How to Manually Calculate Time Clocks

Determine who is and who is not on your contractor's payroll. Since these people will be working on your house, getting to know them before the project starts is not a bad idea. List the workers under each contractor or sub-contractor in a notebook. Also list each workers normal job function.

Find out the regular working hours of the crew. In addition to normal start and quitting time, be sure to ask when they are supposed to take lunch and breaks, and how long those breaks are supposed to last.

Commit to being at the job site five minutes before the beginning of the standard work day. Mark down the actual start time of work for each worker. Please note that many work crews begin the day by unpacking gear and materials and preparing the job site. This is work. Standing around with a coffee in hand is not.

Commit to being at the job site five minutes before the start of a regular break or lunch. If you want to be sneaky about this, simply show up with a cooler of cold drinks or some cheap snacks. Note the actual start and finish time of the break.

Commit to being at the job site five minutes before the end of the regular working day. Note the actual time that each worker is finished with work.

Add up the actual time worked by each worker at the end of each day. Next, add up the total for the entire crew for the day. This amount is the total man-hours worked for the day. Compile these totals at the end of every week. Compare your totals to the hours billed by your contractor and determine if further action is necessary.