Step-by-Step Workflow to Process T&M Tickets

In construction, Time and Material tickets aren’t just paperwork, they’re your proof of work. Subcontractors often face situations where extra labor, unforeseen site conditions, or scope changes arise that aren’t covered under the original contract. This is where T&M tickets come in: they capture the real-time hours, materials, and equipment you’ve invested, giving you a documented trail that ensures you get paid for every bit of work completed."

Without a clear process, it’s easy for tickets to get lost, delayed, or disputed, putting your revenue at risk. Processing T&M tickets efficiently keeps you protected, speeds up approvals, and provides transparency to the GC or client. Done right, T&M logs become your strongest defense against unpaid work and your clearest path to recovering costs on jobsite changes. This guide provides step-by-step best practices, workflows, and tips on how to optimize processing T&M tickets.

Step 1. Collect Data on Site in Real-Time

• Use a time and material form to collect data (if you don’t have one you can download one here)
• Ensure each ticket includes:
  
  • Description & Date of the work complete
  • Crew member names or position/classifications 
  • Hours worked
  • Materials used (with quantities)
  • Equipment used
  • Project/cost code
• Use a time and material tracking app to avoid lost paper forms, like BenchMarx.

Best Practice: Always have crew members digitally sign off on completed tasks before submitting. This creates accountability, verifies accuracy in hours and materials, and ensures your T&M records hold up against any client review or dispute.

Step 2. Submit T&M Tickets for Review

• Tickets should be submitted to the site supervisor, project manager or owner, daily.
• Best Practice: Ensure you create a log of your submission to keep track of all your tickets to know whose court the T&M ticket is in. Download the free T&M log template or sign up for BenchMarx and have the system create a real time automated log for your project team. 

Best Practice: Keep a Detailed T&M Log
To avoid confusion and missed payments, it’s essential to maintain a clear record of all your T&M submissions. A well-structured log helps you track each ticket, see which party is responsible for the next action, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

Instead of juggling spreadsheets or paper logs, you can:

• Download our free excel T&M Log Excel Template to start organizing your submissions today.
• Sign up for BenchMarx to let the platform automatically generate a real-time, digital log for your project team, keeping everyone aligned and accountable.

Step 3. Have Your Client/Owner Review and Approve Tickets

After your crew completes a T&M ticket, get client or owner approval right away. Clear and timely communication at this stage is what secures payment.

• Submit Same Day: Present the ticket on the day the work is done to avoid disputes and give the owner immediate visibility.
• Check Accuracy: Confirm hours, materials, and equipment are all listed. Incomplete tickets risk rejection.
• Keep It Clear: Make sure the ticket is legible and easy to understand, whether paper or digital.
• Get Immediate Sign-Off: Have the owner sign on-site as soon as they review the work.
• Give Them a Copy: Hand over a carbon copy if using paper, or use a system that automatically shares a signed digital copy like BenchMarx.

Step 4. Summarize Your T&M Tickets for Billing

Once your tickets are signed and approved, organize them into a clear cost summary for billing. This step ensures your client sees the full breakdown of labor, materials, and equipment costs in one place, without flipping through piles of tickets.

• Download our Free Excel Time and Material Billing Template to create a professional cost summary.
• Or use the free BenchMarx Cost Summary tool to generate automated reports straight from your approved tickets. Your project team gets accurate, real-time billing documents without manual data entry.

Best Practices for Time & Material Tracking

• Digital-first approach – Minimize paper forms; capture data directly in a mobile app.
• Daily submission – Avoid delays by logging T&M data daily.
• Automated workflows – Use BenchMarx to reduce human errors in approvals and invoicing.
• Clear tagging rules – Standardize what is recorded for labor, materials, and equipment.
• Audit regularly – Check tickets against time sheets and material logs to prevent errors.
• Integrate systems – Sync T&M data with accounting software for seamless billing.

Use our FREE Time and Material Tracking App

Relying on paper slips or spreadsheets for T&M tracking can cost you time, money, and accuracy. Mistakes, delays, and missed billable work slip through the cracks, leaving revenue on the table. With BenchMarx’s Time and Material Tracking App, contractors can log work daily, automate approvals, and integrate seamlessly with project workflows, keeping every T&M ticket accurate and up to date.

Protect your revenue, simplify field reporting, and spend less time chasing paperwork. Sign up for BenchMarx’s T&M tracking app today and start capturing every hour, material, and equipment cost in real time.