Forms

Best Invoice App for Contractors

Posted on September 20, 2021October 14, 2024 by Danny Kanev

Best Invoice App for Contractors

Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations | Forms

Software solutions for contractors are growing in popularity, with specific apps to help with different types of business projects. One such example are invoice apps that enable contractors to provide a digital invoice to clients. This article covers how invoice apps work and where you can find an easy-to-use template for your business.

What types of businesses benefit from invoice apps?

Typically an invoice app will be used by businesses and contractors that work directly with their clients. Here are some examples of common use cases for invoice apps:

Contractors: Contractors often invoice clients for work like home repairs, HVAC, maintenance, construction, residential services, inspections, and more. Contractors typically provide an estimate and submit the invoice once work has been completed with exact labor and materials used.
Transportation and Logistics: This type of business requires deliveries to be made through trucks or van fleets. Drivers can be responsible for confirming delivery has been made and invoicing the client once services have been completed.
Professional services: Many professional services businesses like independent contractors will provide direct business services, for things like freelance consulting, or legal work. These businesses will use invoices after project completion to bill for their time.

This should give you an idea of what types of businesses benefit from using invoice apps. Most invoice apps are completely customizable for the business type, giving you the flexibility to search for a template and modify the app based on the information you need to collect.

What is an invoice app?

An invoice app is designed to provide software and mobile technology to create client invoices from a mobile device or a computer. Here’s the basic concept on how invoice apps work:

Step #1. Mobile forms

Invoice apps allow you to create digital forms that are used by the contractor or business to fill out the specific details of that job. Typically templates are built and include all of the relevant fields needed to document, like prices, quantities, time worked, scope of work, client information, and other related project fields.

Once the mobile forms are built, contractors on the job can fill in the details using a mobile device or tablet to generate the exact invoice right on the spot.

Step #2. Digital document sent to client to review and sign

After the form has been completed, the invoice app will send a digital document to the client that breaks down all of the job as filled out in the app. This is typically sent via an email link, so that the client can open up their inbox and review the work completed.

A main feature of the invoice app is the ability for the client to sign off on the completed work. Signature capture allows the client to sign off on work and create the final signed copy documenting an agreement.

Step #3. Options for payment processing

Many times another option for the invoice is to offer a digital payment processing solution within the invoice app. By connecting to payment processors like Square, it gives the option to the client to pay via credit card on the invoice. If getting paid faster is a priority, this can be a good option to allow customers to pay securely through the app and processed by Square directly to your bank account.

Step 4. Final Documentation

It’s common for the final step to share the completed digital paper work via email to the client, to keep for their records. A digital receipt sent as a PDF file is helpful for clients to have in their inbox and helpful for your business to ensure that documents are always saved to the cloud for good record-keeping.

Invoice apps can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be. For example, you may want to set up data integrations to ensure that data syncs between your invoice app, accounting system, CRM, and other places you store data. For other businesses, just having a simple invoice app is a much better solution than traditional paper forms, giving a central place to manage all of your invoices digitally.

When do you need an invoice app?

Your business will know when it becomes time to utilize an invoice app. Here are some of the most common pain points that determine when it makes sense to move to a digital invoicing solution:

#1. Limitations of paper

Does your staff get overwhelmed with the amount of paper work needed to manage operations? This is a top sign that going digital can save your business time and money. There are many hidden costs associated with paper usage like manual data entry, lost or missing papers, errors and rework, and inefficient workflows. When the busy work keeps stacking up, it becomes time to consider apps to streamline and automate more of the office work.

#2. Difficult to scale efficiently

Often related to the challenges with paper, you may notice that your business is growing rapidly, but challenged to scale efficiently. Unfortunately, as the business grows in complexity, it can create more of the manual work and tasks for operational staff to support. This is when it becomes time to lean on software that can boost your productivity and help your business work more efficiently.

#3. Competitive markets

The productivity challenges and paperwork may be a pain to deal with, but rising competition is often the biggest argument for switching to mobile and digital solutions. If other contractors or businesses you compete with provide a digital experience for customers, you may be falling behind in terms of what customers want. At the end of the day, technology is all about making it easier for your customers to do business with you and there is a significant opportunity for contractors that embrace digital technologies. If your competitors are lagging behind in this area, moving first can create value for customers and result in repeat business, referrals, and online reviews stating how easy it is to do business with your company.

Invoice App Template to Get You Started

GoCanvas is a leader in mobile forms and software to streamline operations and increase productivity. Our invoice apps can be customized to fit any business or contractor’s needs – simply start with one of our pre-built templates and use our no-code designer to fit your requirements.

Try out our invoice app here or search thousands of app templates available here on our website.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Managing a construction project is a complex and stressful process. Among other things, you have to coordinate project team members, materials, and equipment and ensure that contractors are not afflicted by the potential risks and hazards present at the construction site. That said, quality means different things to different people which is why you should…

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Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

Posted on September 15, 2021November 21, 2024 by Danny Kanev

Your Guide for Rental Inspection Checklists

Forms | Inspections

What is a rental inspection checklist?

A rental inspection checklist is used by property management companies to ensure that rental units are in good condition for tenants. The rental inspection checklist is typically performed by a member of the property management staff and includes all different areas of the home or property to inspection. Once the checklist form is completed, a report is generated that includes a signature from the inspector and a signature to be collected from the tenant. This creates an agreement between parties that the rental inspection was conducted and records any of the pertinent information, in case of a dispute later on.

What does a rental inspection look like?

A rental inspection can look very different depending on the property type. For example, a single family home will need to cover more areas than that of a studio apartment. The rental inspection checklist should have different templates for all of these different use cases. Here are some examples of the types of things included in a rental inspection checklist:

Interior of the unit
Exterior spaces
Building structures
Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing
Fire protection
And more

It’s important that your property management company performs thorough inspections on a routine basis and confirm that properties are maintained according to local regulations. Proactive inspections can identify issues before they become problems, leading to better maintained properties and lowered risk.

What are the most common types of rental inspections?

Two common types of rental inspections used by property management companies are residential property inspections and move-in/move-out inspections. Here is a brief overview on these types of rental inspections and templates you can use to get started.

Residential Property Inspection Checklists

A residential property inspection checklist is used to ensure that the property is livable and meets the required standards in your area. This checklist is used during a housing inspection to assess the overall condition of the property. It will have a thorough checklist for inspectors to review and detailed notes to make recommendations on what needs to be repaired. Similar to a home inspection that is performed for buyers, the rental inspection checklist is designed to give property owners a detailed assessment of the building to prepare it for tenant move-in.

You can access the residential inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

Move-in and Move-out Inspection Checklists

Building owners and property managers will perform move-in and move-out inspections for tenants to create a document of how the property is maintained upon move in and any damages that exist upon move out. By performing a thorough inspection upon move-in, it creates a clear record of the condition of the property and an agreement from the tenant. If damages occur, the move-out inspection will document these issues and any applicable fines can be assessed upon move-out.

You can access the move-in and move-out inspection checklist here on the GoCanvas App Store.

What is GoCanvas and Should You Digitize Inspections?

Still using paper forms to manage inspections? Consider going digital with inspection software built for property management companies, building contractors, real estate transactions, and much more. The GoCanvas platform is trusted by thousands of companies to streamline the inspection process and automate how work gets done.

Tools for management. Inspection software provides tools to better manage inspections. Easily dispatch work orders to the right teams in the field and get real-time reports once work has been completed. Cloud-based tools ensure information is accessible and never lost. Inspection software makes it easier to collect and report on information from the field, saving your business time and money by cutting out manual processes.

Simplicity in the field. Inspection software and forms provide a simple solution for your workforce on site when performing property inspections on a mobile device or tablet. Inspection checklists can be built for your business needs and ensure that data is consistent every time by requiring fields. Information syncs automatically back to the office, cutting down on the reporting process and saving technicians from data entry.

Seamless digital experience. Software for mobile forms helps to digitize inspections, work orders, and other types of paperwork. If you need to share inspection forms with other stakeholders or clients, all of this can be done electronically and provide a better process for documentation. Provide better reports with photos, allow for digital signatures on documents, and manage everything using cloud-based tools instead of paper forms that are easily lost.

Looking for more examples? See how other companies are benefiting from inspection software and forms in this related article.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

Posted on September 13, 2021March 13, 2025 by Danny Kanev

Your Guide to Construction Time Card Apps

Business Operations | Forms

Looking for a better way to manage your employee time cards? This article covers how timecard apps work for construction and templates you can use to get started.

How do I track my construction worker’s time?

There are many ways you could potentially track work performed on a construction site. Here are some of the most common:

#1. Punch cards

Punch cards are used by physical time card machines that employees can punch in and punch out when they go on and off the clock. This method of time tracking has been used for decades and relies on analog methods for collecting time card information.

Drawbacks of punch cards: While punch cards are easy enough to use, they can create additional work if the information needs to be copied manually into an accounting or payroll system later on. With most companies relying on digital technology to power their operations, punch cards are not the fastest way to get time card data into the computer.

Another drawback can be buddy punching, which is one form of time fraud where employees punch in for someone else when they are running late or need to clock out early. This may not seem like a huge issue, but it can add up over time if hours are misrepresented.

#2. Excel Spreadsheets or Google Sheets

Another simple way to track workers time is through the use of spreadsheets. This method of time tracking allows employees to input their time into a shared spreadsheet or personal spreadsheet that gets emailed to their manager.

Drawbacks of spreadsheets: While spreadsheets are fast and free to use for most businesses, they can become error prone and lead to additional manual tasks. If a spreadsheet is lost or overwritten by accident, it can be hard to recover information that has been lost. This method can also create manual work if you also need to compile multiple spreadsheets into one document and then transfer that data into an accounting system.

#3. Apps and Software for Time Tracking

Another way to manage time cards is through the use of time tracking apps and software. This method of time tracking was designed to alleviate the pain points mentioned with using paper forms or spreadsheets.

Software solutions and apps provide a digital interface for employees to enter their time using a computer, mobile phone, or tablet device. Many of these time tracking apps are simple, easy-to-use, and affordable for most companies’ budgets.

By digitizing the information, data can sync automatically to payroll and accounting systems to pay employees on time and ensure digital records are stored securely in a centralized cloud-based system. Continue reading for more information on construction timecard software.

Is there an app for time cards?

There are many time card apps available to construction companies and contractors. With a construction project management app that supports time cards, you can save time, ensure accurate data is collected from the field, and minimize time card buddy punching.

Here are some of the core features that you can expect to find in a time card app:

Mobile forms

This feature allows you to create form fields that you need employees to fill out with their time cards. You can customize the form fields based on the type of work, employee category, over time status, and much more. Mobile forms allow you to require fields, helping to ensure that nothing is missing and you don’t have to track down the information again. Data can often times be captured offline and then synced to the cloud once an internet connection becomes available.

Notifications and alerts

For time card apps for construction, another useful feature is the notification and alert that gets sent out for the daily or weekly timesheet that is due. This makes it easy for employees to remember and an alert is sent out to their mobile device letting them know of the upcoming task and overdue tasks.

GPS Tracking

Another helpful feature for time card apps is the ability to track a location using GPS on the mobile phone. With the app downloaded on employees mobile devices, you can require that they clock in and clock out once they have reached the exact job site. This can minimize buddy punching, increase accountability for data accuracy, and ensure that work was performed at the correct location for the client.

Reporting and Analytics

One other feature that is common with time tracking is the ability to report on data from the field. This can be useful in construction projects to give a real-time view of hours worked. Many time card apps can also work in conjunction with daily reports, so that all of this information is rolled up in a timely manner and becomes more visible to stakeholders. Analytics reports can be run to spot potential delays, allowing information collected from the field to be used in dashboards and analytics reports.

You can find the GoCanvas time card app for the construction industry by following the link below. Contact our team any time to learn more about time card apps for construction and how they work together with our full suite of apps for the construction industry and contractors.

What is the best app for timesheets?

There are many great apps available to manage construction timesheets. The best app for your business is going to depend entirely on what business problems you need to solve. Here are two questions to ask:

How does the timesheet app work with my existing business process?

You may want to consider if you need timecard apps in addition to other apps for construction. In that case, you can eliminate time card solutions that are stand alone and only do basic time tracking.

In this scenario, solutions like GoCanvas would allow you to manage multiple types of apps like work orders, inspections, safety apps, and more — all from a single platform for mobile forms and apps.

How does the timesheet app connect to my existing data ecosystem?

Another consideration is to determine if you want your timecard app to integrate directly with your accounting system or existing tools. For example, GoCanvas offers an integration to tools like QuickBooks or Sage, so you can collect data from the field and sync in real-time to the other cloud-based tools you already use today.

Understanding how you want to use time card information for your business can help you decide on which time card app makes the most sense. With many features and functionality to consider, it’s best to map out your business challenges and evaluate all of your options.

For more information on GoCanvas, contact our team here and we can answer any questions you may have about time cards and mobile apps.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

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What to Look for in a Mobile Form Builder

Posted on August 10, 2021November 18, 2024 by Danny Kanev

What to Look for in a Mobile Form Builder

Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations | Forms

Finding the right form builder for your business is an important decision. Today’s form builders are offered as cloud-based solutions, where you can login to the platform online and start building forms to be deployed on a mobile app or web browser.

There are limitless ways companies can use forms for their business.

Most often forms are used to collect information from different groups of employees in the field or on a job site. Common examples include things like work orders, inspections, timesheets, estimates, reports, invoices, and more. Forms can be used anytime you need to collect and share information between your field teams, office staff, management, customers, partners, and other key stakeholders for your business.

Top 3 Considerations When Selecting a Form Builder

So what should you look for when selecting a mobile form builder? The answer to that question will entirely depend on your business needs. This article will cover some of the top considerations when selecting a mobile form builder, so you can make an informed decision.

#1. How Easy is the Form Builder to Use?

Ease-of-use is an important factor for growing businesses. You don’t want to invest in software and have a difficult experience making it successful or finding out later that the user experience makes it difficult to gain adoption.

So what makes a form builder easy to use?

No Code or Low Code.

A no code or low code form builder essentially means that you do not need to dedicate development resources to deploy the forms. The form builder will use drag and drop functionality and you can develop forms and apps without any advanced technical knowledge required.

This feature is incredibly important for how businesses work today. Tools for the workforce should be designed with simplicity in mind, so that anyone can pick them up and start using them right away. While it may be helpful to involve IT in the process, you shouldn’t have to rely heavily on development resources in order to use a form builder.

Simplicity in the Field.

While the no code form builder makes it easy for office staff and managers to build the forms, it also needs to be as simple as possible for field teams. When implementing a new technology, a common fear is that teams in the field will fail to adopt the technology. That’s why the mobile form technology needs to be simple, so it makes the job easier for anyone that needs to complete the forms.

Consider features like integrating the form builder into your CRM or databases, so that customer records or project information is automatically pulled in real time to the forms. This auto populates form fields with information that is already known like customer information, parts, cost codes, and anything else that your teams may need to reference to complete the form.

Your mobile form builder should be easier and faster for employees, saving them time from manual processes and workflows. Consider how your form builder solution prioritizes time savings and efficiencies for crews in the field, as this can lead to greater adoption of the tools.

Customization.

When thinking about ease of use, another important consideration is customization. Some form builders can be difficult to customize, or they are built for very specific use cases that make it limited in the scope of what you can do with the platform. A highly customizable form builder will ensure that you can easily customize the forms to fit a wide range of potential use cases that your business will need, both now and in the future.

Best in class form builders will offer this level of customization, while maintaining the simplicity and ease of use that your business needs to fit into your existing workflows.

#2. How does the form builder promote a data culture within my organization?

Lack of data insights is one of the main reasons companies choose to eliminate paper forms and move to digital form builders. With paper forms, information is not available in real-time and data is collected in ways that are inconsistent and difficult to report on.

It’s important that your business finds a form builder that promotes best practices for data collection and reporting. These insights can lead to better outcomes, including opportunities to lower costs, increase revenue, and improve the customer experience.

So how can a form builder help your company improve its data processes?

Standardized forms.

When thinking about how your business collects data, the form builder should empower you to collect consistent and accurate data from the field in real-time. Things like required fields can help to ensure information is not left missing and things like drop down lists can help to ensure the right format is submitted for data.

Analytics and Reporting.

With best practices in place for data capture, your business will have clean data that is available in real-time. Your form builder should also give you the ability to run and share reports automatically with anyone that needs to view the information. You should also have the option to run more advanced analytics to spot trends and patterns in the data that’s being collected. Taking this data-driven mindset can have a profound impact on your operations.

Data Integrations

As discussed earlier in the article, data integrations can be an important part of the form builder solution. Not just to enrich form submissions, but also to ensure that data is synced automatically between your different cloud-based platforms. It’s likely that the form field data collected can be useful for payroll and accounting purposes, or you need the information to sync with other databases that your team uses internally.

All of this is possible with a best-in-class form builder that sets your business up to collect, report on, and distribute data to help your organization become more data-driven.

#3. Time-to-value

When implementing any new technology for business, it’s always important to understand the time-to-value for your organization. When selecting a mobile form builder, you should seek to gain an understanding of the types of results companies similar to yours have seen with the form builder.

Other factors that impact your value and adoption of the platform are things like customer success resources that can be made available to your organization, as well as support channels and training that is available to help your staff learn and answer questions. Best-in-class mobile form builders will have proven success stories and clearly defined processes for onboarding and implementation to guide your business to achieve its goals.

With digital transformation projects like implementing a mobile form builder, it’s important to remember the change management component and the resources in place to help your team with successful adoption of the technology. This will ensure that you see a return on investment in a matter of months that justifies the business expense by lowering costs, increasing revenue, and creating a competitive advantage. It’s important to find both the technology and the people to support your move toward digitization.

About GoCanvas

GoCanvas’s passion is building mobile products that enable businesses to digitize information and be more responsive to their customers. The cloud-based, customizable app works on smartphones and tablets, empowering SMB customers to digitally collect data and realize its value in improving workflow, communications, and operational processes.

GoCanvas is trusted by thousands of businesses throughout 70 countries, automating millions of workplace activities, making it one of the fastest-growing mobile platforms in the world.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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Gown Your Business with GoCanvas Partner Program

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Forte Supply Chain Solutions Partner Video

Partner Snapshot: Forte Supply Chain Solutions

Explore how Forte Supply Chain Solutions partnered with GoCanvas, combining in-house industry expertise with our white-label mobile forms to revolutionize their processes.

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How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

Posted on July 30, 2021October 11, 2024 by Danny Kanev

How Apps for Contractors Strengthen the Customer Experience

Business Operations | Forms

The construction industry and contractors benefit when they deliver excellent customer service and make it easy for customers to do business. That’s why more companies are investing in technology, relying on mobile apps that can streamline customer interactions and improve productivity for workers.

Research from Gartner explains that “customer loyalty depends on how easy you make it for your customers to do business with you.” The key takeaway from the study is that companies who make business interactions effortless for their customers will have a competitive advantage.

Using apps for contractors, companies can work toward strengthening the customer experience. The short and long term benefits to a business include:

Repeat Business – More likely to work with you again.
Referrals – More likely to recommend you to their network.
Reviews – More likely to leave positive assessments of your business online.
Competitive edge – Stand out from the competition.
Increased revenue – More business for you and your company.

When used as part of an overall strategy to build the customer experience, apps for contractors can improve your business’s internal efficiency and help create a more seamless customer experience.

How Digital Forms Improve Customer Interactions

Apps for contractors are designed to transform how you do business with customers.

Traditional paper forms create manual work for your employees, and it gives your business and the customer very limited visibility into the work being performed. Savvy contractors are instead relying on digital forms and communications instead of paper, so they can provide greater transparency for the customer. With apps for contractors, the entire process is handled digitally.

How it works

Our contractor apps enable you to streamline your process by digitizing the paper forms you use. Digital records reduce the time your team spends completing standard forms and allow them to be more productive. Mobile checklists can be completed in the field on a smartphone or tablet and shared immediately. Our apps for contractors eliminate the duplication of effort and the possibility of clerical errors that often occur when generating routine daily, weekly, or monthly reports. Routine reports are generated from digital data, enabling you to collect, process, analyze, and share information in minutes.

Apps for contractors help to increase transparency and communication with customers, suppliers, and the home office. Real-time data reporting will help you streamline and integrate every step of your business process, from the initial contact with your customer to invoice and payment processing. Additionally, by digitizing your data with apps, the information you need is at your fingertips, whether in the office or the field.

From Quote to Cash

With GoCanvas’ apps for contractors, you can streamline the quote or estimate, invoice digitally, process payment, and easily share digital reports detailing all of the transactions. Digital data ensures that calculations are accurate and error-free by removing the need for duplication of entries. In addition, GoCanvas apps ensure that your sales team and field service representatives always have the latest pricing information when data is pulled from the cloud to their mobile device on-site.

Digital Quotes and Estimates

Using apps like our digital estimate template, you can turn your paper estimates into dynamic digital forms that simplify the bidding process. Our mobile digital estimates app is an intuitive, easy-to-use, and comprehensive app that eliminates inefficient duplication of paperwork, reducing costly errors, and increasing your profitability.

With our digital estimates app, data such as prices and parts is auto-populated into the form, reducing time and errors. As a result, your field representatives can quickly and accurately calculate material and labor costs and provide estimates immediately. In addition, because data is stored in the cloud, estimates can be shared, reviewed, and updated instantly anytime or anywhere.

Digital Invoicing

Digital Invoices with GoCanvas help to simplify the invoice process for your field technicians and enable them to generate professional, branded invoices directly from their mobile devices. Field representatives can collect and enter pertinent data on the site, automatically calculate costs, and create invoices immediately before leaving the location.

In addition, data can be integrated with your accounting and inventory software (QuickBooks or similar systems) to eliminate the need to duplicate data entries manually.

Payment Processing

Finally, when the job is over, GoCanvas provides digital payment processing in our app that integrates directly with Square to enable you to collect payments quickly and immediately.

Invoices along with detailed digital reports are produced rapidly on-site, and payment processing is at your fingertips. Our apps for contractors can improve your cash flow, eliminating the need to create and send paper invoices and wait for the client’s payment. Customers will prefer this experience, giving them the ability to review documents digitally and pay securely through a credit card.

Strengthen the Customer Experience and Win More Business

GoCanvas apps for contractors are powerful tools that can help you strengthen the customer experience and provide the digital interactions that customers have come to expect in today’s digital era. Using GoCanvas templates and digitizing your paper forms, your field representatives and technicians can improve the accuracy and efficiency of customer interactions.

Through powerful integrations, you can enable your teams on-site and in the field with the latest information and give them the ability to quickly and easily perform work digitally. This saves time for your workers, creates efficiencies for your business, and creates an effortless experience for the customer. Contact us any time to learn more about the GoCanvas suite of tools for contractors.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Constructions Digital Transformation

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

Posted on July 19, 2021November 15, 2024 by Danny Kanev

How Timesheet Forms Work for Management [+Templates]

Analytics and Data Collection | Business Operations | Forms

Timesheet forms are an excellent way for businesses to manage time for their employees. Companies can use different timesheet forms, such as a weekly timesheet, a monthly timesheet, a biweekly timesheet, or even a daily timesheet. All of these tools are useful for time tracking of work hours.

There are many simple resources available for printable timesheet templates using Microsoft Word or Excel timesheet templates. These different forms can range from straightforward timesheet templates to more advanced templates that factor in billable hours, lunch breaks, sick leave, vacation leave, time-in/time-out, hourly rates, and other valuable information.

Another solution for businesses is to use simple timesheet form apps that track employee hours and the number of hours worked by contractors in real-time. These apps also provide workers with the opportunity to enter time manually. This option brings a number of benefits to an organization, rather than using spreadsheets or paper.

For example, timesheet apps integrate directly with payroll and billing systems. They also can include much more advanced features, like the ability to track employee mileage and other reimbursable expenses. Continue reading this article to understand more about timesheet forms and how mobile applications work for businesses.

What frequency is best for timesheets?

Companies process payroll in various ways, including weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or semi-monthly payroll. Each of these payroll frequencies has a specific timesheet template to meet a company’s specific needs.

A best practice with timesheets is to have employees or contractors complete them on a daily basis so that it is easier to keep track of hours worked. Even for timesheets submitted on a monthly basis, it can be difficult to recall any breaks taken several weeks ago or if an employee had to leave work early one day.

Although companies may pay employees at different intervals, it is essential that a business has a defined and consistent process in place for tracking time.

What information should a timesheet form collect?

Most timesheet forms have a space for the employee name, an employee ID, the position of the employee, the week ending date, a start and end time field for each day, and any hours deducted for lunch breaks or sick leave.

Non-exempt employees who work over 40 hours a week can quickly document overtime pay on their timesheet. Similarly, workers who work holidays may track time paid at a higher rate during a pay period.

For companies that want to utilize timesheets for exempt employees, the information collected may be more granular or project-related. This tracking time practice helps to understand how much services cost to deliver, how much effort is going into various jobs or projects, and how effectively employees use their time.

What are the problems with paper and spreadsheet timesheet forms?

Paper forms present many problems to workers and companies. Although paper may seem like an easy and inexpensive option for documenting time, here are some of the hidden costs of paper forms and spreadsheets:

Error-prone: Regardless of intent, workers filling out these forms can make errors in entering start-times or end-times. These errors can lead to over and under calculating hours worked and will require additional resources to fix the errors. This costs both the workers and the companies who lose income or revenue due to errors.
Misplaced paper: Paper-based timesheets are also subject to being lost or misplaced, which can slow down payroll for workers. It can also have an impact on the availability of historical data related to employee time tracking.
Data-loss: Spreadsheets may become corrupted, users may overwrite data, or anyone on a workplace network can inadvertently delete time tracking files.
Lack of accessibility: Both paper and spreadsheet timesheet forms are not that accessible for workers either on the road or working offsite.
Lack of insights: It’s difficult for companies to gain insightful information from paper-based timesheets since the data on paper is not accessible without being manually entered.

Online timesheet forms and timesheet apps

More companies than ever are using online forms and apps to track employee hours. These online forms and apps can be easier to use, more accessible, and have enhanced or automated workflows. Collecting timesheet information through an app or digital form can enable HR notifications. For example, a notification can be sent when:

An employee is approaching unapproved overtime hours.
An employee’s hours fall outside of the regular hours of a business
The total hours noted by an employee do not reflect the time they spent in an office or their billable hours

Timesheet apps make it simple to fill out timesheets in the field. Employees can use their smartphones to submit their hours worked. This level of accessibility helps workers in jobs where they are required to be in the field or they do not have a dedicated job site from which they work.

Timesheet apps also enable companies to track employee hours based on factors such as arrival and departure time with GPS and time stamps. With modern applications, businesses of all sizes can take advantage of mobile applications that allow them to streamline their operations and work more efficiently.

GoCanvas contractor and employee timesheet apps

GoCanvas has a wide range of timesheet form apps available on our website.

These apps are effective for both contractors and employees. GoCanvas has pre-built templates for a monthly, biweekly, or daily timesheet template, and many other types of employee timesheet templates. These simple solutions can help to improve and streamline processes for your business, especially when it comes to paying workers.

Apps are able to leverage the native functions in iOS and Android devices, such as GPS and built-in time tracking. This can be used to automate the clock-in/clock-out process and verify a worker’s location.

The use of these tools helps process payroll efficiently. Companies can bill clients or customers where a worker has to visit a job site or track hours spent working on a specific project.

For contractors, timesheet apps can be implemented directly by companies for contractors to track hours or can be a tool that contractors use to document hours and bill customers directly.

GoCanvas can accept Credit Card payments in its apps through Square, an industry-leading payment processor. One helpful feature is the ability to do calculations. You can simply enter the number of hours worked and have the app use pre-built formulas with hourly rates that can generate invoices in real-time.

GoCanvas apps can integrate directly with payroll processing companies such as QuickBooks and Xero and countless other apps through our Zapier integration. These integrations make the processing of timesheets occur much more quickly, ensuring that pay for employees occurs in a timely fashion.

This helps human resources departments and payroll specialists to avoid spending hours each week inputting timesheets and payroll information. Effective timesheet apps are designed to work with the tools you have in place today and to transform the way workers track time in the field.

Timesheet Form Templates

GoCanvas has customizable templates for all of your businesses’ time tracking needs. Here is a list of some of our most commonly used timesheet form templates that are available for you to access on the GoCanvas app store.

Simple Timesheet Form

In need of a simple timesheet form for your business? This GoCanvas app allows you to track employees’ hours worked, collecting details about the work or tasks performed on the job. Our basic timesheet form is designed to be customized for any business or job type, giving you more flexibility to manage timesheets for your unique business purpose.

Access the simple timesheet form template to get started for free.

Daily Timesheet Form Template

Daily timesheet forms are commonly used when businesses have hourly workers and their hours can vary depending on the day of the week. Using this daily timesheet form template on GoCanvas, you can keep a record of time and attendance details from across locations and employees. Track hours, assess overtime, sign off on approvals, and manage the entire daily timesheet process from this simple app.

Access the daily timesheet form template to get started for free.

Weekly Timesheet Mobile App

Many businesses also prefer to have a weekly timesheet that documents the summary of all work performed in a given week. Using the weekly timesheet form template, businesses can easily keep track of hours, days, and weeks for a payroll pay period. Access reports, export the information as a PDF, or use the data to automate other business processes using an integration with other cloud applications.

Access the weekly timesheet form template to get started for free. You can also find our bi-weekly timesheet template form that is similarly designed for companies that prefer bi-weekly payroll sheets.

QuickBooks Timecard Mobile App

QuickBooks is widely used by companies for processing payroll. To easily integrate timesheets with your payroll processes, use this timesheet form that is designed to connect with QuickBooks. Integrating data and cloud applications is one main benefit of using GoCanvas for timesheet forms and other types of digital forms. Instead of Excel forms and Google Sheet forms for timesheets, using GoCanvas brings you the ability to automate workflows and eliminate manual work or data entry.

Contact our team to learn more about our integrations and access the QuickBooks timesheet form on the GoCanvas app store.

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5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

Posted on June 30, 2021March 13, 2025 by Danny Kanev

5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

Business Operations | Forms | Inspections

What is a construction checklist?

A construction checklist is a simple project management tool used to help contractors keep track of a list of items that need to be completed or inspected as part of a job or work order. Building construction includes many different types of jobs to be completed throughout the project lifecycle, so companies will typically have many types of standard checklists to use for a given job.

How do you create a construction checklist?

The most basic construction checklist can be created using a paper form. Excel checklists are also commonly used to create templates for building construction. Excel checklist templates are technically free to download, however, this form of recording data is not always in the best interest of a construction company.

For example, if you are a medium or large business with a distributed workforce, keeping track of Excel spreadsheets or dealing with manual data entry from paper forms can be a drain on company resources. The hidden costs of Excel templates and paper forms include:

Redundant and time-consuming work
Lost data and rework
Lost revenue and productivity
Decrease in employee satisfaction

A better way to create construction checklists is to use mobile apps and forms designed to increase productivity and streamline business operations.

Why every builder needs digital tools for construction

Construction work requires a great deal of paperwork to start and finish projects. Instead of relying on paper forms, construction companies have started to use digital building construction forms that eliminate manual work.

These building and construction apps can be accessed by desktop and mobile devices, making them ideal for workers who want to use them at work sites without an internet connection. Form fields are completed using an app and PDF reports are automatically generated to be stored in the cloud and shared with anyone that needs to access the information.

Builders can create checklists and other types of forms to digitize all of the critical information that is created and stored as part of a project. Builders and contractors need digital tools for construction to create a competitive advantage, increase their productivity, and lower their costs by embracing simple technology designed for the jobsite.

5 Free Templates for Builder Checklists

GoCanvas is a trusted provider of mobile apps and forms for the construction industry. Using our no-code platform for mobile apps, contractors and builders can quickly digitize their paper forms without help from IT. The GoCanvas App Store has over 20,000 templates that can easily be customized to fit your business needs. Simply search the app store for building construction templates or follow the links below to some of our top checklist forms used by builders.

Project Startup Checklist Template

The project startup checklist is a project management app to make sure that all pre-construction services are checked before work begins. The construction project plan app covers everything from defining the scope of work at the job site, to developing the construction project plan and timeline.

You can also customize the construction requirements checklist for your business needs to ensure that every step of your process is included. Once completed, the general contractor, management, and other stakeholders can sign off on the project requirements electronically to ensure that all quality standards are met.

Project Closeout Checklist Template

The project closeout checklist app is designed to help with quality assurance, project closeout forms, and the entire contract closeout process. The app helps with inspecting completed work and getting the appropriate signoff from the contracting officer, design, and construction teams.

Use this app to ensure that all details are covered when handing off project work for quality assurance purposes and that requirements from the general contractor and project managers have been met.

Work Site Inspection Checklist Template

Routine occupational safety inspections are required at all job sites. The work site inspection app ensures that your work areas are meeting necessary safety requirements and safety training is completed prior to work.

This safety report app reviews personal protective gear, employee fall protection, and other safety standards for the job site. Use this app to help ensure that your company is meeting employee safety standards and that all construction work is performed in a safe work environment.

New Home Construction Checklist Template

The new home construction checklist is designed to ensure that homes are move-in ready. The app also generates an electronic version of the report that can be accessed and shared online.

Designed for use throughout the building process, the app covers both indoor and outdoor items in a new home, including inspecting the hot water heater, garage door, air conditioning unit, and plumbing fixtures. The customizable app for house building also helps ensure that building codes are followed and that the building project is completed according to the original house plans.

Simple Construction Task List Template

The construction task list app helps managers and construction contractors keep their tasks organized each day. Add notes about the construction process, manage schedule milestones, and more using the digital task list. This app helps ensure that construction contractors are all on the same page when it comes to timeline management and the work schedule, giving management transparency into the status of the project. Reports are saved electronically and can be easily shared with the general contractor, construction manager, and others on the construction team.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

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9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

Posted on June 15, 2021March 13, 2025 by Danny Kanev

9 Examples of Construction Forms for Contractors [+ Templates]

Business Operations | Forms | Inspections

The construction industry uses forms to collect and share information at every stage of a project. Traditionally on paper, these forms are now being converted into digital forms that enable workers to share information via mobile devices and tablets on the job. There are many benefits of moving to a digital form rather than paper:

Reduction in manual work and costs
Greater business insights
Data loss prevention
Lowered risk and liability
Better client and employee experience

Bringing construction forms online is one step in digitization for construction firms and contractors, bringing information online into a secure cloud location for real-time and accessible data to use in reporting.

What are the top forms used by construction firms and contractors?

As a leading provider of mobile forms for the construction industry, GoCanvas has seen many different types of forms created using our no-code platform to launch apps and forms in the field. All of this can be done without advanced technical knowledge and our platform is highly customizable to meet all of the construction industry’s needs for mobile forms.

This blog article compiles the 9 common types of forms that are used by contractors to streamline their workflows and create business efficiencies. Continue reading for a summary of how these forms are used and follow the links in this article to dive into our free templates and examples.

#1 Inspection Forms

Construction companies are required to perform routine inspections for many different purposes. The construction inspection form is a template with all of the fields that need to be filled out by an inspector. Common inspection forms include:

Safety inspections
Building inspections
Machinery or equipment inspections
Vehicle inspections
OSHA inspections

The common workflow for companies is to dispatch jobs to workers to perform the inspection, collect required signatures on the job, and automatically generate a report that is sent after the inspection is completed.

Find Inspection forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#2 Construction Checklist Forms

Often included with inspection forms, construction checklists are very widely used in the construction industry. A simple construction checklist provides employees with a common template that is used to ensure the proper items are all being covered. Digital forms provide the added benefit that required fields can be used to make sure that information is completed, cutting down on the need for re-work and mistakes. The digital construction checklist can also have dynamic fields, meaning that certain form fields can be added or removed depending on the responses. This helps save time for workers by reducing the number of form fields to be only what is required for that specific job.

Find Checklist forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#3 Work Order Forms

Work order forms are widely used in the construction industry to help automatically dispatch workers to perform a job or task. Using digital forms for work orders, contractors can streamline the process and eliminate manual work. Using work order templates and forms, contractors can complete work orders offline and have them sync back to the cloud once internet service is available. Using digital forms allows workers in the field to take advantage of automatic calculations for things like labor and material costs and it enables digital signatures and automatic reports to be generated. If change orders are required, all of this can be done from the same platform and brings greater efficiency and visibility into job operations in the field and on job sites.

Find Work Order forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#4 Construction Timesheet Apps

Contractors are using construction project management apps to track employee hours worked. Having this information online allows for more efficient operations, with the ability to integrate with payroll and HR applications that your business already uses. Construction timesheet apps make it easy for workers to fill out their timesheets from anywhere using a mobile device to complete the form. Construction timesheet apps have other advanced features like GPS monitoring to automatically track arrival and departure times from a jobsite or to create a record that the work was performed at the correct location.

Find Construction timesheet forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#5 Safety Forms

Safety is a top priority in the construction industry and there are many types of safety forms that are used to help track and manage these safety programs. Some common examples include:

Digital toolbox talks to ensure workers engage with safety programs and management can track compliance across job sites.
Forms to complete job safety analysis
Digital copies of safety data sheets
Incident and accident reports and other forms to ensure compliance with OSHA

Safety forms allow companies to track and report in real-time on the progress of their safety programs, giving safety managers the opportunity to understand trends and take the appropriate next steps. This helps to reduce a company’s risk and liability, leading to greater workplace safety and productivity.

Find Safety forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#6 Construction Daily Reports

Construction daily reports are essential for capturing the progress and details of a project. Digital forms are used by construction companies to digitize their logs and give managers the ability to capture all of the required information through a mobile device for the construction daily report. Mobile logs help with project management, helping to eliminate paperwork and other manual tasks for workers. For complex projects, digital logs can help to keep projects on schedule and provide greater transparency into your operations for all stakeholders that need this information. Simply log all of the details from a job site and mobile apps help to digitize this information for reporting purposes.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#7 Estimate Forms

Digital forms are useful for contractors that need to provide estimates on the job. Using a mobile phone or tablet contractors can generate estimates in the field and have the information digitized for records. Most commonly, contractors use estimate forms to help them calculate the exact pricing for materials, parts, and labor costs using data that is stored in the mobile application. All of this information is updated in real-time with the latest pricing information, helping to ensure that estimates are accurate for clients. With digital signatures, clients can sign off and reports can be generated to document the entire process for your business.

Find Estimate forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#8 Invoice Forms

Similar to the use case for creating an estimate and work orders, digital forms can also be used when your business needs to generate an invoice for a customer. Once the work has been completed, an invoice can be generated using mobile forms and apps for contractors. This digital experience allows you to manage the entire process from a mobile device. Integrated with payment processing via services like Square or Stripe, mobile forms provide an easy way to generate invoices and collect payment from the field.

Find Log forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

#9 Contract Forms

Contracts are widely used in the construction industry as legal forms to document an agreement between the contractor and client. Instead of managing this process using paper forms that can be easily lost or damaged, companies are switching to digital forms for contracts and proposals.

Contract forms can be customized to include all of the relevant information, including client project needs, budget information, solution details, and project timeline. Make changes in real-time as the project progresses and collect signatures to track updated agreements.

Find Contract forms and templates here on the GoCanvas App Store.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Constructions Digital Transformation

See how VIP Lighting optimized efficiency with GoCanvas

Connect with an Expert Today.

We’ll help you put together the right solution for your needs.

Free Material Schedule Template for Construction

Posted on June 13, 2021October 8, 2024 by Danny Kanev

Free Material Schedule Template for Construction

Business Operations | Forms

What is a material schedule in construction?

The material schedule in construction is a document that lists all of the building materials that are required to complete the project. Material schedules are often organized based on the category for the building, with different schedules for each component. The material schedule often will include additional information such as the quantity, description, unit price, total price, and other relevant information related to the building materials.

How to prepare a material schedule in construction

For complex construction projects, there are enterprise software solutions that allow you to create a material schedule. But if you don’t have a large IT budget for technology, there are many low-cost alternatives for preparing a material schedule in construction that can help with project management. One such option to consider is using the GoCanvas material schedule template that can be built using our no-code platform for mobile forms and apps.

Why you should avoid Excel templates for a material schedule

Excel templates are available for material schedules, but this is not always the best option for businesses today. Excel is a powerful tool for analysis, but not always the right tool for every job. Some of the pitfalls of Excel templates include:

Human error. Information can be overwritten by mistake and it becomes hard to recognize these errors when dealing with larger volumes of data.
Incorrect calculations. It can be difficult to perform calculations in Excel and a formula error can lead to incorrect pricing calculations that are hard to notice.
Lost data. If documents are stored locally on your PC, it’s always possible that the document gets inadvertently lost or destroyed before you can save it.
Data is not dynamic. Most of the time in Excel the information being input is updated at a given point in time. Should prices change, the data has to be manually updated, and this can be time-consuming to keep up with.

Your contracting business can’t afford to waste time or lose money – Excel templates can become a hidden cost and drain on your business. That’s why contractors are turning to mobile apps and forms that create business efficiencies and cost savings.

Top Reasons to use GoCanvas for Material Schedule Templates

GoCanvas templates are simple for anyone to use. Using our drag and drop editor, you can create digital documents that can be used for all types of construction forms.

Instead of using paper sheets, Google Sheets, or Excel, you can convert these documents into digital forms and apps that elevate your business operations. This can be material schedules, work orders, contracts, safety reports, and any other important documents your business uses throughout all phases of a project. Some of the top reasons to use GoCanvas templates include:

Secure, cloud-based data. Ensure best practices are met for data collection, using secure mobile forms and apps that digitize key business information. Ensure material schedules are accessible by anyone that needs them in real-time.
Integrations with other apps. Once your information is digitized, you can enrich this information with data from any other cloud-based apps your business already uses. Dynamically populate pricing information in real-time to ensure the material schedule created always has the current numbers.
Automatic report generation and sharing. Generate reports, gather signatures, and share documents automatically via PDF templates for material schedules.

Customizable form fields. Customize the form fields based on your unique business needs and do it all without any coding required. Create separate material schedules for different projects or customize the type of information that is included.
Embracing mobile technology. With mobile apps and forms, you can keep track of material design and parts shipments no matter where you are. Work offline from any remote location and have any information sync back to the cloud once you are able to access the internet again.

Going digital with GoCanvas can save your construction business time and money, increase productivity, and create a competitive advantage.

Download the free material schedule template

When it comes to construction management and placing purchase orders, it can be difficult for builders to stay on top of everything that a construction project and building contract require. Use this template provided by GoCanvas to help with scheduling construction projects and tracking building materials. GoCanvas customers have found that by going digital they can save time and lower costs with apps designed for the construction industry. Management can use this app to ensure the appropriate material resources are tracked and available. The app is designed to be a planning tool to ensure the complete delivery of your construction project to your client on time through proper site preparation.

Get started with this template or simply request a demo to see how it can work for your business.

About GoCanvas

Since 2008, thousands of companies have chosen GoCanvas as their go-to partner for seamless field operations.

Check out even more resources

The Ultimate Guide to Quality Control Inspections

Constructions Digital Transformation