Timesheets: definition, template and software to track your hours

Published on 25/08/2026 · By Federica García, Eazyclick.

How long did that building job, website or case really take? Without a timesheet, the answer is an estimate, and so is the invoice. This guide explains what a timesheet is, what it should contain, how to complete it efficiently, and when to move from spreadsheets to software. A simple template, ready to copy, is included.

What is a timesheet?

A timesheet is a record of the hours a person spends each day on each project, customer or task. It's used to bill for time spent, see whether a project is profitable, prepare future quotes and distribute workload across the team.

In a small service business (agency, engineering consultancy, architect, installer, consultant), the timesheet is often the only link between actual work and the invoice. It's useful for a solo self-employed professional too: it shows where the hours that never get billed are going.

What should a timesheet contain?

A timesheet contains at least the date, person, project or customer, task, duration and a short comment. Add a "billable or non-billable" column: it turns an hours log into a profitability tool and prepares the invoice at the end of the month.

A weekly timesheet template to copy into a spreadsheet:

• Date: Monday 17 August 2026
• Person: Julie
• Customer / project: Dupont kitchen renovation
• Task: measurements and plan
• Duration: 2 h 30
• Billable: yes
• Comment: site visit, photos attached to the file

One row per block of work, with a total per project and per week. Keep the same project names across the team: otherwise, the totals become meaningless.

How do you complete a timesheet without wasting time?

Fill in your timesheet throughout the day, not from memory on Friday evening: start a timer when a task begins, or spend two minutes logging each time you switch projects. Work in blocks of at least a quarter of an hour, with a predefined list of projects and tasks to avoid free-text entry.

Three habits that make all the difference:

1. A single tool, accessible from your phone on site or your computer in the office.
2. Weekly approval by the manager, to catch omissions while they're still fresh in your mind.
3. A locked period once approved: the hours for an invoiced month can no longer change.

Timesheets and working time: what's the difference?

A timesheet measures time spent by project, for invoicing and managing profitability. Working time records, however, fall under employment law: schedules, overtime and rest periods. The two look similar but follow different rules. A project timesheet does not replace your employment obligations.

If you employ part-time workers with variable schedules, for example, deviations from the planned schedule must be recorded in a reliable time-tracking system or a document meeting certain conditions (FPS Employment, variable part-time schedules). Your Belgian payroll and social administration provider can tell you what applies to your sector. For team schedules, see our staff scheduling guide.

Spreadsheet or timesheet software: which should you choose?

A spreadsheet is enough for a solo professional or a team of two or three who rarely bill by time spent. Software becomes useful once several people log hours, you bill on a time basis, or you want to compare planned time with time actually spent, project by project.

What software offers over a spreadsheet:

• Entry in the right place: hours are linked to the project, which is linked to the customer and quote;
• Approval and locking: no more rows changed after the fact;
• Budget: planned versus used, visible during the project, not just at the end;
• Invoicing: billable hours become invoice lines without re-entry.

Before choosing, check the pricing model (per user or flat rate), mobile use and data exports.

How do you track your hours with Eazyclick?

Eazyclick's Projects & time tracking module connects your timesheets to your projects, customers and quotes. Each person logs hours by project and task, with an optional timer; the manager approves timesheets and locks the period, and the planned budget is compared with the budget used.

Billable hours feed into your invoices in Quotes & invoices, in Peppol format for your business customers. Projects & time tracking starts at €19/month excl. VAT; the final price depends on the size of the team logging hours, and your project manager confirms it before setup.

To learn how to invoice this time to your business customers since 2026, read our guide to Peppol in Belgium.

Is a timesheet useful for a solo self-employed professional?

Yes. A solo professional who records their time often discovers that a significant share of their hours isn't billed: travel, preparation, revisions and customer conversations. A timesheet shows which customers and types of work are profitable, helping price future quotes more accurately.

Start simple: record an honest week's work, then compare it with your invoices. The difference will tell you whether a tool is worthwhile.