If you manage trade contractors, IT specialists, site labor, or temporary project teams, finding reliable subcontractor timesheet software UK businesses can trust is vital. Chasing external workers for paper records or deciphering handwritten notes consumes administrative hours every single week. TidyTimeSheets offers an uncluttered, web-based platform designed to collect, approve, and export subcontractor time without technical friction.
The Administrative Challenge of Managing Subcontractor Hours
Subcontractors operate differently from regular staff. They often move between multiple sites, work irregular hours, and have minimal interest in navigating complicated client portals. When organisations attempt to enforce rigid corporate systems on external workers, several operational breakdowns occur:
- Physical timesheets are lost, damaged, or submitted weeks late.
- Emailed spreadsheets lead to version control errors and broken formulas.
- Traditional software forces you to purchase individual user licences for contractors who only submit hours occasionally.
- External workers forget passwords, face account lockouts, or refuse to download proprietary mobile applications on personal devices.
These delays complicate project costing, delay client invoicing, and create friction with tradespeople expecting prompt payment.
How TidyTimeSheets Simplifies Subcontractor Time Tracking
TidyTimeSheets strips away the complexity of managing temporary and contract workers. Instead of requiring subcontractors to register for an account, the platform uses direct, secure email links.
Zero Account Creation for External Workers
When a timesheet is due, your administration team or manager sends a submission email. The subcontractor clicks the unique link inside the email from any browser on their smartphone, tablet, or desktop. They enter their hours, add notes if required, and submit. They never set a password, never log in, and never need to download an app.
Custom Hour Types and Sector Wording
Every project uses different payment structures. With TidyTimeSheets, organisations customise their hour types and terminology. Whether you track standard day rates, hourly shifts, emergency call-out time, or specific overtime tiers, contractors select from categories clear to your operation.
Robust Approval Control for Managers
Keeping project budgets under control requires clear oversight before subcontractor time is approved for payment.
Review, Amend, or Request Information
When a subcontractor submits their hours, the assigned manager receives an instant notification. The manager can:
- Approve the submission immediately if hours match site records.
- Reject the submission if the hours claimed are incorrect.
- Request more information directly from the contractor to clarify specific tasks.
- Amend hours directly, provided a clear, audit-ready reason is recorded in the system.
Optional Second Approval Stage
For major projects, high-value contracts, or strict commercial governance, you can activate an optional second approval stage. A senior leader, quantity surveyor, or commercial manager can review and sign off timesheets after the direct manager has verified them. This setting can be enabled per organisation within your dashboard.
Transparent Pricing vs Per-User Costs
Most software vendors charge a fee per active user per month. For businesses scaling subcontractor numbers up and down depending on active contract wins, per-user pricing leads to unpredictable and inflated software bills.
TidyTimeSheets operates on a flat pricing model per organisation. You pay a predictable monthly rate regardless of how many subcontractors submit time through the platform. Explore our full breakdown on our /pricing page.
| Plan Tier | Monthly Cost (ex. VAT) | Designed For | Key Capabilities Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | £5 / month | Micro businesses | Core timesheets, standard manager approval, email link submission |
| Starter | £10 / month | Small teams | Custom hour types, basic exports, email notifications |
| Team | £29 / month | Growing firms | Detailed approval audit trail, optional second approval stage |
| Business | £59 / month | Multi-project operations | Analytics dashboard, full CSV exports, priority support |
| Multi-site | £99 / month | Complex groups | Multi-organisation management, aggregate reporting |
All subscriptions include a 14-day trial on your first paid plan, letting you test the system on active contracts before committing.
Key Capabilities for UK Subcontractor Operations
TidyTimeSheets focuses strictly on time collection and approval efficiency without bloat:
- Simple email link submission with zero login requirements for external staff.
- Customisable hour labels, terminology, and project tags.
- Full manager audit logging when hours are adjusted manually.
- Optional two-stage manager and senior leader sign-off workflow.
- Comprehensive CSV exports for simple data transfer into spreadsheets or finance software.
- High-level analytics to monitor contractor expenditure across operational units.
If you also manage permanent staff across distinct sectors, review our dedicated operational /guides, such as our guide on /guides/care-home-digital-timesheet-approval or /guides/retail-staff-timesheet-software-uk.
Simple Data Export for Invoicing and Bookkeeping
Once subcontractor hours are approved, administration teams require accurate data to produce self-billing invoices or process accounts payable. TidyTimeSheets includes flexible reporting tools that export clean CSV files with a single click.
Exported data includes individual contractor details, job categories, approved hours, manager notes, and submission timestamps. This structured output eliminates manual data entry, prevents transposition errors, and speeds up your payment run.
Take Control of Subcontractor Hours Today
Managing external contractors does not require complex enterprise software or painful account management. TidyTimeSheets offers a clean, reliable, and affordable route to collecting accurate hours from every subbie on your site.
Visit our /pricing page to select your plan and start your 14-day trial, or reach out through our /contact page to discuss your project structure with our team.