How to save 20–30 hours/week running a contracting business

Why Contractors Are Always “Working Late”

If you’re in construction, you already know the feeling: the jobsite shuts down for the day, but your work is far from over. You’re chasing down receipts, trying to get estimates sent, or entering numbers into QuickBooks while your family eats dinner without you.

For most contractors, 70–80 hours a week is the norm. But here’s the truth: the majority of that extra time isn’t spent building—it’s wasted on manual paperwork and outdated systems.

What if you could win back 20–30 hours every single week? That’s almost an extra 3 working days every month—time you could use to grow your business, spend with family, or simply stop burning out.

This article shows you how modern systems and automation can give you that time back.

The Hidden Time Costs of Manual Admin

Let’s break down where contractors actually lose time:

1. Estimates & Approvals
   • Creating an estimate in Excel.
   • Emailing it to the client.
   • Waiting days (sometimes weeks) for a signature.
   • Printing, scanning, or texting screenshots.
   • Then finally moving the job into scheduling.
   What should take 30 minutes can stretch into 3–5 hours across multiple follow-ups.
2. Invoicing & Payments
   • Manually writing invoices in QuickBooks.
   • Double-entering job details from notes or spreadsheets.
   • Calling or texting clients to remind them to pay.
   Average turnaround for contractors? 21–30 days to get paid.
3. Time Tracking & Receipts
   • Chasing subcontractors for hours worked.
   • Collecting gas receipts, material slips, and handwritten notes.
   • Entering everything into a spreadsheet.
   That alone can burn 5–10 hours per week—and it’s usually your Sunday.
4. Project Management
   • Assigning tasks verbally or over text.
   • Forgetting who was supposed to do what.
   • Spending half the morning re-organizing crews.
   These “little” inefficiencies add up to dozens of wasted hours every month.

How Automation Changes the Game

Now let’s see what happens when you use an all-in-one system built for contractors.

1. Estimates & Approvals in One Flow
   • Create an estimate directly in your CRM.
   • Send to the client via email/SMS with a digital approval button.
   • Once approved, the system automatically creates the project in your calendar.
   What used to take days now takes hours.
2. Automated Invoicing & Payments
   • Approvals instantly generate invoices.
   • Invoices sync to QuickBooks or Zoho Books.
   • Clients get automated reminders until payment is made.
   Contractors who switch to automated invoicing reduce payment delays by 50% or more.
3. Time Tracking via SMS
   • Subs get a daily text: “Reply with hours, receipts, and photos.”
   • They respond in 30 seconds.
   • Data flows directly into timesheets, job costing, and accounting.
   Instead of chasing subs all week, you’ve got real-time project data every night.
4. Integrated Project Management
   • Assign tasks inside the system.
   • Everyone gets updates automatically.
   • Milestones, approvals, and timesheets are tied to the same job record.
   No more “Who’s doing what?” conversations every morning.

Real-World Impact: Saving 20–30 Hours a Week

Let’s put numbers on it.

• Estimates & Approvals: Save 5 hours/week.
• Invoicing & Payments: Save 7 hours/week.
• Time Tracking: Save 6 hours/week.
• Project Management: Save 4 hours/week.
• Follow-ups & Reminders: Save 3–5 hours/week.

That’s 25–30 hours saved every week.

If you bill your own time at even $70/hour (and most owners are worth more), that’s $1,750–$2,100 saved weekly. Over a year, that’s $90,000+ in regained productivity.

Case Example: From 80-Hour Weeks to Evenings Free

Mike, a general contractor, used to spend:

• 2–3 hours per night chasing receipts and subs.
• Sundays entering time logs and preparing invoices.
• Fridays calling clients for payments.

After moving to an automated platform:

• Invoices generate instantly after approval.
• Subs log hours via SMS.
• Clients get automatic reminders (he doesn’t even have to think about it).

Now Mike leaves the office by 5:30 most days. His evenings are his own again.

The Bigger Picture: Freedom, Growth, and Profit

Saving time isn’t just about working less—it’s about building a healthier, more profitable business:

• Better cash flow: No more waiting weeks for payments.
• Fewer mistakes: No double-entry, no lost receipts.
• Happier clients: Faster estimates and smoother communication.
• Room to grow: With freed-up time, you can focus on sales, hiring, or scaling.

Conclusion: Your Time Is Too Valuable to Waste

Contractors don’t go into business to become bookkeepers. Yet too many lose 20–30 hours every week to admin tasks that can (and should) be automated.

With ContractorLogic, you get contractor-tested workflows that save time, reduce stress, and keep money flowing.