based tracking, which help maintain oversight across multiple crews without adding heavy admin overhead.

Workyard key features

Workyard places a strong emphasis on the following features:

• GPS time tracking: Capture precise clock-in and clock-out locations to confirm operatives are on the correct site at the right time.

• Job and cost code tracking: Assign hours to specific jobs or cost codes to maintain visibility over labour spend as projects progress.

• Real-time crew visibility: Monitor who is working, where they are, and how long they have been on site through a live dashboard.

Workyard pricing

Workyard offers tiered pricing based on user count and feature access, with a base platform fee, per-user plans, and custom options for larger teams.

4. Jibble: Best for growing construction crews managing multiple job sites

Jibble is a cloud-based attendance and time-tracking platform designed to help teams record hours, monitor attendance, and manage workforce data from anywhere.

It’s well-suited for growing construction crews that typically handle multiple sites. It combines flexible clock-in options with location verification, which helps managers maintain oversight as teams expand.

Jibble key features

Jibble focuses on attendance tracking as its core function, offering tools like:

• Mobile and biometric clock-in: Record attendance via mobile devices, with options like facial recognition to strengthen identity verification.

• GPS tracking and geofencing: Capture location data at clock-in, and restrict attendance to approved site areas to reduce inaccurate entries.

• Automated timesheets and reports: Generate clear attendance summaries across sites and teams to support payroll and internal reviews.

Jibble pricing

Jibble operates on a tiered subscription model with plans that scale according to features and team size.

5. QuickBooks Time: Best for construction companies running payroll through QuickBooks

QuickBooks Time is a time and attendance tracking system designed to integrate directly with the wider QuickBooks accounting ecosystem.

Construction companies already processing payroll through QuickBooks will benefit most, as attendance data flows directly into payroll without manual re-entry or duplicate admin work.

QuickBooks Time key features

QuickBooks Time focuses on capturing and overseeing hours accurately through features like:

• Mobile clock-in and clock-out: Record attendance from the site through the mobile app, creating digital time records without paper forms.

• GPS tracking: Capture location data at the point of clock-in and clock-out to confirm site presence.

• Project and job tracking: Assign hours to specific jobs or tasks to maintain visibility over where labour time is being spent.

QuickBooks Time pricing

QuickBooks Time is priced on a subscription basis with separate charges for administrators and users.

6. ExakTime: Best for large construction firms managing multiple crews

ExakTime is a construction-focused time and attendance system designed to track crew hours across multiple sites and projects.

It’s particularly useful for larger construction firms with several crews working at once, because it combines field data capture with structured oversight tools suited to more complex operations.

ExakTime key features

ExakTime centres its approach on construction attendance tracking, supported by:

• Mobile and rugged clock-in options: Record attendance through mobile devices or dedicated field clocks to suit different site environments.

• GPS and location verification: Capture and review clock-in locations to confirm crews are on the correct job site.

• Crew and cost code tracking: Assign hours to specific crews and cost codes to maintain control over labour allocation across large projects.

ExakTime pricing

ExakTime follows a subscription model with a per-user structure and a base platform fee, while higher-tier plans offer expanded functionality and custom pricing for larger organisations.

7. Connecteam: Best for speciality contractors managing mixed field and office staff

Connecteam is an all-in-one workforce management platform that combines attendance tracking with communication, scheduling, and HR tools.

Speciality contractors with both site operatives and office staff will benefit most, as it brings attendance, scheduling, and team communication into one shared system.

Connecteam key features

Attendance tracking is part of Connecteam’s wider workforce suite, with the following key features:

• Mobile clock-in and clock-out: Record attendance through the mobile app so field staff can log hours on site while office teams track time centrally.

• GPS tracking and geofencing: Capture location data at clock-in, and restrict attendance to approved job sites.

• Shift scheduling integration: Link scheduled shifts to actual attendance records to quickly spot gaps, missed check-ins, or staffing conflicts.

Connecteam pricing

Connecteam is structured around tiered monthly plans that cover a set number of users, with higher tiers unlocking additional workforce and management features.

How to choose the best tool for tracking attendance in construction

When choosing the best tool for tracking attendance in construction, the first decision is whether you want a solution focused purely on attendance tracking or a broader construction workforce management system that also covers planning, compliance, and project control.

That choice alone will quickly narrow your list.

From there, compare your options against the factors that matter most in day-to-day site work:

• Data accuracy: Look for features such as GPS stamping or geofencing, which can strengthen proof of presence and reduce disputes over hours worked.

• Ease of use on site: Choose a system that allows operatives to clock in and out quickly, without long steps or technical friction.

• Pricing structure: Consider whether pricing scales per user, per site, or per feature, and whether you can adjust licences as workloads change.

• Integration with other systems: Ensure the attendance data can integrate smoothly with payroll, scheduling, or project reporting tools you already use.

What is the best tool for tracking attendance in construction for your business?

Comparing the best tools for tracking attendance in construction side by side makes it easier to see where each one stands, so you can choose what fits your business best.

All ratings are relative to the scope of this analysis, meaning they measure how well each product performs in the specific context being evaluated, not in general.

Each score combines feature analysis, aggregated user feedback from major review platforms, and comparative AI-assisted evaluation to ensure internal consistency and eliminate outliers.

Ratings are synthesised from recurring performance patterns rather than raw averages, and minor decimal differences indicate subtle variations in relative strength within the same performance tier.

If you’re simply looking for an affordable way to record attendance and generate basic reports, Clockify delivers solid functionality at a low entry cost, though construction isn’t its core focus.

If, however, you want to manage attendance within a broader, construction-led platform, Onetrace’s highest overall score shows it is the most complete choice in this comparison.

Starting with Onetrace

Getting started with Onetrace is straightforward. Take a guided platform tour to explore the features that fit your business, and see how Workforce or Traceability would work in your day-to-day operations.

If it feels like the right fit, you can get your team set up without a long rollout process, allowing you to put a dependable attendance system in place straight away.

FAQ

What is meant by attendance in construction?

Attendance in construction refers to recording when and where operatives are present on site. It confirms who was working, on which project, and for how long, creating a clear record of site presence and labour activity.

What is a construction time and attendance system?

A construction time and attendance system is a digital tool that records when operatives clock in and out, often with location verification. It helps contractors maintain accurate site records, support payroll, and strengthen accountability across projects.

How is attendance tracked in construction?

Attendance in construction is typically tracked through mobile apps, GPS-stamped clock-ins, site-based devices, or digital timesheets. Modern systems focus on capturing accurate time and location data while giving managers clear oversight across teams and job sites.