Timecard admin tips

by Dale Davidson March 18, 2026

As a 1099, you may have to use the prime's timekeeping system (Unanet, Deltek, etc.).

You'll also want to keep track of your billable hours in your own spreadsheet as well to make sure it's consistent.

If you do keep track in both places, here's what I recommend:

Log your hours in both your system and the prime's system at the same time. This reduces any inconsistencies at invoice times
Ask the prime if they can give you access to to a report that allows you to see a summary of your hours and the entries. Sometimes you can only see the hours if your time card is open. This will help you resolve any discrepenacies.
If an invoice is auto-generated from the prime's system, ask for an invoice schedule. I had a project where the prime would not do a simple full month invoice. It would go from the first full week of the month to the last full week, leading to situations where I have an invoice for most of March, and then one for a week that goes from the end of March into April.

Invoicing is not a huge deal but if there is an error or inconsistency it can be a pain in the butt to find out what happened. If you follow the tips above, you should be able to prevent and/or resolve any issues efficiently.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.