# The 7 best time tracking apps for roofers in 2026 By **Jeff** · Updated October 15, 2026 Canonical HTML: · App Store: > A roof is the only job where the weather signs the timesheet. Three days quoted, a Wednesday of rain, scaffolding hired by the week and a pallet of shingles to pay for before the first one is nailed. The app that works for a roofer shows what the job is really costing while it is open, takes a deposit before the materials, and sends the final bill the day the last ridge cap goes on. We compared seven iPhone apps on that. ## Quick answer Quick answer: JobNimbus is the strongest pick for a roofing company with sales reps and crews, and Jobber for a contractor who needs dispatch and online payments. Joist covers fixed-price estimates fast. For the roofer who quotes, buys, installs and bills alone or with a helper, iTimeSheet is our pick: a deposit invoice from the accepted quote, scaffolding and material receipts on the job, and hours per roof to compare against the quote. Roofers often discover a job lost money only when the accountant calls in March. A tear-off quoted at three days that takes five because of rain and a rotten deck is a job that should be visible while it is going wrong, with the deposit already collected and every receipt attached to that roof. Most apps solve one piece: an estimate maker with no clock, or a clock with no idea what was quoted. We compared seven apps on the US App Store against the criteria below, with facts from each app's own listing and ratings dated at the top of this page. iTimeSheet is our app; it was held to the same criteria, and we are clear about what it does not do for a roofing crew. ## What to look for We ranked for what a roofing job actually looks like: a deposit, a pile of materials, a few people on a roof and a weather forecast. - **A deposit before the materials** — A roofing job starts with money out: shingles, underlayment, flashing, a dumpster. The app should turn an accepted quote into a deposit invoice without re-typing the job. - **Hire and materials on the job** — Scaffolding by the week, the dumpster and the lumber for a rotten deck each belong to one roof and should sit next to that roof's hours, not on a card statement. - **Hours against the quote while the job is open** — Weather days and surprises eat quoted days. Hours per job in a week or month view give time to talk to the homeowner before the job is finished. - **Hands on the roof, phone in the truck** — Nobody takes a phone out at the ridge. The timer should start from the wrist, and an entry started late should be easy to fix by hand. - **Final bill from the truck** — The day the job is done is the day to invoice. Quote, deposit, final invoice and payment follow-up should come from one list. - **Data that stays with you** — Which houses were re-roofed, what was quoted and who paid late is the most useful file a roofer owns. We favored apps that keep it on the phone or let you export it. ## The ranking _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ### 1. iTimeSheet: Best for roofers running their own jobs — _5.0 ★ · 1 ratings · US App Store_ **Deposit from the quote, receipts on the roof, hours against the quoted days** For a roofer, the Client, Mission and Task tree reads as homeowner, roof and phase: tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, shingles, flashing and cleanup. It can be collapsed to roofs only. The rate cascades from the client, with an override on a phase or a single entry. The Apple Watch starts and stops the timer of the last-used phase while the phone stays in the truck, and taps made out of range are queued and backdated. A forgotten Monday start can be added by hand from Today with the real start time. On Studio, quotes have their own ledger; once accepted, a deposit invoice at 20, 30 or 50 percent of the quote can go out before the pallet is ordered, and when the job is done the quote converts to an invoice in one tap. The final invoice does not deduct the deposit automatically, so it has to be accounted for by hand. Scaffolding hire, the dumpster and deck lumber are expenses on that roof, with a receipt photo on Pro, under categories created once, since the fourteen presets cover mileage and parking but not materials. From Essential, Reports show hours per client with a drill into each roof, so a three-day job sitting at four and a half days shows up on Thursday. Credit notes and overdue reminders with a pre-filled chase e-mail complete the cycle. Everything lives in a local database on the phone, with manual iCloud backup on every tier and automatic daily backup from Essential; there is no account and no vendor server. The limits: iPhone and Apple Watch only, no iPad version yet, a single user with no crew timesheets, no customer portal or e-signature on quotes, no card payments, and no accounting connector beyond a configurable CSV. - **Strengths:** Quote to deposit invoice to final invoice on Studio, with credit notes and overdue reminders; Receipts for scaffolding, dumpsters and materials attached to the roof on Pro; Timer from the Watch with offline taps backdated; manual entry for a forgotten start; Hours per roof in Reports to compare with the quoted days while the job is open - **Limits:** No crew timesheets: single user, no dispatch, no scheduling; No e-signature on quotes and no card payments in the app; iPhone and Apple Watch only; no Android, no web app, no iPad yet; A single rating on the US store since the July 2026 relaunch - **Best for:** A roofer who runs their own jobs with a helper or two and wants the quote, deposit, receipts, hours and final invoice on one phone. - **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, reports with drill-down, 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. > ★★★★ **Nickel** — « Après réinstallation, fonctionne parfaitement. Facile a utiliser, intuitif, hyper pratique pour évaluer le temps passe sur une tache, un projet, un client et facturer et/ ou évaluer la rentabilité » > — Topissime, App Store review · France · 2010 > (translated from French: After reinstalling, works perfectly. Easy to use, intuitive, hyper practical for evaluating the time spent on a task, a project, a client, and for invoicing and/or evaluating profitability) ### 2. JobNimbus: Best for roofing companies with sales reps _JobNimbus, LLC · 4.8 ★ · 12,791 ratings · US App Store_ **The roofing CRM, from the first lead to the final bill** JobNimbus is built for roofing companies: marketing, a sales pipeline, production and billing in one account, on a subscription. It tracks a job through a company rather than a day through a person. With salespeople knocking doors after a hailstorm and crews to schedule, it does a job iTimeSheet does not attempt; for one roofer with a helper, most of its screens stay closed. - **Strengths:** Built for roofing: pipeline, production and billing; Team product with a large, well-rated user base; Covers the sales side as well as the job - **Limits:** Subscription and account; data on the vendor's servers; Company-scale setup and price; Not a personal hours tracker - **Best for:** A roofing company with sales reps and several crews that wants pipeline, production and billing in one system. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 3. Jobber: Best for contractors with crews _Octopusapp Inc · 4.8 ★ · 21,250 ratings · US App Store_ **Quotes, crew dispatch, invoices and payments** Jobber is a general field-service suite: quotes, scheduling and dispatch for crews, invoicing, payments and QuickBooks sync, on monthly plans priced for a business. Next to iTimeSheet, it wins on everything that involves more than one person and on accounting sync; it loses on data ownership and on a sole-trader budget. - **Strengths:** Quotes, invoices and payments; Scheduling and dispatch for several crews; QuickBooks sync - **Limits:** Monthly plans priced for a company; Account required; customer list on the vendor's servers; Heavy for a one-roof-at-a-time operation - **Best for:** A roofing contractor with crews and an office that wants quoting, dispatch and payments in one place. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 4. ContractorTools: Best for costbook-based estimates _Contractor Tools LLC · 4.8 ★ · 1,764 ratings · US App Store_ **Estimates from a costbook, signed on site, Apple-only** ContractorTools builds estimates from templates and costbooks, collects the homeowner's signature on site and produces invoices. It runs on Apple devices only, on a subscription, with an optional account. The costbook and on-site signature are things iTimeSheet does not have; time tracking is something ContractorTools does not do, so the hours against the quote have to come from elsewhere. - **Strengths:** Estimates from templates and costbooks; On-site signature and invoices; Apple-only, account optional - **Limits:** No time tracking; Subscription; Hours have to live in another app - **Best for:** A roofer who prices from a costbook and wants a signed estimate before ordering materials. - **Pricing:** Subscription ### 5. Joist: Best for fast fixed-price estimates _Joist Software Inc. · 4.8 ★ · 14,324 ratings · US App Store_ **The contractor's estimate and invoice maker, with no timer** Joist builds the estimate on the phone, collects the e-signature, takes payment and sends the invoice, on a free plan with paid tiers and an account. It covers the fixed-price side of roofing well and the hourly side not at all. If jobs are priced per square and never billed by the hour, it may be all the paperwork needed, with a plain hours log beside it. - **Strengths:** Quick estimates and invoices with e-signature; Payments on the phone; Free plan - **Limits:** No time tracking; Account required; documents on the vendor's servers; Paid plans for the useful extras - **Best for:** A roofer who sells fixed-price jobs and wants a fast, signed estimate and payment on the phone. - **Pricing:** Free plan, paid plans ### 6. Time Squared: Best companion to an invoicing app _TSQ Publishing Corp. · 4.9 ★ · 2,430 ratings · US App Store_ **Hours, mileage and photos per project, for an invoice made elsewhere** Time Squared offers projects and tasks, GPS punch in and out, mileage, photo attachments and project reports meant to feed an invoice made in another app. The free tier shows ads and a premium subscription removes them; it is iOS-only. For a roofer who already invoices from Joist or ContractorTools, it is a sensible companion, but it will not issue the deposit or the credit note. - **Strengths:** Projects with photos and mileage; GPS punch in and out; Project reports meant for invoicing - **Limits:** No invoices in the app; Ads on the free tier; Premium features need a subscription - **Best for:** A roofer with an invoicing app already in place who wants photos, mileage and hours per job. - **Pricing:** Free with in-app purchase ### 7. HoursTracker: Best for crew members paid hourly _Cribasoft, LLC · 4.8 ★ · 56,323 ratings · US App Store_ **The hours log with a geofence at the job address** HoursTracker has the biggest rating base here, above fifty thousand on the US store: jobs, clock in and out, breaks, pay, CSV export, and geofenced reminders when the truck reaches a saved address, which helps during a week at one house. It has no invoicing and no receipts, and the account is optional, only for cloud backup. - **Strengths:** Geofenced clock-in reminders; Breaks, pay and CSV export; Account optional, only for backup - **Limits:** No invoicing, no receipt photos; Jobs only, no client, roof and phase tree; Billing happens somewhere else - **Best for:** A roofer employed by a contractor who needs a reliable, exportable record of hours per job. - **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) | | JobNimbus | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (12,791) | | Jobber | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (21,250) | | ContractorTools | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | Yes | — | iPhone | Subscription | 4.8 ★ (1,764) | | Joist | Yes | Vendor's servers | Yes | — | iPhone + web/other | Free plan, paid plans | 4.8 ★ (14,324) | | Time Squared | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | No | Yes | iPhone | Free with in-app purchase | 4.9 ★ (2,430) | | HoursTracker | Optional | Your iPhone; optional cloud | No | — | iPhone + web/other | Free with in-app purchase | 4.8 ★ (56,323) | _App Store ratings checked on October 15, 2026 (US App Store)._ ## How to choose - Pick JobNimbus if you run a roofing company with sales reps, a pipeline and several crews. - Pick Jobber if you need crew scheduling, dispatch and payments, with your books in QuickBooks. - Pick ContractorTools if you price from a costbook and want the homeowner's signature on site. - Pick Joist if you sell by the square and only need fast estimates, invoices and payments. - Pick Time Squared if you already invoice elsewhere and want photos, mileage and hours per job. - Pick HoursTracker if you work on someone else's crew and only need a log of your hours. - Pick iTimeSheet if you run your own roofs: a deposit invoice from the accepted quote, scaffolding and material receipts on the roof, hours by phase against the quoted days, and the final invoice from the truck. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best time tracking app for roofers? For a roofing company with sales reps and crews, JobNimbus or Jobber handle pipeline, dispatch and payments. For fixed-price estimates only, Joist or ContractorTools are faster. For the roofer who runs their own jobs with a helper or two, we rank iTimeSheet first, because quotes, deposits, receipts, hours per roof and the final invoice sit in one app on the phone, with no account. ### Does the Watch work on a roof without the phone nearby? With iTimeSheet, yes. The Watch must be paired with the phone, but it takes taps without the phone in reach: start, pause, resume and stop apply to the last-used task, and taps made out of range are queued and backdated once the two reconnect. The watch face complication shows the running timer. No network is needed at any point, because nothing is sent to a server. ### Where are customers and quotes 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 a single file to the user's own iCloud Drive, daily and automatic from Essential. JobNimbus, Jobber and Joist require an account and keep data on their servers; ContractorTools and Time Squared make the account optional. ### How does a deposit work if the final amount changes? In iTimeSheet Studio, an accepted quote can generate deposit invoices at 20, 30 or 50 percent. When the job is done, the quote converts to an invoice in one tap, or the un-invoiced hours and expenses are invoiced instead if the deck repair added work. The final invoice does not deduct deposits automatically, so they are accounted for with a line or a note. A credit note cancels an invoice that has to be redone. ### What does a roofing invoice need in the US? There is no national list of mandatory invoice fields in the US beyond identifying the business, the customer, the work and the amount; sales tax on materials varies by state, and contractor licensing rules vary too. iTimeSheet's Studio tier provides a US layout with yearly sequential numbering, the client's billing profile, payment terms and bank details. It does not calculate sales tax. ### What does it cost for a roofer working alone? iTimeSheet's free tier covers 3 clients and 2 entries a day. Essential is $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr, Pro $7.99/mo or $59.99/yr, and Studio, which carries quotes, deposits and invoices, $9.99/mo or $89.99/yr on the US store. Essential and Pro have free trials; Studio has a watermarked invoice preview instead. Subscriptions run through Apple, and cancelling never deletes or locks data. ## The bottom line With sales reps and crews, JobNimbus or Jobber are the tools, and the subscription is the cost of that business. If the paperwork is a fixed-price estimate and nothing more, ContractorTools or Joist, with Time Squared or HoursTracker alongside, will cover it. For the roofer who runs their own jobs, iTimeSheet is the one to put on the phone first: the deposit comes from the quote before the pallet is ordered, scaffolding and lumber sit on the roof they were bought for, the hours show up against the quoted days while the weather is still eating them, and the final invoice leaves from the truck. --- _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 roofers: the product page: - The 7 best time tracking apps for carpenters and joiners in 2026: - The 6 best time tracking apps for masons and bricklayers in 2026: - The 8 best time tracking apps for electricians in 2026: - The 7 best time tracking apps for people who bill by the hour in 2026: - Guides: - llms.txt: · agents.md: