# The 7 best time tracking apps for carpenters and joiners in 2026 By **Jeff** · Updated October 15, 2026 Canonical HTML: · App Store: > A built-in bookcase can be forty hours in the workshop and six on site, and the client only ever sees the six. If the app does not separate the two, the next one gets priced off the six. Add a hardwood order paid before the first cut, a deposit owed before that, and a phone covered in sawdust, and the right tool takes shape: hours by piece and by place, materials on the job, and quote to invoice without a laptop. ## Quick answer Quick answer: Tradify and Probuild are the best fit for a carpentry business with staff on several sites. ContractorTools is the strongest estimating tool if you price from a costbook. For the one- or two-person shop that builds, installs and sends its own quotes and invoices, iTimeSheet is our pick: shop and site hours on the same piece, lumber receipts on the job, and a deposit invoice from the accepted quote. Joiners usually underprice for a simple reason: the memory of a job compresses. Three pieces delivered, two installs and a pile of lumber-yard receipts become a feeling that the walnut vanity took about a week. About a week is how money is lost on walnut. The fix is not more admin; it is an app that records shop and site hours separately on each piece, and keeps the receipts beside them. We compared seven apps from the US App Store on the criteria below, using each app's own listing and ratings dated at the top of the page. iTimeSheet is our app; we applied the same criteria to it and we say plainly where an estimating tool or a team app does a job it cannot. ## What to look for We ranked for a trade that works in two places, the shop and the site, and sells by the piece more often than by the hour. - **Shop hours and site hours on the same piece** — The bookcase is one job with two kinds of hours, often at two rates. The app needs a level under the job for workshop, finishing and install, each with its own rate. - **The quote is the contract** — Most joinery is sold at a price before a board is cut. The quote has to be a real numbered document that converts to an invoice without re-typing. - **A deposit before the lumber** — Hardwood and sheet goods are paid up front. A deposit invoice from the accepted quote should take a couple of taps, not a separate spreadsheet. - **Material receipts on the job** — Lumber, hardware and finish each belong to one piece and should sit beside its hours, so the true cost of that piece is visible. - **Starts with sawdust on the screen** — A tap on the Watch at the bench or a Lock Screen button. If the timer needs a clean thumb and three taps, it will not be started at 7 am. - **A record you can keep** — What each piece really cost is how the next one gets priced. We favored apps that keep that history on the phone, in a file the user controls. ## The ranking _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ### 1. iTimeSheet: Best for one-person joinery shops — _5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **Shop hours, site hours and the lumber receipt on one piece, then quote to invoice** For a joiner, the Client, Mission and Task tree becomes client, piece and stage: workshop, finishing and install. The shop rate goes on the client, the install rate on the install task, and a single entry can be overridden for a Saturday delivery. The timer starts from the app or the Apple Watch at the bench, and on Pro from the Lock Screen or a widget; switching from the vanity to the bookcase saves the first entry with its hours. From Essential, Reports drill from the client into each piece, which is how a vanity reveals fifty-two hours rather than about a week. On Studio, quotes have their own ledger and numbering. Once accepted, a deposit invoice at 20, 30 or 50 percent of the quote can go out before the hardwood is ordered, and after the install the quote converts to an invoice in one tap with a logo, sequential numbering, the US layout and bank details. The final invoice does not deduct the deposit automatically, so it has to be accounted for by hand. Lumber, hinges and finish are expenses on that piece, photographed on Pro under categories created once, so the real cost sits next to the quoted price. Credit notes and overdue reminders with a pre-filled chase e-mail cover the rest. Data stays in a local database on the phone, with no account, no vendor server and no analytics SDK; manual iCloud backup works on every tier and automatic daily backup starts with Essential. The limits: iPhone and Apple Watch only, no iPad version yet, one user with no staff timesheets, no costbook or materials catalogue, no e-signature on quotes, no customizable invoice templates and no accounting connector beyond CSV. - **Strengths:** Stages under each piece with their own rates, keeping workshop and install hours apart; Quotes with their own ledger, deposit invoices and one-tap conversion to invoice on Studio; Lumber and hardware receipts photographed and attached to the piece on Pro; No account and no vendor cloud; backup is one file in your own iCloud Drive - **Limits:** No costbook or materials catalogue for building estimates; Single user: no staff timesheets, no scheduling; iPhone and Apple Watch only; no web app, no iPad yet, no Android; A single rating on the US store since the July 2026 relaunch - **Best for:** A carpenter or joiner working alone or with an apprentice who builds in the shop, installs on site and sends their own quotes and invoices. - **Pricing:** Free covers 3 clients and 2 entries a day, with no export. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for unlimited entries, expense lines, drill-down reports, CSV and PDF export, and daily iCloud backup. Pro is $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr for receipt photos, the expense presets and widgets. Studio is $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr for quotes, deposit invoices, invoices and credit notes; it has no free trial, but a watermarked invoice preview shows the PDF with your own figures first. > ★★★★★ **Hyper pratique** — « Ça m aide énormément à facturer mes clients sur mon temps passé, sans me casser la tête en fin de mois 😊 » > — Clemfree, App Store review · France · 2026 > (translated from French: It helps me enormously to invoice my clients for the time I spent, without racking my brains at the end of the month 😊) ### 2. ContractorTools: Best for costbook estimates _Contractor Tools LLC · 4.8 ★ · 1,764 ratings · US App Store_ **Estimates from a costbook, signed on site, on Apple devices only** ContractorTools builds estimates from templates and costbooks, collects the client's signature on site and produces the invoice. It is Apple-only, a subscription, with an optional account. For a joiner who prices from a parts list, the costbook is a real advantage over iTimeSheet, which has no catalogue; but it does not track time, so the shop hours that confirm the price have to live elsewhere. - **Strengths:** Templates and costbooks for estimates; On-site signature and invoices; Apple-only, account optional - **Limits:** No time tracking; Subscription; Hours have to live in another app - **Best for:** A carpenter who estimates from a price list and wants a signed estimate before buying stock. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 3. Tradify: Best for small shops with staff _Tradify Limited · 4.8 ★ · 179 ratings · US App Store_ **Quoting, scheduling, timesheets and accounting sync for one to twenty people** Tradify describes itself as job management for one to twenty people: quoting, scheduling, invoicing, staff timesheets and QuickBooks and Xero sync, on a subscription with an account. For a joinery shop with two or three people on payroll and jobs on several sites, it covers the staff side that iTimeSheet does not. For one person, it is a company's tool at a company's price. - **Strengths:** Quotes, invoices, scheduling and staff timesheets; QuickBooks and Xero sync; Sized for one to twenty people - **Limits:** Subscription and account; data on the vendor's servers; Built around jobs and staff, not one person's hours; Small US rating base - **Best for:** A small joinery business with staff that wants quotes, timesheets and accounting in one subscription. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 4. Joist: Best for quick signed estimates _Joist Software Inc. · 4.8 ★ · 14,324 ratings · US App Store_ **The estimate and invoice maker, with no clock in it** Joist builds the estimate on the phone, collects the client's e-signature, takes payment and sends the invoice, on a free plan with paid tiers and an account. For fixed-price joinery it covers the transaction from quote to payment. It has no timer and no hours, so it cannot show that a vanity took fifty-two hours; it pairs with a tracker. - **Strengths:** Fast estimates and invoices with e-signature; Payments from the phone; Free plan - **Limits:** No time tracking; Account required; documents on the vendor's servers; Useful extras in paid plans - **Best for:** A carpenter who sells by the piece and wants a signed estimate and payment quickly. - **Pricing:** Free plan, paid plans ### 5. Probuild: Best for carpentry crews on projects _Probuild Software Inc. · 4.9 ★ · 401 ratings · US App Store_ **Projects, estimates, invoices, timesheets and team messages** Probuild is an all-in-one for contractors with a team: projects, estimates, invoices, timesheets and messages between the people on the job, on a subscription with an account, and very well rated on a few hundred US ratings. It thinks in projects rather than clients and pieces, which suits a crew building out a house more than a shop building a staircase. It beats iTimeSheet wherever several people log time on one project. - **Strengths:** Estimates, invoices and timesheets in one account; Team messages on the project; Highly rated on the US store - **Limits:** Subscription and account; vendor cloud; Project-centered, less suited to a shop selling pieces; Small rating base so far - **Best for:** A carpentry contractor with a crew who wants project timesheets and team messages beside estimates and invoices. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 6. Time Squared: Best for hours and photos per job _TSQ Publishing Corp. · 4.9 ★ · 2,430 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours, photos and mileage per project, for an invoice made elsewhere** Time Squared tracks hours per project with photo attachments, GPS punch in and out, mileage and project reports designed to feed an invoice made in another app. The free tier shows ads and a premium subscription removes them; it is iOS-only with an optional account. For a joiner invoicing from Joist or ContractorTools, it is a good companion, but it does no quotes, deposits or credit notes. - **Strengths:** Projects with photos and mileage; GPS punch in and out; Project reports built for invoicing - **Limits:** No invoices in the app; Ads on the free tier; Premium features need a subscription - **Best for:** A carpenter who already invoices elsewhere and wants hours and photos per job. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ### 7. atWork: Best for employed carpenters _Sergej Steinbach · 4.8 ★ · 3,832 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours and pay with a Watch app, in 22 languages** atWork is a simple, well-made hours and pay tracker: clock in from the phone, the Watch or Siri, then export CSV, Excel or PDF timesheets. It backs up to iCloud, needs no account and comes in 22 languages. It has no invoicing, quotes or receipts, and its job and client model is flatter than piece and stage; for a carpenter on someone else's payroll, it is a good, cheap answer. - **Strengths:** No account, iCloud backup, Apple Watch and Siri; CSV, Excel and PDF timesheets; 22 interface languages - **Limits:** No invoicing, quotes or receipts; Job and client model only; Extra features are an in-app purchase - **Best for:** An employed carpenter keeping their own record of hours and pay. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ## Side by side | App | Account required | Where your data lives | Invoices | Receipt photos | Platforms | Pricing | Rating | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | iTimeSheet | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | Yes (Studio) | Yes (Pro) | iPhone + Apple Watch | Free plan, paid plans | 5.0 ★ (1) | | ContractorTools | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | Yes | — | iPhone | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (1,764) | | Tradify | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (179) | | Joist | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Free plan, paid plans | 4.8 ★ (14,324) | | Probuild | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.9 ★ (401) | | Time Squared | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | No | Yes | iPhone | Free with in-app purchase | 4.9 ★ (2,430) | | atWork | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | No | — | iPhone + Apple Watch | Free with in-app purchase | 4.8 ★ (3,832) | _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ## How to choose - Pick ContractorTools if you price from a costbook and want the client's signature before buying stock. - Pick Tradify if you have staff on several sites and want timesheets synced with Xero or QuickBooks. - Pick Joist if you sell by the piece and only need fast signed estimates, invoices and payments. - Pick Probuild if a crew logs time on shared projects and needs team messages in the same app. - Pick Time Squared if you invoice elsewhere and want hours, photos and mileage per job. - Pick atWork if you are on someone else's payroll and just want a record of hours and pay. - Pick iTimeSheet if you quote, build, install and invoice yourself: shop and site hours on the same piece at their own rates, lumber receipts beside them, a deposit from the accepted quote, and the quote converted to the invoice from the truck. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best time tracking app for carpenters? For a carpentry business with staff, Tradify or Probuild handle team timesheets and projects. For costbook-based estimating, ContractorTools is the strongest tool here. For the one- or two-person shop that quotes and invoices directly, we rank iTimeSheet first: shop and install hours stay separate on each piece, receipts sit on the job, and Studio covers quotes, deposits and invoices on the phone. ### Does the app work in a workshop with no reception? iTimeSheet does. It stores everything on the phone and never waits for a server, so the timer, entries, receipts and reports work without signal. The Apple Watch queues taps when the phone is out of range and backdates them on reconnection. A connection is only needed for the iCloud backup and for buying or renewing the subscription. ### Where are quotes, clients and hours stored? In iTimeSheet, in a local SQLite database on the iPhone, with no account, no vendor server, no analytics SDK and no ads. iCloud backup writes one file to the user's own iCloud Drive, daily and automatic from Essential. Tradify, Probuild and Joist require an account and store data on their servers; ContractorTools and Time Squared make it optional. ### How does a fixed-price piece go from quote to invoice? In iTimeSheet Studio, the quote lives in its own numbered ledger. Once accepted, deposit invoices at 20, 30 or 50 percent can be issued. On delivery, one tap converts the quote into an invoice with the year's sequential number, the logo and the US layout. The hours stay logged on the piece for reports. Deposits are not deducted automatically on the final invoice, so they are accounted for with a line or a note. ### What does a US carpentry invoice need? The US has no national list of mandatory invoice fields beyond identifying the business, the client, the work and the amount; sales tax on materials and sometimes labor depends on the state. iTimeSheet's Studio tier uses a US layout with yearly sequential numbering, the client's billing profile, payment terms and bank details. It does not compute sales tax. ### What does it cost for a one-person shop? iTimeSheet is free for 3 clients and 2 entries a day, with no export. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr, Pro $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr, and Studio, with quotes, deposits and invoices, $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr on the US store. Essential and Pro have free trials; Studio offers a watermarked invoice preview instead. Cancelling through Apple never deletes or locks data. ## The bottom line With staff on several sites, Tradify or Probuild are the right choice at a company price. If estimates come from a costbook, ContractorTools does something no tracker here does, and Joist is the quick signed estimate; both need a tracker beside them. Employed carpenters can keep their hours with atWork or Time Squared. For the carpenter or joiner who quotes, builds, installs and invoices, iTimeSheet is the first app to install: shop and site hours stay separate on the same piece, the lumber receipt sits beside them, the deposit comes from the quote before the hardwood is ordered, and the history of what each piece really cost stays on the phone. --- _Method: ratings and review counts come from the US App Store on October 15, 2026; features come from each app’s own App Store listing. iTimeSheet is our app, and it was held to the same criteria as the others. No affiliate links._ ## Other guides - iTimeSheet for carpenters and joiners: the product page: - The 7 best time tracking apps for roofers in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for painters and decorators in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for tilers in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for people who bill by the hour in 2026: - Guides: - llms.txt: · agents.md: