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DCAA Timekeeping for Government Contractors

Timekeeping is the control DCAA tests hardest, because labor is usually the largest cost on a government contract and the easiest to misstate. An auditor cannot re-create the hours you worked six months ago. They can only trust your system. That is why total time accounting, daily entry, and a clean audit trail matter more than almost any other habit in a compliant accounting system.

We see the same failure points again and again: salaried staff who only record hours against billable projects, supervisors approving timesheets they never reviewed, and remote employees with no floor-check equivalent. None of these are hard to fix once you know what the auditor is looking for.

This center collects what a contractor needs to run a DCAA-ready timekeeping system. Start with the core requirements and what a compliant timesheet captures. Learn how floor checks work and how to pass one with a remote team. Then connect timekeeping to the written policies and accounting-system controls that DCAA expects to see behind it.

Timekeeping requirements

DCAA Timekeeping Requirements: The Complete Guide for Government Contractors The core DCAA timekeeping rules every contractor system has to meet. DCAA Compliance 10 min read
DCAA Compliant Timekeeping: Setup Guide for Government Contractors A practical walkthrough of a compliant timesheet, from daily entry to total time accounting. DCAA Compliance 11 min read

Floor checks and enforcement

DCAA Floor Checks for Remote and Hybrid Workforces How DCAA floor checks work, and how to pass one when your team is remote. DCAA Compliance 12 min read
Top 10 DCAA Audit Findings and How to Prevent Them The findings DCAA writes up most often, with timekeeping near the top of the list. DCAA Compliance 11 min read

Policies and system controls

Written Accounting Policies DCAA Expects You to Have The written policies that back your timekeeping, and what DCAA expects them to say. DCAA Compliance 12 min read
DCAA Accounting System Checklist: 18 Requirements Your System Must Pass Where labor and timekeeping fit within the broader DCAA accounting-system criteria. DCAA Compliance 12 min read

Related compliance centers

DCAA Compliance Indirect Rate Center

Would your timekeeping survive a floor check?

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