How to Set Up Automatic Time Rounding for Clean Invoices

Many professionals bill in increments rather than exact minutes. Lawyers might bill in 6-minute increments, consultants in 15-minute blocks, and contractors in 30-minute chunks. Timesheet's rounding feature automatically adjusts your tracked time to these intervals.

This guide shows you how to configure rounding for clean, professional invoices.

#Why Round Time?

#Industry Standards

Many industries have established billing increments:

• Legal: Often 6-minute (0.1 hour) increments
• Consulting: Typically 15-minute increments
• Trades/Contractors: Often 30-minute or hourly increments
• Creative services: Varies widely

#Simpler Invoices

Rounded time creates cleaner invoices:

• 2.25 hours instead of 2:17:43
• Easier for clients to understand
• More professional appearance

#Predictable Billing

Clients appreciate knowing:

• Minimum billing increment
• How time will be calculated
• No surprises from odd minutes

#Simplified Calculations

Round numbers are easier to:

• Calculate totals
• Verify accuracy
• Process in accounting systems

#Rounding Options in Timesheet

Timesheet offers several rounding intervals:

#How Rounding Works

When rounding is enabled, time is typically rounded up to the nearest interval:

Note: Rounding typically rounds up, following the principle that any work started in an increment should be billed for that increment.

#Configuring Global Rounding

#Access Rounding Settings

1. Go to Settings
2. Find Time Rounding or Billing Settings
3. Select your preferred interval
4. Save

#This Affects

• All new time entries
• Reports and statistics
• Exports and invoices

#Per-Project Rounding

Different clients may have different expectations. Timesheet allows per-project rounding settings.

#Setting Project-Specific Rounding

1. Open the project
2. Go to project settings
3. Find Rounding setting
4. Select:
   • Use global setting (inherits from app settings)
   • Custom interval (choose specific interval)
   • No rounding (track exact time)
5. Save

#When to Use Per-Project Rounding

Different client agreements:

• Client A: 15-minute increments per contract
• Client B: Actual time per their preference
• Client C: 30-minute minimums

Different work types:

• Consulting project: 15-minute rounding
• Support tickets: Exact time
• Retainer work: Hourly rounding

#Rounding and Reports

#In Statistics

Statistics can show either:

• Rounded durations (for billing accuracy)
• Actual durations (for productivity analysis)

Check your settings to ensure you're viewing the appropriate data.

#In Exports

When exporting data:

• Rounded values appear by default
• Some exports may offer both rounded and actual columns
• Verify your export includes the values you need

#Best Practices for Time Rounding

#Document Your Policy

Communicate your rounding policy to clients:

• In contracts and engagement letters
• On invoices (footnote)
• Verbally when discussing rates

#Example Contract Language

"Time is billed in 15-minute increments. Any portion of an increment will be rounded up to the full increment."

#Be Consistent

Once you establish a rounding policy:

• Apply it consistently to all work
• Don't change mid-project without notice
• Document any exceptions

#Consider the Ethics

Rounding is standard practice, but:

• Don't abuse small tasks (a 1-minute email shouldn't become 15 minutes)
• Group related small tasks together
• Be prepared to explain your billing if questioned

#Match Industry Norms

Research what's standard in your industry:

• Ask peers what they do
• Check professional association guidelines
• Consider client expectations

#Choosing the Right Interval

#5-Minute Rounding

Best for:

• High-volume, short tasks
• Technical support
• When clients expect precision

Consider if:

• You have many small tasks
• Clients question larger increments

#15-Minute Rounding

Best for:

• Professional services
• Most consulting work
• General knowledge work

The sweet spot for most professionals—meaningful increment without excessive rounding.

#30-Minute Rounding

Best for:

• Trades and contractors
• On-site service calls
• When minimum engagement is expected

Consider if:

• You have travel time built into services
• Industry standard is half-hour minimums

#60-Minute Rounding

Best for:

• Retainer work
• Training sessions
• Workshop delivery

Consider if:

• Work naturally occurs in hour blocks
• Clients expect hourly billing

#Handling Edge Cases

#Very Short Tasks

A 2-minute phone call with 15-minute rounding becomes a 15-minute charge. Handle this by:

• Grouping with related tasks
• Using a smaller rounding interval for small tasks
• Having a minimum billable policy instead of rounding

#Multiple Short Tasks Same Day

If you have many small tasks for the same client:

• Consider daily totals instead of per-task rounding
• Or batch related small tasks together
• Document your approach consistently

#Non-Billable Time

For non-billable work:

• Rounding may not matter
• Consider tracking actual time for internal analysis
• Use per-project settings to disable rounding

#Common Questions

Does rounding affect actual tracked time? No. Timesheet records actual time. Rounding is applied for display and billing purposes.

Can I see both rounded and actual time? Yes. Task details typically show both values. Exports can include both columns.

What if a client objects to rounding? Discuss their preferences. You can set their project to no rounding or a smaller interval.

Is rounding up standard? In professional services, yes. Rounding up is the norm, following "any started increment is billed."

Can I round down instead? This isn't typical, but you could manually adjust entries if needed for specific situations.

#Summary

Time rounding in Timesheet helps create professional invoices:

• Choose your interval: 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes
• Configure globally: Default setting for all projects
• Per-project override: Different settings for different clients
• Communicate clearly: Document your rounding policy
• Apply consistently: Same rules for all work

Professional billing means predictable, transparent invoices—and time rounding helps achieve that.

#What's Next?

With rounding configured:

• Generate invoices with clean, rounded time entries
• Export reports showing professional billing increments
• Review statistics to understand your actual vs. billed time

Configure your rounding settings today for more professional invoices tomorrow.