How to use it
- Download the .docx and replace the bracketed text.
- One row per task or per day. “Homepage build, 3 hours” is checkable; “website work” is not.
- Enter hours as decimals: 0.25 for 15 minutes, 0.5 for 30 minutes. State the rounding rule in the notes.
- Calculate each amount, the total hours and the total due, and type them in.
- Print or save as PDF and ask the client to sign the approval line before you invoice.
Why get a client signature?
There is no federal rule that an independent contractor must keep a timesheet, but the signature is evidence. If a client later says the hours were never approved, a sheet with dates, tasks, hours and their own sign-off answers the question.
Word vs Excel
Word is better when you want to print and sign a sheet. If you want the hours and amounts to total automatically, use the Excel timesheet template or the online timesheet generator.
Round once
Round each entry, not the weekly total, so the arithmetic stays visible. Put the rule on the sheet and apply it consistently. Do not bill breaks you were not working through or travel time the contract does not allow.