GUIDE

How should I round billable hours fairly?

Q: How should I round billable hours fairly?

Pick a consistent increment, such as 15 minutes, and apply it to every job. TradesTimer automates this by providing rounded billable hours from your detected jobsite stops, removing the need for manual math.

By Ryder Wishart — years on the tools, then time tracking in a contractor’s back office · Updated 2026-06-08

Standardize Your Increments

Most solo tradespeople use either 15-minute (0.25 hour) or 6-minute (0.1 hour) increments. The key to fairness is consistency; never use one method for a plumbing job and a different method for an electrical job.

Choosing a standard increment makes your invoices predictable for clients and much easier for you to manage at the end of a long workday.

Communicate Your Policy Upfront

To avoid disputes, include your rounding policy in your initial quotes or service agreements. If a client knows you bill to the nearest quarter-hour, they won't be surprised when a 40-minute task appears as 45 minutes on their bill.

Transparency builds trust and prevents the awkwardness of having to explain 'hidden' costs during the payment process.

Eliminate Manual Calculation Errors

Calculating decimals manually is prone to error, especially when you are tired. TradesTimer reconstructs your workday from background GPS to identify stops and trips, then provides you with those rounded billable hours automatically.

By using auto-detected jobsite stops, you get a precise record of time spent on-site without having to remember to start or stop any timers.

People hitting this exact problem

Real threads — each quote links to the original discussion.

I just estimate how much time I worked and round up to the next half hour. Every agency I've worked at has been fine with this approach.

r/freelance — "How do you remember to clock your time?" (comment)

Estimating from memory then rounding is the most common 'system' out there — and it quietly miscounts in one direction or the other. Round from recorded times instead, and the rounding is a policy, not a guess.

FAQ

Should I always round up to the next increment?

Rounding to the nearest increment is generally considered the fairest approach for maintaining long-term client relationships.

Does rounding include my driving time?

This depends on your specific contract, but many pros bill travel separately or use a different rate for the 'trips' between jobsites.

Last updated 2026-06-08.