How to Use Time-Tracking Tools for Lawn Service Employees

Why Accurate Time Tracking is the Key to Efficiency, Profitability, and Growth

In the lawn service business, time really is money. Whether you're running one crew or scaling up to multiple teams across a region, the way your employees track time directly impacts payroll, job costing, scheduling, and ultimately—your bottom line.

Yet for many lawn care businesses, time tracking remains one of the most outdated and error-prone parts of their operation. Paper timesheets get lost or fudged. Phone check-ins are easily forgotten. Crew leaders estimate hours at the end of the week. The result? Inaccurate payroll, poor visibility into job profitability, and countless hours spent reconciling mistakes.

That’s why modern time-tracking tools—especially those built into field service software—have become essential for lawn service companies. They replace guesswork with real data, help employees stay accountable, and give business owners the insights they need to run smarter, leaner, and more profitable operations.

In this post, we’ll break down how to use time-tracking tools effectively, what features to look for, and the key benefits your business can expect.

Why Time Tracking Matters in Lawn Care

Time tracking isn’t just about paying people accurately—though that’s certainly important. It’s about understanding how long specific jobs take, how efficient each crew is, and how to better plan your labor resources.

Here’s what effective time tracking helps you do:

• Ensure payroll accuracy
• Bill customers correctly (especially for time-based work)
• Track job costs by property or service
• Measure employee productivity
• Spot inefficiencies in routes or job execution
• Identify top-performing crews and employees
• Stay compliant with labor laws

Done well, time tracking creates a ripple effect of improvements throughout your business—from the back office to the job site.

Types of Time Tracking Tools for Lawn Service Teams

When it comes to time tracking, there are a few common methods. Some are outdated and inefficient; others offer real-time insight and automation. Here's a breakdown:

1. Paper Timesheets
Still common in small operations, paper sheets rely on employees to write down their hours at the end of the day or week. They’re prone to errors, rounding, and forgetfulness—and often require hours of administrative cleanup.

2. Punch Clocks or Office Check-ins
Better than paper, but not ideal for mobile crews. Requires employees to be at a specific location, which doesn’t reflect actual time on job sites.

3. Mobile Time-Tracking Apps
The gold standard for today’s lawn care businesses. These field service software for lawn mowing companies allow employees to clock in and out from the field, using smartphones or tablets. Some apps integrate with GPS, job checklists, and scheduling, providing full context for each time entry.

4. Field Service Software with Built-In Time Tracking
The most powerful option. These platforms combine time tracking with scheduling, dispatching, CRM, job costing, and invoicing—providing a complete operating system for your lawn service business.

Best Practices for Using Time Tracking in the Field

Time tracking will only work as well as the process you build around it. Here’s how to get the most out of your tools:

1. Choose a User-Friendly App

If the app is hard to use, your team won’t use it. Choose a mobile solution with a clean interface, clear buttons, and minimal steps to clock in/out or switch between jobs. Your goal is to make it so easy, it becomes second nature.

2. Automate with GPS and Geofencing

Many field service apps use GPS to verify clock-ins and clock-outs, or geofencing to automatically log time when crews arrive and leave a job site. This adds a layer of accountability and removes the need for manual entry—saving time and reducing disputes.

3. Require Job Codes or Tasks

Have employees assign their hours to a specific job or property. This helps with job costing and gives you detailed data on how long services take, which crews are fastest, and where delays are happening.

4. Track Breaks and Travel Time

To get an accurate picture of your labor costs, employees should be able to log lunch breaks, drive time between jobs, and time spent on supply runs. This is essential if you want to optimize routing and plan more efficient days.

5. Sync with Payroll

The best time-tracking tools integrate directly with payroll platforms like Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll. This eliminates the need for manual entry or timecard reconciliation at the end of each pay period—saving hours every week and reducing errors.

6. Use Reporting to Analyze Performance

Time-tracking data is a goldmine—but only if you use it. Run weekly reports to track:

• Hours worked per employee
• Time spent on specific jobs
• Overtime
• Missed or late check-ins
• Job duration trends

This allows you to make smarter scheduling decisions, refine training, and reward high performers.

How It Benefits Your Business

Time tracking isn’t just about operations—it’s about building a better company. Here’s what it enables when done right:

Better Profit Margins

When you know how long services actually take, you can price more accurately, improve job costing, and prevent scope creep. You stop undercharging—and start protecting your profits.

More Efficient Schedules

Understanding how your crews move through the day helps you tighten routes, eliminate downtime, and fit in more jobs without overworking your team.

Happier, More Accountable Employees

Clear expectations and transparency around time tracking builds trust. When employees know their time is being tracked fairly, they take pride in their performance—and slackers can’t hide.

Faster, Error-Free Payroll

Payroll becomes a process of review, not reconciliation. You eliminate disputes, missed hours, and manual entry, which saves hours every pay period and gives your team confidence they’re being paid correctly.

Scalability

If you’re serious about growing your business, time tracking must scale with it. The right software will let you add new employees, teams, and service areas without breaking your systems or adding administrative overhead.

What to Look for in a Time-Tracking Solution

Not all time-tracking tools are created equal. For lawn service businesses, the best solutions offer:

• Mobile access for field teams
• GPS tracking and geofencing
• Job and property assignment
• Integration with payroll and scheduling
• Real-time syncing with the office
• Reporting and analytics
• Simple, intuitive interface

Even better? Choose field service software that includes time tracking as part of an integrated platform—so time, jobs, customers, crews, and revenue all live in one system.

Final Thoughts: Track Smarter, Not Harder

Lawn service is a tough business. Labor is one of your biggest costs, and one of the hardest to manage without the right tools.

By adopting a smart, field-ready time-tracking system, you create a business that’s more accountable, more efficient, and more profitable. You eliminate the paper shuffle. You protect your margins. And you build a foundation for scaling with confidence.

Your employees want clarity. Your office wants simplicity. And your bottom line demands accuracy.

Time tracking doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right tools, it becomes your most powerful operational asset.