# The 7 best time tracking apps for plumbers in 2026 By **Jeff** · Updated October 15, 2026 Canonical HTML: · App Store: > A plumber's week does not run in order. A water heater booked for Tuesday, a leak under a sink that needs a second visit once the part arrives, and a burst pipe at eleven at night that bills at a different rate. The right app catches each of those on the right job, keeps the supply-house receipt with it, and puts the after-hours rate on the invoice. We compared seven iPhone apps on those points. ## Quick answer Quick answer: ServiceM8 and Housecall Pro are the best fit for a plumbing company with technicians and a dispatcher. Joist is the quickest route to a signed estimate for fixed-price work. For a self-employed plumber who answers the phone, buys the parts and sends the bill, iTimeSheet is our pick: an after-hours rate on a single entry, parts receipts pinned to the job, and invoices from the same entries. Plumbers tend to choose an app for one of two wrong reasons: because a bigger competitor uses it, or because it was free and only logs hours. The first leaves a sole trader paying for dispatch; the second leaves half of every invoice, the part from the supply house, in the glovebox. A plumbing invoice is labor plus materials, often spread over two visits, and the app has to hold all of it on one job. We ranked seven apps from the US App Store on the criteria below, using each listing's own description and the ratings shown on the date at the top of this page. iTimeSheet is our app; it was judged on the same criteria, and we say plainly where another app is the better tool. ## What to look for We weighted the list toward what happens in a crawl space with wet hands and at the supply counter, not toward office dashboards. - **An emergency rate on one entry** — The night call bills differently from the Tuesday install. The app should let the customer keep its regular rate and override just that one entry, without creating a duplicate customer. - **Parts receipts on the job, not in a pile** — A P-trap, a ball valve and forty feet of PEX belong to the house they went into. If the receipt is not attached to that job, it gets invoiced late or not at all. - **Two visits, one job** — Diagnose today, come back Thursday with the cartridge. Both visits must land on the same job so the invoice reads as one piece of work. - **Works without a cell tower** — Basements, mechanical rooms and crawl spaces have no signal. The timer has to keep running and the entry has to survive. - **From the job to the invoice the same evening** — A service call is easiest to bill while it is fresh. Quote, invoice, mark as paid and chase the late ones with as little re-typing as possible. - **The customer list stays yours** — Addresses, notes and what each household pays are the business. We favored apps that keep them on the phone or let you leave with the data intact. ## The ranking _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ### 1. iTimeSheet: Best for one-van plumbers who invoice — _5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours, parts and the after-hours rate on the same job, then the invoice** iTimeSheet's Client, Mission and Task tree becomes customer, job and visit for a plumber, and it can be collapsed to customers only. Rates cascade: the regular rate sits on the customer, and the burst pipe at 11 pm gets an override on that single entry. The timer starts from the app or the Apple Watch, and on Pro from the Lock Screen or a Home Screen widget, which matters when the phone is in a dry pocket. Switching from the Tuesday job to the emergency saves the first entry with its duration, and the Thursday return visit goes on the same job as the diagnosis. On Pro, a photo of the supply-house receipt is attached to an expense pinned to the job. The fourteen presets do not include parts, so a Parts category is created once (user-defined categories exist from Essential). On Studio, the Invoices tab shows what each customer has not been billed, and one tap makes the PDF with a logo, yearly sequential numbering, the US layout, routing and account details, and the payment terms from the customer's billing profile. A water heater replacement can start as a quote, take a deposit invoice at 20, 30 or 50 percent of the quote, and convert to an invoice in one tap. The final invoice does not deduct the deposit automatically, so it has to be accounted for by hand. Late payers get an overdue reminder with a pre-filled chase e-mail. Data stays on the phone: no account, no vendor server, no analytics SDK and no ads. Manual iCloud backup works on every tier, and an automatic daily backup to the user's own iCloud Drive starts with Essential. The flip side: iPhone and Apple Watch only, no iPad version yet, one user, no dispatch or scheduling, no card payments in the app, and no accounting connector, so the bookkeeper gets a CSV. - **Strengths:** Per-entry rate override for emergency and after-hours work, on top of the customer rate; Receipt photos attached to expenses pinned to the job on Pro; Quotes, deposit invoices, credit notes, overdue reminders and paid or unpaid filters on Studio; No account and no vendor cloud; the Watch queues taps offline and backdates them - **Limits:** iPhone and Apple Watch only: no Android, no web app, no iPad version yet; Single user: no dispatch, no scheduling, no second technician; No card payments in the app and no QuickBooks connector; CSV export only; Relaunched in July 2026, so a single rating on the US store today - **Best for:** A self-employed plumber, alone or with one helper, who bills households and small businesses directly and wants hours, parts and invoices in one place. - **Pricing:** Free to start: 3 customers and 2 entries a day. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for unlimited entries, expense lines, 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, deposits, invoices and reminders; it has no free trial, but a watermarked invoice preview shows the real PDF with your data first. > ★★★★ **Super mais....** — « L'appli est super et c'est très probablement la meilleure du store.par contre, il lui manque un petit quelque chose pour être parfaite : c'est la possibilité de pouvoir également gérer des frais (achats, transports, kilomètres...). Merci d'y penser pour la prochaine MAJ et ce sera 5 étoiles » > — Gueutio, App Store review · France · 2010 > (translated from French: The app is great and it is very probably the best in the store. However, it is missing one little thing to be perfect: the ability to also manage expenses (purchases, travel, mileage...). Please consider it for the next update and it will be 5 stars) ### 2. ServiceM8: Best for small plumbing teams _Eroldawn Pty Ltd · 4.5 ★ · 848 ratings · US App Store_ **Job cards for plumbers, with the office in a browser** ServiceM8 names plumbers among its target trades: job cards, quotes, staff locations, invoicing and payments, on a subscription with an account. It is designed for a business with staff, so a lone plumber pays for screens they will not open. Where it beats iTimeSheet is clear: with two vans and a part-time office person, it runs the day, while iTimeSheet runs one person's hours and invoices. - **Strengths:** Trade-specific job cards and quotes; Invoicing and payments built in; Staff locations for a team - **Limits:** Subscription and account required; data on the vendor's servers; Built for staff management, heavy for one person; Time tracking is one feature among many - **Best for:** A plumbing business with a few technicians that wants job cards, staff locations and payments in one account. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 3. Housecall Pro: Best for dispatch and card payments _Codefied Inc. · 4.7 ★ · 30,906 ratings · US App Store_ **The home-services platform with dispatch, payments and marketing** Housecall Pro carries more than thirty thousand ratings on the US store: scheduling, dispatch, invoicing, payments and customer marketing on monthly plans. It is a company tool and priced like one. For a business that employs technicians and wants payments handled in the same system, it does things iTimeSheet does not attempt. For one person and a van, it is a company subscription for a timer and an invoice. - **Strengths:** Scheduling, dispatch, invoicing and payments together; Customer marketing tools; Large, established user base - **Limits:** Monthly plans priced for a business; Account and vendor cloud required; Far more than a sole trader needs - **Best for:** A plumbing company with a dispatcher that wants scheduling, payments and customer follow-up in one place. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 4. Jobber: Best for crews using QuickBooks _Octopusapp Inc · 4.8 ★ · 21,250 ratings · US App Store_ **Quotes, scheduling and QuickBooks sync for a crew** Jobber covers the office side of a service business: quotes, scheduling and dispatch for several technicians, invoicing, payments and QuickBooks sync, on monthly plans built for a business with a crew. Jobber manages a company's jobs; iTimeSheet manages one person's hours and bills them. If the accounting already lives in QuickBooks, that sync is a real advantage. - **Strengths:** Quotes, scheduling, dispatch and payments; QuickBooks sync; Very well rated on the US store - **Limits:** Monthly plans aimed at a company, not a sole trader; Account required; customer data on the vendor's servers; Heavy for one plumber - **Best for:** A plumbing contractor with several technicians and someone in the office who schedules the day. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 5. Joist: Best for fixed-price estimates _Joist Software Inc. · 4.8 ★ · 14,324 ratings · US App Store_ **A signed estimate in the driveway, but no clock** Joist builds the estimate on the phone, collects the customer's e-signature, takes the payment and sends the invoice. For fixed-price work such as a water heater swap, that is the whole transaction. It has no timer and no hours log, so hourly service calls need another app beside it. There is a free plan with paid tiers, and an account is required. - **Strengths:** Fast estimates and invoices with customer e-signature; Payments from the phone; Free plan to begin - **Limits:** No time tracking at all; Account required; documents on the vendor's servers; Useful extras sit in paid plans - **Best for:** A plumber who sells mostly fixed-price jobs and wants a signed estimate before starting. - **Pricing:** Free plan, paid plans ### 6. HoursTracker: Best for a geofenced hours log _Cribasoft, LLC · 4.8 ★ · 56,323 ratings · US App Store_ **Clock-in, clock-out, with the largest rating base here** HoursTracker is the plain hours log with the biggest rating base on this list: jobs, clock in and out, breaks, pay, CSV export, and geofenced reminders to clock in when you arrive at a saved address. It has no invoicing and no receipt photos, and an account is only needed for the optional cloud backup. For a plumber paid by the hour by a contractor, it does the job for very little. - **Strengths:** Geofenced clock-in reminders; Breaks, pay and CSV export; No account needed; cloud backup optional - **Limits:** No invoicing and no receipt photos; Jobs only, no customer, job and visit tree; Billing happens in another tool - **Best for:** A plumber employed by a contractor who needs an accurate, exportable record of hours per job. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ### 7. Punch Time Clock: Best for a no-frills punch clock _Trent Morris · 4.8 ★ · 36,264 ratings · US App Store_ **A time clock and nothing else, unlocked once** Punch is a time clock: clock in, clock out, PDF or CSV timesheet, with a one-time Pro unlock instead of a subscription and no account. It has more than thirty-six thousand US ratings. It does not invoice or track parts, and its last store update dates from April 2025, so it is worth checking on your iOS version before relying on it. - **Strengths:** No account; one-time Pro unlock; PDF and CSV timesheets; Very simple to use - **Limits:** No invoicing, no parts, no customer list; Last updated April 2025; Shifts and jobs only, no customer tree - **Best for:** An employed plumber who wants a simple punch clock and a PDF timesheet for the boss. - **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) | | ServiceM8 | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.5 ★ (848) | | Housecall Pro | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.7 ★ (30,906) | | Jobber | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (21,250) | | Joist | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Free plan, paid plans | 4.8 ★ (14,324) | | HoursTracker | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | No | — | iPhone + web/other | Free with in-app purchase | 4.8 ★ (56,323) | | Punch Time Clock | No | Your iPhone (your iCloud for backup) | No | — | iPhone | Free with in-app purchase | 4.8 ★ (36,264) | _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ## How to choose - Pick ServiceM8 if you have a few technicians and want job cards, quotes and staff locations in one account. - Pick Housecall Pro if a dispatcher runs your day and you want payments and customer marketing built in. - Pick Jobber if your crew needs scheduling and your books already live in QuickBooks. - Pick Joist if most of your work is fixed-price and a signed estimate matters more than a timer. - Pick HoursTracker if you are paid by the hour and want geofenced reminders and a CSV export. - Pick Punch if you only need a punch clock and a PDF timesheet, with no subscription. - Pick iTimeSheet if you are the plumber and the business: an after-hours rate on a single entry, supply-house receipts pinned to the job, and quotes, deposits and invoices from the same entries, with no account. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best time tracking app for plumbers? For a plumbing company with technicians and a dispatcher, ServiceM8, Housecall Pro or Jobber handle scheduling, payments and the office side. For an employed plumber, HoursTracker or Punch keep an accurate log. For the self-employed plumber who bills customers directly, we rank iTimeSheet first: hours, parts receipts and the after-hours rate sit on the same job, and the Studio tier turns them into quotes and invoices on the phone. ### Does the timer survive a crawl space with no signal? In iTimeSheet, yes. Everything is stored on the phone and nothing waits for a server, so the timer runs and the entry is saved without a signal. If the phone stays in the van, the Apple Watch queues its taps while out of range and backdates them once it reconnects. Only the iCloud backup and the App Store purchase need a connection. Cloud-based suites usually cache entries offline and sync later. ### Where do customer addresses and notes live? In iTimeSheet, in a local SQLite database on the iPhone, and nowhere else unless iCloud backup is turned on, which writes a single file to the user's own iCloud Drive. There is no account, no vendor server, no analytics SDK and no ads. ServiceM8, Housecall Pro, Jobber and Joist all require an account and store data on their own servers. ### Can the night call-out be billed at a higher rate for the same customer? In iTimeSheet, yes. The customer's rate applies to every job and visit by default, and it can be overridden on one job or on a single entry. For a burst pipe at 11 pm, the regular customer stays, and the night rate is set on that entry alone. The un-invoiced amount and the Studio invoice use each entry's own rate, so the Tuesday install keeps the regular one. ### What should a plumbing invoice in the US include? Beyond the business identity, the customer, the work and the amount, there is no national list of mandatory invoice fields in the US; sales tax on parts and labor depends on the state. iTimeSheet's Studio tier ships a US layout with yearly sequential numbering, the customer's billing profile and payment terms, and bank details. It does not calculate state sales tax for you. ### What does it cost for a one-van plumber? iTimeSheet's free tier gives 3 customers 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, the tier that makes invoices, $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr on the US store. Essential has a 7-day trial on monthly and 14 days on annual, Pro 7 days; Studio has no trial but a watermarked invoice preview. Cancelling never locks the data already entered. ## The bottom line Plumbing businesses with two vans or more should start with ServiceM8, Housecall Pro or Jobber and budget for the subscription. For fixed-price work, Joist with a punch clock beside it is a fair pair, and an employed plumber who only owes someone hours can stop at HoursTracker or Punch. For the plumber who is also the business, iTimeSheet is the one to install first: the night rate lives on one entry, the supply-house receipt lives on the job, and Studio turns both into the invoice, with the customer list staying 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 plumbers: the product page: - The 8 best time tracking apps for electricians in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for HVAC technicians in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for locksmiths in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for people who bill by the hour in 2026: - Guides: - llms.txt: · agents.md: