Why digital tools make sense in the trades
Tracking time, writing quotes, organising projects or measuring rooms - in the trades, many of these tasks cost unnecessary time when they are still done on paper. The good news: there are simple digital helpers today that are geared exactly to the needs of carpentry and joinery businesses - with no IT knowledge and no training effort. Across four categories we show you which apps are genuinely useful, what they concretely bring to your business, and how you can work more digitally step by step without turning everything upside down.
Time tracking & absence management
clockin - time tracking simply via app
clockin is an app developed specifically for trades businesses for time tracking and absence documentation. Employees can record their working hours very easily via the smartphone app, a tablet or the browser. Particularly handy: the app works in the workshop, at the customer's site or in the office. Absences such as vacation or sickness can also be documented without any fuss.
Target group: Small and mid-sized carpentry and joinery businesses with mobile teams.
Advantages:
- Very easy to use, project hours, breaks and absences can be recorded
- No extra device needed, location-based and legally compliant
Disadvantages:
- no classic time clock for the office included (app/tablet only)
Pricing:
- Starter: from €3.59/user/month
- Pro: from €6.29/user/month
- Shift planning from €24 / month
- No setup costs, free 14-day trial
TimeTac - time tracking and vacation planning for growing teams
TimeTac offers a somewhat more extensive solution for recording working hours, project hours and absences. Alongside the app, chip terminals are available too.
Target group: Mid-sized carpentry and joinery businesses with fixed structures and regular workforce planning.
Advantages:
- Comprehensive time tracking including vacation and sickness
- Location-based time tracking (e.g. job site vs. workshop)
- Adaptable to shift schedules and part-time models
Disadvantages:
- Possibly too extensive for small businesses
- Setup and administration somewhat more complex
Pricing:
- Base fee: €19.50/ month
- Working time tracking: €5.20/user/month
- Project time tracking: €9.00/user/month
- Vacation management: €3.40/user/month
Invoicing & accounting
sevDesk - flexible accounting for the self-employed
sevDesk is cloud-based software for invoicing, quote management and accounting, particularly suited to small businesses and the self-employed. You can write quotes and invoices in a few clicks, digitise receipts and even prepare your advance VAT return.
Target group: small and mid-sized carpentry and joinery businesses
Advantages:
- Easy entry into digital accounting
- Flexibly adaptable, e.g. for tax codes
- DATEV export for tax advisors possible
Disadvantages:
- Somewhat more error-prone if used incorrectly
Pricing:
- €10.36/month (invoicing & accounting)
- Extra features such as banking and dunning cost more
- 14-day free trial
Lexware Office - a simple & safe start
Lexware Office offers an easy-to-follow solution for invoicing and accounting, ideal for trades businesses with no prior experience. The software guides you through the processes - from the quote to the annual accounts - and stays legally compliant and clearly laid out while doing so.
Target group: Self-employed people and small carpentry and joinery businesses looking for a straightforward, safe solution for their office work.
Advantages:
- Very easy to use
- Good legal certainty thanks to updates
- Ideally suited to typical standard cases
Disadvantages:
- Less individually adaptable than sevDesk
Pricing:
- €19.90/month (complete package)
- Desktop software for Windows, cloud solution with Lexware Office optional
- 30-day free trial
Project organisation & communication
clockin - project overview, checklists & communication
clockin also offers practical features for digital project documentation. Every project can be captured directly in the app with photos, notes, checklists and further information - right where the work happens. That brings more clarity to day-to-day work: you know the status of your projects at any time - with no constant asking around or phone calls.
Target group: Ideal for businesses that run several projects at once and do not want to lose track - and want to do without paperwork while they are at it.
Advantages:
- Everything important about a project in one place
- Customer communication and internal team coordination built in
- Clear scheduling without Excel
Disadvantages:
- No in-depth materials management or costing
Pricing:
- Time tracking & documentation: from €7.99/user/month
- AI video documentation from €79 / month
- AI call notes from €49 / month
- AI phone assistant from €99 / month
- No setup costs, free trial available
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Craftnote - the digital construction file for your team
Craftnote replaces the classic project folder with a digital construction file in which you share plans, photos, tasks and messages with your team.
Target group: Small and medium-sized carpentry and joinery businesses that want to document their job site better
Advantages:
- Intuitive to use, built specifically for tradespeople
- All project information in one place
Disadvantages:
- No time tracking or invoicing
- No materials management
Pricing:
- Office: €29.90/user/month
- Job site: €14.90/user/month
- Office Plus: €49.90/user/month
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Measuring, sketches & planning
magicplan - measuring app for a quick start
With magicplan you can measure rooms using a smartphone or tablet and create floor plans from them – with no folding rule and no CAD knowledge. The app automatically recognises walls, windows and doors. You can insert furniture, adjust dimensions and export the floor plan as a PDF or CAD file
Target group: Sole carpenters or small businesses who want to put together a room concept quickly at the customer's place or on the job site.
Advantages:
- No technical background needed
- Extremely fast - ideal for customer appointments or preparing quotes
- Export formats usable for further planning
Disadvantages:
- Less suitable for exact custom work or workshop planning
- Export function only available in the paid version
Pricing:
- from €250 / month
SketchUp - 3D furniture planning for beginners
Sketchup is simple but powerful 3D CAD software with which you can design furniture, fitted units or whole rooms digitally. The software offers many templates and is intuitive to use - ideal for showing customers designs or for your own planning.
Target group: Carpentry and joinery businesses focused on furniture making, interior fit-out or shopfitting that are looking for an easy way into CAD software.
Advantages:
- 3D visualisation for better communication
- Browser-based and desktop version available
- Large community and lots of tutorials
Disadvantages:
- Takes a little getting used to
- No connection to the workshop or materials management
Pricing:
- from €10.25 / month / user
Conclusion: the right app for your carpentry or joinery business
Digital tools can make your day-to-day work noticeably easier - provided they fit your business. What matters is: which processes do you want to digitise? How many people work with them? And how much flexibility do you need day to day?
One particularly important factor is integrations: you will not find the one solution that has every feature you need. But many tools offer integrations with other solutions. Personal data, absences, material quantities and so on can then be transferred automatically. Only when your tools talk to each other do you gain real time savings. A good solution connects project time tracking with invoicing, for instance - that way you avoid double entry and keep an overview.
We recommend starting with a smaller step such as working time tracking and looking there, for example, for the integration with your payroll accounting software. From there you can add absences or project documentation either with a new tool or by upgrading the plan of one you already have.
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