The best construction time clock for crews that start together at a gate or truck is TrackBadges: the foreman scans each worker's printed QR badge with any phone — free for 3 people, then $9 a month plus $1.50 per person ($19.50 for 10). For job costing and GPS tracking, ClockShark, busybusy and Workyard are stronger; QuickBooks Time fits contractors already on QuickBooks Online.
Key takeaways
Decide first whether you need job costing and continuous GPS, or just accurate crew hours.
Crew clock-in matters: many laborers don't have, or won't use, a work app on their phone.
Construction apps often add base fees, admin licenses or multi-year contracts — compare total monthly cost.
Offline mode matters on sites with no signal; check before you buy.
The foreman scans each worker's badge at the gate or truck — proof every person was there, no app or smartphone for laborers, and month-to-month pricing far below construction suites.
A QR badge time clock for crews: a supervisor scans each employee's printed badge with any phone or tablet, and the owner gets live timesheets with overtime, ready for payroll. Best for: Crews that start the day together — construction, landscaping, cleaning, warehouses, farms and events — especially when not everyone has, or should use, a smartphone.
How employees clock in
A supervisor (or a shared tablet) scans each employee's printed QR badge. Scan once to clock in, again to clock out.
Employee needs a smartphone
No. Employees carry a printed badge.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 people, with every feature.
Pricing
Free for up to 3 people. Pro is $9 a month for your first 3 people, plus $1.50 a month for each person after that.
GPS, job costing, scheduling and a CrewClock for foremen — strong for field service, with a three-year contract term on its pricing page.
ClockShark is a GPS time tracking and scheduling app for field service and construction, with job costing, a shared KioskClock and a CrewClock for foremen. Best for: Construction and field-service companies that want GPS tracking, job costing and scheduling, and can commit to a multi-year contract.
How employees clock in
In the ClockShark app on the employee's phone (with GPS), at a shared KioskClock with a 4-digit PIN and optional face recognition, or by a foreman using CrewClock.
Employee needs a smartphone
No — CrewClock and KioskClock cover workers without phones.
Free plan
No free plan; 14-day free trial.
Pricing
Standard is $42 a month plus $9.50 per user; Pro is $63 a month plus $11.50 per user. ClockShark's pricing page says a contract term of three years applies to all plans.
An offline-capable app and kiosk with job costing and equipment tracking; crew clock-in and the kiosk start on Pro.
busybusy is a construction time tracking and job costing app with a free GPS plan, plus a kiosk and supervisor tools on its paid tiers. Best for: Construction companies that want job costing, equipment tracking and offline GPS time tracking.
How employees clock in
In the busybusy app on the employee's phone (works offline), at a kiosk with a PIN and photo, or by a foreman using Supervisor Tools to clock in crews.
Employee needs a smartphone
Not on Pro and above, where the kiosk and Supervisor Tools cover workers without phones. On the free plan, yes.
Free plan
Free for unlimited users with GPS time tracking — but no kiosk or supervisor tools.
Pricing
Free plan for unlimited users. Pro is $11.99 per user a month billed monthly ($9.99 annually) plus a $40 admin license that includes the first user; Premium is $17.99 ($14.99).
Supervisor-led crew clock-in on its entry plan and strong GPS verification, priced annually.
Workyard is a GPS time tracking and job costing app for construction and field service, with supervisor-led crew clock-in and an iPad kiosk on higher tiers. Best for: Contractors who want GPS-verified hours, job costing and project tracking, and are happy to pay annually.
How employees clock in
In the Workyard app on the employee's phone with GPS, by a supervisor clocking in the crew (supervisor-led time tracking), or at an iPad kiosk with a PIN and photo (Pro and above).
Employee needs a smartphone
No — supervisor-led tracking covers workers without phones; the kiosk needs the Pro tier.
Free plan
No free plan; free trial.
Pricing
Starter is $6 per user a month billed annually; Workyard doesn't publish its monthly price. Pro, Autopilot and Enterprise prices aren't published.
Crew clock-in and a PIN kiosk that sync straight into QuickBooks Online payroll and job costing.
QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets) is Intuit's time tracking app for QuickBooks Online users, with a mobile app, a PIN kiosk and crew clock-in. Best for: Businesses already on QuickBooks Online that want time data to flow straight into QuickBooks payroll and job costing.
How employees clock in
In the QuickBooks Workforce app on the employee's phone, at a kiosk with a 4-digit PIN and optional photo, or by a manager using the Crew feature.
Employee needs a smartphone
No — the kiosk and Crew feature cover employees without phones.
Free plan
No free plan; free trial. A QuickBooks Online subscription is required.
Pricing
Time Premium is $20 a month plus $10 per user; Time Elite is $40 plus $12 per user, billed monthly. A QuickBooks Online account is required (and billed separately).
No — CrewClock and KioskClock cover workers without phones.
Not on Pro and above, where the kiosk and Supervisor Tools cover workers without phones. On the free plan, yes.
No — supervisor-led tracking covers workers without phones; the kiosk needs the Pro tier.
No — the kiosk and Crew feature cover employees without phones.
One supervisor clocks in a crew
Yes — it's how it works. One phone clocks in the whole crew.
Yes — CrewClock lets one person's phone clock in several employees.
Yes — Supervisor Tools on Pro and above.
Yes — supervisor-led time tracking is on the Starter plan.
Yes — the Crew feature lets a manager clock in team members one at a time or all at once.
Free plan
Free for up to 3 people, with every feature.
No free plan; 14-day free trial.
Free for unlimited users with GPS time tracking — but no kiosk or supervisor tools.
No free plan; free trial.
No free plan; free trial. A QuickBooks Online subscription is required.
10 people / month
$19.50/mo
$137/mo
$147.91/mo
$60/mo
$120/mo
25 people / month
$42/mo
$279.50/mo
$327.76/mo
$150/mo
$270/mo
50 people / month
$79.50/mo
$517/mo
$627.51/mo
$300/mo
$520/mo
Monthly prices for a crew using each vendor's shared kiosk or supervisor clock-in, at list prices checked in October 2026. Each comparison page shows the exact plan used. Annual billing is cheaper with most vendors.
What construction crews need from a time clock
Clock in the crew at once. A foreman shouldn't wait for twelve people to find the app.
Proof people were there. Buddy punching is easy when anyone can tap a name.
Multiple sites. Every punch should show which job site it came from.
Overtime and travel. Daily overtime in some states, and paid travel between sites (29 CFR 785.38).
Records you can defend. Accurate hours for payroll, prevailing-wage jobs and disputes.
Crew clock-in, compared
Product
How the foreman clocks in the crew
Proof each worker is there
TrackBadges
Scans each worker's QR badge
Yes — the badge is scanned in front of the foreman
ClockShark
CrewClock: selects names on their phone
No
busybusy
Supervisor Tools (Pro)
No
Workyard
Supervisor-led time tracking
No
QuickBooks Time
Crew feature in the mobile app
No
Where TrackBadges isn't the right pick
If you bill by job or cost code, need equipment tracking, or work where there's no signal, a construction suite like busybusy or ClockShark does things TrackBadges doesn't. TrackBadges records the site and scanner for each punch, not cost codes, and its scanner needs a connection.
What is the best time clock app for construction workers?
For crews that start together, TrackBadges: the foreman scans each worker's printed QR badge with any phone, so laborers need no app — free for 3 people, then $9 a month plus $1.50 per person ($19.50 for 10). For job costing and GPS tracking, ClockShark, busybusy or Workyard.
How do construction companies track employee hours?
With paper sign-in sheets, GPS apps on workers' phones, kiosks at the trailer, or a foreman clocking in the crew. Crew clock-in by a foreman is the fastest; scanning each worker's badge also proves they're on site.
Do construction workers get paid for travel between job sites?
Under federal rules, travel from one job site to another during the workday is work time and must be paid (29 CFR 785.38). Ordinary commuting from home to the first site isn't.
Print a QR badge for everyone and scan them in and out with any phone or tablet. Free for up to 3 people — try it with your real crew before you sign up.