Time tracking and timesheet software for architects
Updated 2026-10-28 · Written by the Feestead team
Architecture firms run long projects with many phases, a fixed fee to protect and a team whose hours decide whether the job makes money. Harvest's new usage-based pricing charges for every project and client on top of that. Feestead keeps the simple timesheet your studio already knows and charges per person only.
How architects track time in Feestead
- Phases as tasks. Add Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding and Construction Administration as tasks. Everyone logs time against a phase, and reports show hours and fees per phase without a spreadsheet.
- Project numbers. Give every job its project code (2026-014, say) so timesheets, reports and exports match your filing system.
- Fixed fee or hourly. Mark a project as fixed fee, or bill hourly by project, by task or by person, the same three models Harvest uses.
- Fee and hours budgets. Set a budget in hours or money per project and watch the progress bar before a phase eats the fee. Need a budget for each phase? Create one project per phase under the same client.
- Additional services. Log change-order work as its own billable task, so it never hides inside the base fee.
- Team capacity. Weekly hours against capacity for every person, so you see who has room before the next deadline.
- Locked after invoicing. Export unbilled time as invoice lines for QuickBooks or Xero, mark it invoiced, and those entries lock.
What a small studio pays
| Studio | Feestead, billed yearly | Feestead, monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 4 people | $36/month ($432/year) | $44/month |
| 8 people | $72/month ($864/year) | $88/month |
| 15 people | $135/month ($1,620/year) | $165/month |
No fees per project, client, task or invoice, so a firm with 60 active jobs pays the same as one with 6. Your price is locked for 24 months. Compare with your own renewal quote in the Harvest pricing calculator.
Moving your firm from Harvest
- An admin pastes a Harvest token and imports everything: people, clients, projects, tasks, rates and every time entry.
- Check the reconciliation: hours, entry counts and billable amounts per project are compared with Harvest's own numbers.
- Invite the team. Imported people keep their history and rates.
- Run both tools for a week, re-import on cut-over day, then cancel Harvest.
Moving to a different tool instead? Our free Harvest migration checker compares the two exports project by project. And keep a full backup either way: see how to export all your Harvest data.
When Feestead is not the right fit
Feestead is a time tracker, not full practice management. There are no AIA G702/G703 invoices, no expenses or consultant reimbursables and no project accounting. If you need those in one system, look at architecture-specific practice management software. If what you liked about Harvest was a fast timesheet and clear reports, at a price that doesn't grow with your project list, Feestead is built for that.
FAQ
Can I track time by design phase?
Yes. Set up your phases as tasks (SD, DD, CD, Bidding, CA) and every report breaks hours and fees down by phase.
How do I handle fees based on a percentage of construction cost?
Calculate the fee and enter it as the project's fixed fee. Time tracking against it works the same way, and the budget bar shows how much of the fee the hours have used.
Will our Harvest reports and scripts keep working?
For time tracking data, yes: Feestead serves a Harvest-compatible API, so most scripts only need a new base URL and token.
Is there a free trial?
7 days free, no card required. Then $9 per person/month billed yearly ($108/person/year), or $11 monthly.
Running a broader creative studio? See time tracking for agencies and our free billable utilization calculator.
Move from Harvest without losing a minute
Paste a Harvest token, import everything, and check every project against Harvest's numbers before you cancel. 7 days free, then $9 per person/month billed yearly ($108/person/year), or $11 monthly, with no usage fees.