TLDR (Summary)
The best time tracking software for interior designers is Plutio ($19/month).
Interior designers need time tracking for hourly billing, project margin analysis, and pricing estimates. Plutio tracks time by project and phase with direct invoice connection.
Designers using time tracking better profits by understanding actual project time and pricing future work accurately.
For additional strategies, read our freelance time tracking guide.
What is time tracking for interior designers?
Time Tracking software for interior designers is software that handles hours logging and budgets, tracks status, sends automated notifications, and connects time-tracking directly to projects.
The distinction matters: basic tools handle one function in isolation, while interior designers-focused time tracking software combines multiple functions while connecting to project management, clients communication, and workflow automation.
What interior designers time tracking software actually does
Core functions include creating branded templates with your logo and colors, setting up recurring workflows for retainer clients, converting tracked work into billable items, handling different projects types, sending automated reminders at intervals you choose, and providing clients with a branded portal. Advanced platforms add workflow automation where completed steps automatically trigger the next action.
Standalone time-tracking vs integrated platforms
standalone applications like time tracking software, standalone timers, a time tracker handle time-tracking as an isolated function. You enter client details manually, create items from scratch, and track status in a separate system from projects. Integrated platforms like Plutio connect time-tracking with proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and clients communication. When you finish a project, Plutio already knows the scope, the tracked hours, and the client's history.
What makes interior designers time-tracking different
Interior Designers face unique scenarios that generic time tracking software struggles with: hourly work; budget tracking; margin analysis; and projects scope that can shift mid-engagement. Without time-tracking that connects to projects status, the process becomes disconnected from the work itself.
Interior Designers projects also range dramatically in value. A small project and a large one both need time-tracking, but the structure, schedule, and follow-up sequence differ completely. Time Tracking software built for interior designers handles these variations through templates rather than manual setup each time.
When time-tracking connects to projects, contracts, and time tracking, the manual copying between apps disappears. Changes update everywhere automatically, and time-tracking reflects what actually happened instead of what you remember to enter.
Why interior designers need time tracking software
Interior Designers who grow beyond a handful of active clients face a compounding problem: every new client adds admin work that does not scale, and time-to-invoice conversion is where that admin tends to pile up.
Lead tracking, quoting, project management, payment follow-ups, and clients communication multiply with each engagement. Without a system that connects these functions, details fall through cracks, time-tracking tasks accumulate during busy projects phases, and Spending evenings catching up on admin instead of resting or doing interior design work.
The unbilled hours problem
According to industry research, 36% goes. For interior designers specifically, that means 10-15 hours per week spent on non-billable tasks: unbilled hours, inaccurate estimates, extra work, and responding to clients questions.
If you bill at $75/hour, those 10 hours of admin represent $750/week of potential billable time. That's over $3,000/month in opportunity cost, not counting the mental energy spent on context switching between interior design work and administrative tasks.
The fragmentation problem
You designers stack 4-7 disconnected tools: CAD software, mood boards, procurement tools, and email for client communication. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically.
Automated reports create daily friction: logging into multiple platforms to piece together a client's history, copying details from one system to another, manually cross-referencing entries with project scope, and hoping that the terms you quoted match what you're actually delivering. The cognitive admin work adds up, and the risk of errors increases with every manual handoff.
The inaccurate estimates epidemic
Inaccurate estimates affects nearly every interior designer at some point. According to research, 50-70% late, with the average invoice paid 20 days.
The issue compounds because interior designers often work on multiple projects with different schedules. Manual tracking across spreadsheets or disconnected tools leads to missed tasks, forgotten follow-ups, and opportunities left on the table.
The scaling tipping point
You designers hit a threshold around 8-12 active clients where the manual approach breaks down. At this point, you're either spending more time on admin than interior design work, or you're dropping balls. Tasks go out late, follow-ups get missed, and you start turning down good work because you can't imagine adding more complexity to an already chaotic system.
Connected time tracking software absorbs the admin work that would otherwise scale linearly with each new client. Plutio handles routine time-tracking tasks, tracking, and follow-ups automatically, leaving interior designers to focus on the work that actually generates revenue.
Time tracking features interior designers need
The essential time-tracking features for interior designers connect hours logging and budgets with projects delivery, time tracking, and clients communication while handling the unique patterns that interior design work requires.
Core time-tracking features
- Custom templates: Add your logo, brand colors, typography, and terms. Create different templates for hourly work, budget tracking, margin analysis. Set up once and apply with one click.
- Multiple payment methods: Accept credit cards through Stripe (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), bank transfers via ACH (typically 0.8%), or PayPal. Offering multiple options increases completion speed.
- Automated reminders: Configure reminders before due dates, on due dates, and after. Follow-ups send automatically without you drafting messages or remembering to check status.
- Recurring automation: Schedule recurring tasks for retainer clients that send automatically on set dates. Pair with automation to complete without either party taking action.
- Time-to-billing conversion: Select tracked time entries from projects and convert directly to billable items. No copying hours from a time tracker. The description, duration, and rate pull automatically.
- Expense tracking: Log projects expenses with receipts attached. Add to clients billing at cost or with markup (common practice is 10-15%).
Interior Designers-specific features
- Deposit collection: Request upfront payment before work begins. Industry standard is 25-50% deposit. Plutio should connect deposits to final billing automatically.
- Milestone billing: Split projects payment across phases. Each milestone triggers its own action when you mark that phase complete.
- Revision tracking: When scope expands beyond contracted revisions, the billing should reflect additional work. Connect revision logs to billing so extra rounds generate accurate charges.
- Proposal-to-project flow: When a client accepts a proposal, the schedule should generate automatically based on the payment terms defined.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors, and fonts. All clients-facing communications show your brand. clients never see the software vendor's name.
- Unified inbox: All clients messages, projects comments, and notifications arrive in one place. Reply without switching to email. Conversation history stays attached for context.
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Contractors see only their assigned work. clients see their portal, not your internal notes or margins.
- Customizable navigation: Rename menu items to match how you talk about your work. Hide features you don't use to reduce clutter.
- Mobile apps: iOS and Android apps for full functionality on the go. Work from anywhere with the same capabilities as desktop.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Set up once, runs continuously.
The deciding factor for interior designers is integration depth. Time Tracking software that connects with proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and clients communication eliminates the duplicate data entry that consumes hours every week.
time tracking software pricing for interior designers
time tracking software for interior designers typically costs $0-15 per user per month for separate tools, with integrated platforms providing complete functionality.
What interior designers typically pay for time tracking
- time tracking software: Free-$18/user/month
- a time tracker: Free-$12/user/month
- Houzz Pro: $65-119/month (includes time tracking)
- standalone timers: $12/user/month
separate tools work but require manual data export. Integrated platforms connect time to billing.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Time tracking plus proposals, contracts, projects, invoicing.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, team features, advanced permissions.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, advanced reporting, full white-labeling.
The ROI calculation for interior designers
- Captured billables: Hours that would otherwise go unbilled
- Better pricing: Future projects priced accurately
- Margin insight: Understand which projects pay
Time tracking ROI is captured revenue. Billable hours recorded become billable hours invoiced.
Why Plutio is the best time tracking for interior designers
Plutio handles time-tracking as part of a complete platform where proposals, contracts, projects, time tracking, and clients communication work together rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
Complete workflow integration
When a client accepts your proposal, Plutio can automatically create the project, set up the time-tracking schedule based on milestone payments, and prepare the contract for signing. When they sign, setup tasks generate. When you track time on interior design work, those hours attach to the project. When a milestone completes, the action triggers. Every step connects to the next without copying data between systems.
White-label everything
Use your own domain (clients.yourstudio.com instead of plutio.com/yourusername). Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your brand: proposals, contracts, invoices, portals, emails, receipts. clients never see "Plutio" or any indication you're using third-party software. Professional presentation matters for interior designers because brand perception affects perceived value and justifies premium pricing.
Unified inbox for all clients communication
When a client messages about a project, responds to a proposal, approves work, or asks about billing, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without opening email. The conversation history stays attached to that client's record, so months later when they return, you have full context.
Granular permissions
Control exactly who sees what at the level that makes sense for your business. Contractors see only their assigned work. clients see their portal and documents. Neither sees your internal notes, profit margins, or other clients data.
No-code automations
Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Common interior designers automations include: send reminders before due dates, notify you when a client views a proposal, create follow-up tasks when items are overdue, send welcome emails when contracts are signed. Set up once during initial configuration, runs continuously without attention.
Native integrations for interior designers workflows
Connect Stripe and PayPal for payments with no additional configuration. Sync Google Calendar or Outlook for scheduling. Add Zoom links to booked calls automatically. Push financial data to accounting software or Leading bookkeeping tools for accounting. Use Zapier to connect 3,000+ other apps. Plutio handles the core workflow while integrating with specialized tools where deeper functionality is needed.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your terminology, and your workflow logic. Instead of switching between 5-8 different tools to manage one client, you operate from a single platform designed to handle the complete service business lifecycle.
How to set up time tracking in Plutio
Setting up time-tracking in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per client after your templates, rates, and integrations are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Set your default hourly rate, standard payment terms (Net-15, Net-30), preferred currency, and tax settings. These defaults apply automatically unless overridden for specific clients. Consider setting your deposit requirement (25-50% is standard) and late fee policy (1-1.5% monthly is common).
Step 2: Create templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common projects types. For interior designers, recommended templates include:
- Full project package: 50% deposit, milestone payments, final on delivery. Includes scope for complete interior design work.
- Quick project: Simpler structure for smaller engagements.
- Monthly retainer: Automatic monthly billing. Specify included scope and how out-of-scope requests are handled.
- Rush project: Standard templates modified with 25-50% rate increase and expedited timeline.
Step 3: Connect payment processing (20 mins)
Link Stripe and/or PayPal to accept online payments. Both take 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Consider offering ACH bank transfer (typically 0.8%) for larger amounts. Test each payment method before using with clients.
Step 4: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) for scheduling, your accounting software (accounting software or Leading bookkeeping tools) for financial sync. If you have specialized needs, explore Zapier for additional connections.
Step 5: Import existing clients (30 mins)
Upload existing clients data via CSV export from your current system. Plutio maps common fields automatically. For active clients, create their projects records. For historical data, decide how much to migrate vs. archive.
Step 6: Test with one real project
Run through the complete workflow with an actual client rather than a test account. Create the proposal, convert to project, track time, generate billing, send it, and confirm receipt. Real interaction reveals friction that test scenarios miss.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start with minimal templates and refine based on actual use rather than imagining every possible scenario upfront.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the mobile apps during setup and test key workflows.
- Skipping automation setup: Reminders and notifications save significant time. Configure these during initial setup.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of projects. Handle the other 20% by customizing the closest template per situation rather than trying to create templates for every possible scenario.
Time tracking organization for interior designers
Time tracking organization defines how hours are categorized for useful analysis.
Activity categories for interior designers
- Design: Concept, layout, rendering
- Sourcing: Vendor research, selection
- Purchasing: Orders and coordination
- Client communication: Meetings, calls, emails
- Site work: Visits and supervision
- Admin: Project administration
Project phase tracking
- Consultation: Initial assessment
- Concept design: Direction development
- Design development: Detailed design
- Procurement: Sourcing and ordering
- Installation: Delivery and setup
- Styling: Final presentation
Analysis visibility
- Time per activity reveals where effort goes
- Phase time informs future estimates
- Client comparison shows margin patterns
Organized tracking supports useful analysis. Categorize consistently for meaningful visibility.
Client portals for interior designers: time visibility
A client portal gives your interior designers clients one branded location to view projects status, access documents, approve deliverables, pay invoices, and communicate without emailing you for every update.
What clients see in their portal
The portal displays everything relevant to that client's engagement: active projects with current status, pending proposals waiting for approval, contracts requiring signature, outstanding invoices with payment buttons, completed invoices and payment receipts, shared files and deliverables, and message history with your team. clients log in with their email address and see only their own data, never other clients' information.
Why portals matter for interior designers workflows
Interior Designers typically manage 8-20 active projects simultaneously. Without a portal, each client emails when they have questions: "Where's the document I need to sign?", "Can you resend the invoice?", "What's the project status?", "Did you receive my payment?". These questions interrupt your interior design work and add up across many clients.
With a portal, clients answer these questions themselves. You send the portal link once during setup, and they access everything from there. Self-service access typically reduces "where is it?" emails by 70-80%, freeing you to focus on billable interior design work instead of administrative responses.
White-label portal branding
The portal displays your brand, not the software vendor's. Use your own domain (clients.yourstudio.com), upload your logo, apply your brand colors and typography. clients experience a direct extension of your business rather than logging into third-party software. Professional presentation matters for interior designers because brand perception directly affects perceived value and willingness to pay premium rates.
Controlling clients visibility
Configure exactly what clients can see at the global, project, or individual level:
- Full transparency: Show everything including project tasks, time tracking, all documents, complete message history
- Document-focused: Show contracts, invoices, and deliverables. Hide internal tasks and time tracking
- Minimal: Show only invoices and payment options. Keep project details private
Different projects types may warrant different visibility settings. A retainer client might see more detail about ongoing work, while a one-off project might only need invoice access.
The portal transforms clients communication from reactive (responding to requests) to proactive (providing access). clients get what they need instantly, and you reclaim the time previously spent on administrative email responses.
How to migrate time tracking to Plutio
Migration from another time tracking software typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between projects rather than mid-delivery when you have active clients commitments.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
You tracking software provides CSV export for clients data and document archives. Here's what to export from common tools:
- time tracking software: Export clients and projects data from Settings or Reports. Download important documents manually.
- standalone timers: Export contacts and history from Reports section. Download transaction history for reference.
- a time tracker: Export clients list and projects data. Use the data export feature for complete records.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported content as reference to create new templates. Start with the project type you use most frequently. Recreate 2-3 core templates initially rather than trying to migrate every document you've ever created. Focus on forward-looking workflows, not historical archives.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (accounting software, Leading bookkeeping tools). Test each integration with a sample transaction to make sure data flows correctly before relying on it for real clients work.
Step 4: Import clients data (30 mins)
Upload your clients CSV to Plutio. Map fields appropriately (name, email, company, phone, address). For active clients with ongoing projects, create their records. For historical clients you may never work with again, consider whether import is necessary.
Step 5: Run parallel for new work
Use Plutio for all new clients engagements while keeping the old system active for projects already in progress. Running parallel avoids the complexity of migrating mid-project work and gives you time to learn the new system on fresh projects. As active projects on the old system complete, those clients transition to Plutio for future work.
Step 6: Phase out the old tool
Once all active projects on your old system complete (typically 30-60 days), cancel that subscription. Maintain read-only access to historical records if the tool allows, or export final archives before cancellation.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything: Focus on active clients and forward-looking workflows. Historical data can remain in archives.
- Switching mid-project: Finish in-progress work on the old system. Start new clients on Plutio.
- Not testing integrations: Verify payment processing works with a real (small) transaction before relying on it.
- Skipping the learning curve: Use the first 2-3 projects as deliberate learning opportunities.
The investment in migration pays back in time saved on every future project, proposal, and clients interaction. Plan for a weekend of setup and a few weeks of adjustment, then benefit from simplified workflows going forward.
