A consultant timesheet template is a reusable form for recording when you worked, which client or project the work supported, and how much time each task took. Use the blank template below to track hours consistently, review work before submitting it, and support accurate client reporting or invoicing.
What a Consultant Timesheet Is For
A timesheet is a record of work time, not simply a list of days worked. For consultants, it often connects hours to specific clients, projects, tasks, or agreed work categories. A useful record lets you explain what the time covered and distinguish client work from internal administration, business development, or other non-client activity.
Consultants may use timesheets even when they charge a fixed project fee rather than an hourly rate. The record can help them understand how effort is distributed, compare planned work with completed work, and discuss a change in scope. It does not, by itself, determine what a contract permits you to bill. Follow the terms agreed with the client and any required submission process.
For a client, a clear timesheet can make review easier: dates, task descriptions, and hours are visible in one place. For the consultant, keeping entries close to the time worked can reduce reliance on memory at the end of a busy week.
Consultant Timesheet Template
Blank template
| Consultant | Client or project | Reporting period | Submitted on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Client or project | Task or work description | Start | End | Unpaid break | Hours worked | Billable status | Notes or approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Period totals: Total hours: __________ Billable hours: __________ Non-billable hours: __________
Consultant confirmation: ______________________________ Date: __________
Client or manager review, if required: ______________________________ Date: __________
Sample — fictional details: On 12 May, Jordan Lee records a 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. project-planning session for the fictional Northstar Website Review, with no unpaid break. The entry is 2.5 hours, marked billable only if the engagement terms allow it, and described as “Reviewed project milestones and prepared planning notes.”
Fields to Include and What They Mean
The right fields depend on how a client reviews time and how you organize your work. A simple form should still make the entry understandable to someone who was not present. Consider including:
- Consultant and reporting period: Identify who submitted the record and the week, month, or other period it covers.
- Date: Record the day the work occurred, rather than only the date you entered it.
- Client, project, or work code: Make it possible to sort work when you serve multiple clients or projects.
- Task description: Describe the work in concrete, concise terms, such as “reviewed survey responses” rather than “consulting.”
- Time worked: Enter hours or start and end times, along with any break treatment the form requires.
- Billable status: Separate billable and non-billable time where that distinction applies. Do not assume every client-related activity is billable.
- Review fields: Include an approver, submission date, or status only if your process needs one.
A field for notes can clarify unusual entries, such as a schedule change or a task that spans two workstreams. Avoid turning the description field into a diary. The aim is enough detail to identify the work, not a minute-by-minute narrative of every action.
How to Fill In a Timesheet Accurately
Use the same method from one reporting period to the next. A consistent routine makes totals easier to check and reduces vague or forgotten entries. A practical sequence is:
- Set up the period. Enter your name, the correct date range, and the client or project identifiers used in the engagement.
- Log work promptly. Record a task when it is complete or at a regular point during the day. If you reconstruct time later, check your calendar, work notes, and deliverables rather than guessing.
- Describe the activity. Use a short phrase that identifies the task and, when helpful, the output. “Prepared draft interview guide” is more informative than “research.”
- Calculate the duration. Apply the same rounding and break rules required by the client or your own process. If the form asks for start and end times, enter both rather than only a daily total.
- Classify and total. Mark billable status according to the applicable agreement, then check daily and period totals.
- Review before sending. Look for duplicate entries, missing dates, unclear project names, and arithmetic mistakes. Submit through the agreed channel and retain a copy.
For example, a consultant who spends 90 minutes reviewing a draft and 30 minutes discussing revisions should generally make the tasks distinguishable if the client expects task-level detail. Combining them into a single two-hour entry may be acceptable under a simple reporting process, but separate lines make later questions easier to answer.
Billable and Non-Billable Time
Billable time is time that may be charged to a client under the applicable engagement terms. Non-billable time is time recorded for tracking or business purposes but not charged to that client. The categories are useful for clarity, but the label in a timesheet does not create permission to invoice an activity.
Depending on the agreement, examples that may need separate treatment include client meetings, travel, preparation, revisions, training, internal administration, and business development. The same activity can be handled differently across engagements. If the client has given a coding guide or written instructions, use those definitions instead of inventing your own.
Keep project time separate from non-client work when practical. If you spend an hour preparing a proposal for a prospective client and three hours delivering an existing project, recording all four hours under the existing client would make the record misleading. If it is unclear how to classify a particular activity, ask the client contact or review the engagement documentation before submitting it.
Choosing a Daily, Weekly, or Monthly Format
A daily log provides the most room to distinguish tasks and is often useful when work changes frequently. A weekly sheet groups entries into a familiar review period without requiring a separate document for each day. A monthly summary is compact, but it can make detailed review harder if it contains only one total per project.
Choose the shortest period that still supports the required level of review. Consider these factors:
- Submission deadline: A weekly approval cycle calls for a form that can be completed and checked weekly.
- Number of projects: Several simultaneous assignments may need separate project codes or sections.
- Level of detail: Task-level billing requires more than a monthly total.
- Work pattern: Irregular schedules are easier to explain with dated entries and start/end times.
- Review needs: If a manager approves entries, leave room for review status or comments.
A template should be easy to use repeatedly. Adding many fields “just in case” can make it harder to maintain, while removing a required project code or approval field can cause avoidable rework. Start with the information needed for reporting and add optional fields only when they solve a real problem.
Common Timesheet Problems and How to Prevent Them
One common problem is filling in an entire period from memory. General descriptions such as “client work” may not help a reviewer understand the entry, and remembered durations can be imprecise. Short, timely notes are usually more useful than trying to recreate a detailed record at submission time.
Another issue is inconsistent rounding. For instance, recording some tasks to the nearest five minutes and others to the nearest half-hour can make totals difficult to interpret. Follow the client’s stated convention, if one exists; otherwise, choose a consistent method for your own internal tracking and clearly distinguish it from any client-required format.
Other avoidable errors include:
- Entering the wrong reporting dates or assigning work to the wrong project.
- Counting a break twice or subtracting a break that was not included in the recorded interval.
- Using descriptions so broad that a reviewer cannot identify the task.
- Copying a previous week’s row and forgetting to update its date or project.
- Submitting a total that does not match the individual entries.
A final review can catch many of these issues. Compare the entries against your calendar and work records, then verify that subtotals add up. If a submitted timesheet needs correction, follow the client’s process and preserve a clear record of the change rather than quietly replacing a version that has already been approved.
Approval, Recordkeeping, and Privacy
Agree on practical submission details at the beginning of an engagement: how often to submit, who reviews the entries, what identifiers to use, and how corrections are handled. A client may require a particular format or approval step. When no specific process is given, a clean dated record with clear descriptions and totals is easier to discuss than an informal list.
Keep copies of submitted timesheets and related approvals in an organized location, using sensible file names such as the reporting period and project. Retain only the information needed for the work and avoid placing confidential client material in a general notes field. A task description can identify an activity without reproducing sensitive content or personal details.
For questions about tax treatment, employment classification, or the legal meaning of contract terms, ask a qualified professional; a timesheet template cannot settle those questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a consultant include on a timesheet?
At minimum, include the work date, client or project, task description, and time spent. Add billable status, approval details, or start and end times when the engagement or review process calls for them.
Should consultants record non-billable hours?
They can be useful for understanding how time is spent and keeping client work distinct from internal or business-development activity. Whether a particular activity is chargeable depends on the agreement, not simply on whether it appears on the timesheet.
How often should I submit a consultant timesheet?
Follow the client’s stated schedule or the terms of the engagement. If no schedule is specified, agree on one with the client contact; a regular weekly or monthly routine is generally easier to review than irregular submissions.
Can I use a timesheet for fixed-fee consulting work?
Yes. Recording time can help track project effort and make scope discussions more concrete even when payment is not calculated by the hour. Keep the time record separate from any claim about what the fixed fee covers.
How detailed should a timesheet description be?
Use enough detail for a reviewer to recognize the task and its connection to the project. “Analyzed interview notes and summarized recurring themes” is clearer than “analysis,” while a long narrative is rarely necessary.
Can I change a timesheet after submitting it?
Follow the client’s correction process. Explain what changed and keep a copy of the corrected version and any approval, so the record shows which submission is current.