Labor Time Cards

Before using the Labor Log, you will need to set up a time card system that provides detailed information about each employee's work for each day. You will need to know at which job each person worked, and at which construction category they worked (including the hours for each task). It also helps to write in a brief description of the work, such as window casings or baseboards.

NOTE-- In 2000, MacNail was replaced by Goldenseal construction accounting software. Goldenseal is an integrated program that includes general accounting, job costing, payroll and project billing, plus estimating and other features. Employees can enter their own time directly into Goldenseal, so you don't even need printed time cards.

The MacNail construction accounting software includes a weekly and a daily Job Log worksheet that can be printed and used on the job site. You can print them on your printer each week, or have one copy laser-printed and then make regular photocopies in bulk.

Unless you only have one or two employees on each job site, we recommend that you use the Daily Log Form.

Have your supervisors or crews use it to fill out their own work each day. It is also very helpful to enter each day's weather, and which subcontractors were actually on the job site.Log form, daily

You can print out a listing of cost codes and attach it to the clipboard containing the Log Form--and have the employees enter the letter or number job codes for each item of work. This will save you a great deal of work when entering data later on.

HINT: If you are using MacNail Estimating, there are two Print Me! documents in the MacNail construction accounting software that are one-page worksheets listing the CSI and MacNail categories and subcategories.

If you have a central office, you can also keep time cards there, and have employees fill out the information on each project at the end of each day.

It may take a few weeks to get your crews trained to making regular data entry of codes and work done. It is amazing how job-end amnesia can strike! Be persistent, because it will save you a lot of data entry time.