Geofencing for job sites

Set up invisible GPS boundaries around job sites for automatic clock-in reminders, location-verified time entries, and departure alerts.

A location boundary is an automatic zone around a job site. When a worker's phone enters or exits the boundary, Gradeworks can trigger actions — clock-in reminders, location verification for time entries, and departure alerts. Geofencing turns location awareness into automatic data quality without requiring workers to remember manual steps.

How geofencing works

Gradeworks creates a location boundary around the site address. The boundary size is set in your company settings and can be adjusted per project. The field app uses your phone's location to detect when you arrive or leave.

Setting up a project geofence

Location boundaries are created automatically when a project has a verified site address. The default radius from your company settings is applied. To customize a specific project's boundary, open the project, go to Settings, and adjust the radius. Increase it for large sites (subdivisions, highway projects). Decrease it for small or dense urban sites.

Geofence triggers

Clock-in reminder — when a worker enters the site boundary during their scheduled time, a notification reminds them to clock in. Reduces forgotten clock-ins.
Location verification — when a worker clocks in within the site boundary, the time entry gets a 'verified' badge. This badge appears on timesheets and gives approvers confidence that the worker was on site.
Departure alert — when a worker leaves the site boundary during active hours, a reminder prompts them to clock out if they're leaving for the day. Disabled by default due to noise from lunch runs and material pickups.

Verification badges on timesheets

Time entries created within a site boundary are tagged as location-verified. On timesheets, verified entries show a green location badge. Entries without verification (clocked in outside the boundary, manual entries, or location disabled) show no badge. Approvers can filter timesheets to show only unverified entries for closer review.

Pro tip

Don't set the boundary too tight. Phone location accuracy varies, and workers might park across the street or access the site from a different entrance. A generous boundary avoids missed check-ins while still confirming the worker is at the job site.

Company-wide geofence settings

Company-wide defaults for geofence radius, enabled triggers, and quiet hours are configured in Settings > Company > Field. Individual projects inherit these defaults and can override them. See the Company Settings Overview article for the full settings map.

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