At-a-glance comparison
The table below covers the features that matter most for UK construction payroll. Scroll right on mobile.
| Platform | GPS clock-in | CIS export | Xero / QB | Offline | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AttendIQ | Yes + geofence | Yes | Yes (native) | Yes | From £4.50/worker/month |
1. AttendIQ - Best for UK construction compliance and payroll
What it does on timesheets
AttendIQ combines GPS-geofenced clock-in, Face ID identity verification, and a two-stage approval workflow (site manager then payroll) in a single mobile app. Pay rates cascade by site, overtime calculates automatically per site rules, and the payroll export is CIS-ready with UTR numbers included. From there, approved timesheets push directly to Xero or QuickBooks via native OAuth integration - no CSV re-keying, no middleware.
What makes it different
The key distinction is that timesheets in AttendIQ are a byproduct of attendance, not a separate process. Workers clock in for access control and compliance - the timesheet is generated automatically from that clock event. There is no separate "fill in your hours" step for workers. This removes the biggest source of disputed hours: the worker's own record of time worked.
AttendIQ also covers the surrounding compliance requirements that other timesheet apps ignore entirely: CSCS card tracking, site induction records, right to work document expiry, and visitor access rules. For a contractor who needs all of that in one place, no other platform in this comparison comes close.
Pricing
- Essential: £4.50/worker/month (annual billing, £1,000 setup fee)
- Complete: £7.00/worker/month (annual billing, £1,500 setup fee)
Pricing is per worker, not per admin user. For a contractor with 50 workers on Essential, that is £225/month - less than many platforms charge per admin seat.
Pros
- Only UK construction platform combining GPS timesheets, CSCS compliance, inductions, right to work, and CIS-ready payroll push in one workflow
- Timesheets generated automatically from clock events - workers do nothing extra
- Two-stage approval (site manager then payroll) built in as standard
- Native Xero and QuickBooks integration - no third-party connectors needed
- Full offline capability for sites with poor signal
- Per-worker pricing scales linearly - no seat-based user charges
Cons
- Per-worker pricing makes it less competitive for very small teams who only need basic timesheets and nothing else
- Setup fee applies - though this covers data migration and configuration
- The breadth of features means a short onboarding process to configure correctly
Best for: Contractors with 20 to 500 workers who want timesheets as part of a complete compliance workflow - not as a standalone tool.
What to look for in a construction timesheet app
Choosing a timesheet platform for construction is different from choosing one for any other sector. Five criteria matter more than anything else:
1. CIS handling - essential for UK subcontractors
If any of your workers are engaged under the Construction Industry Scheme, your timesheet platform needs to understand that. It must flag each worker as CIS or PAYE, store their UTR number, and apply the correct deduction rate (20% for registered subcontractors, 30% for unregistered). Generic platforms do not do this. You end up exporting hours to a spreadsheet and applying deductions manually - which defeats the purpose of integration.
2. GPS geofencing - not just GPS location
There is a significant difference between recording a GPS location at clock-in and enforcing that the worker is within the site boundary. A platform that records location but does not geofence against the site perimeter can still be gamed. A worker can clock in from the car park, a cafe across the road, or - with mobile spoofing - from anywhere. Proper geofencing defines the site boundary on a map and only allows clock-in from within it.
3. Two-stage approval
Construction payroll typically needs two approvals: the site manager who saw the worker on site that day, and the payroll or commercial team who check hours against allocation and overtime rules. A single sign-off step is not enough. Look for a platform that supports a site manager approval followed by a payroll approval before hours are locked and exported.
4. Native payroll integration - not CSV export
A CSV export that someone re-keys into Xero or QuickBooks is not an integration. It is a step removed from paper timesheets. Look for a platform with a native OAuth connection to your payroll software that pushes approved hours automatically on your chosen schedule, with construction-specific fields (pay rate by site, overtime rules, CIS deductions) mapped correctly.
5. Offline capability
Construction sites frequently have poor or no mobile signal - especially in basements, tunnels, plant rooms, and remote groundworks. A timesheet platform that relies entirely on a live data connection will fail at the moment you most need it. Offline capability means clock events are recorded locally and sync when signal is restored, with a clear audit trail of when the sync occurred.
The numbers: payback in under a week
ROI example: 100 workers, paper timesheets
100 workers. Paper timesheets. 11% overpayment rate. £200 average daily rate. That is £22,000 per month in avoidable cost. AttendIQ at 100 workers costs £450/month on Essential. Payback in less than a week of the first payroll run.
The 11% figure is not a marketing claim - it is consistent with research from the Construction Products Association and independent payroll audits. The sources of overpayment are well documented:
- Buddy punching: one worker clocking in for another. On busy sites with paper sheets, it is undetectable without GPS verification
- Systematic rounding: workers recording 8 hours when they worked 7.5. A small rounding per worker per day compounds quickly across a large workforce over a year
- Disputed overtime: paper records that show overtime hours that supervisors cannot verify or contradict. Most disputes settle in the worker's favour
- Off-site hours: workers recording time spent travelling to site as on-site hours - impossible to distinguish without a GPS geofence
GPS-verified clock-in does not eliminate all of these on day one. It eliminates buddy punching immediately, eliminates disputed start and finish times entirely, and provides the audit trail to investigate systematic rounding. The ROI case is straightforward for any contractor spending more than £50,000 a month on labour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best digital timesheet app for construction?
For UK construction contractors, AttendIQ is the strongest choice. It combines GPS-verified clock-in, CIS-ready payroll export, Xero and QuickBooks integration, and full compliance workflow in one platform. Most generic timesheet apps do not handle CIS deductions, lack site geofencing, and are not built around construction payroll rules.
How do digital timesheets reduce payroll costs in construction?
Paper timesheets in construction typically result in overpayments of 8-15% through buddy punching, systematic rounding, and disputed hours. GPS-verified digital timesheets record the exact time a worker arrived at the exact GPS location of the site. There is no rounding, no way to sign in for someone else, and no disputed hours without independent evidence. For a contractor with a £200,000 monthly labour bill, eliminating even half the leakage saves over £100,000 a year.
Do construction timesheet apps handle CIS deductions?
Good construction-specific apps do. AttendIQ flags each worker as CIS or PAYE, includes UTR numbers in the payroll export, and separates the appropriate deduction rates (20% registered, 30% unregistered). Generic timesheet apps not built for construction do not handle CIS at all - they are built for hourly billing, not construction payroll.
Can construction timesheet apps integrate with Xero or QuickBooks?
Yes. AttendIQ connects directly to Xero and QuickBooks via OAuth. Once approved, timesheets push automatically on your chosen schedule. Generic apps have basic Xero connections but lack construction-specific features like CIS handling, pay rate cascading, and overtime rules per site.
What is the difference between GPS clock-in and geofenced clock-in?
GPS clock-in records where a worker is when they tap the clock-in button. Geofenced clock-in goes further: it defines the permitted boundary of the site on a map and only allows clock-in if the worker is physically within that boundary. Without geofencing, a worker can clock in from outside the site perimeter. With geofencing, any clock-in outside the boundary is rejected or flagged automatically.
Do I need a timesheet app or a full compliance platform?
If your only problem is recording and approving hours, a standalone timesheet app may be sufficient. However, if you also need to manage CSCS cards, site inductions, right to work documents, and CIS payroll in a joined-up way, a standalone tool creates fragmentation rather than solving the compliance problem. A platform like AttendIQ generates timesheets as a byproduct of the access control and compliance workflow, which is more efficient overall.