---
title: "Why write down every hour? | LocoTap"
description: "Because the hours you forget are the ones you never bill. 20 minutes a day not written down, at 90 an hour, over 230 days: 6,900 a year."
url: "https://locotap.com/learn/hours-log"
---

# Why write down every hour?

Because the hours you forget are the ones you never bill.

**For**

Catch the small bits of work that never reach the bill.

**When**

As the work happens, not on Friday

## Try it

20 minutes a day not written down, at 90 an hour, over 230 days: 6,900 a year.

Lost a year = minutes a day ÷ 60 × days worked × your rate.

Write the time down before you leave the job.

## Worked out

| Minutes a day | Hours a year | Lost a year |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 | 38 | 3,450 |
| 20 | 77 | 6,900 |
| 30 | 115 | 10,350 |
| 60 | 230 | 20,700 |

## Easy to get wrong

- Filling in the week from memory.
- Leaving out the trip back for parts.
- Not counting the call about the bill.
- Rounding every visit down.

## The tool for it

**Hours** The hours on each job, ready to bill [About it](https://locotap.com/tools/hours-log) [Start free](https://locotap.com/sign-in?back=%2Fapp%2Flearn%2Fhours-log)

## Questions

**What counts as an hour on the job?**

Time on site, getting parts for it, and calls about it.

**Do I bill the drive?**

Many do, or price it into a call-out charge. Say which on the quote.

**Should I round up?**

Pick a step, like 15 minutes, say it on the quote, and use it every time.

**What if it’s a flat-price job?**

Log the hours anyway: they show whether the flat price is right.

**Should my crew log hours?**

Yes, each their own, against the job, on the same day.

**When do I write it down?**

When you leave the site. Later, the small bits are gone.

**Does it help at tax time?**

Yes, it shows what each job took. Keep it with the job.

**What if a customer questions the hours?**

Show the log: the dates, the times and what was done.

Next · On the job: [Which photos should I take on a job?](https://locotap.com/learn/job-photos)