Construction glossary
What is a LEM in construction?
Also called L.E.M., labor equipment materials ticket, field ticket.
LEM stands for Labor, Equipment, and Materials. It is the field ticket a T&M crew writes so the office can bill what actually happened on site — hours, iron, and materials — against a signed rate sheet.
What goes on a LEM
A complete LEM names the project, the date, the scope or extra, the people and their hours, the equipment and its hours, and any materials. If the ticket is missing a class or a rate, the invoice fight starts later. SubTrack structures those three columns on every ticket so the field is not inventing lines.
LEM versus a timesheet
A timesheet answers who was paid. A LEM answers what the client can be billed. The same hour can be payroll-straight-time and ticket-overtime, or payroll on one cost code and billable on a scope break. Do not paste a payroll export onto an invoice and call it a LEM.
LEM FAQ
What does LEM stand for?
Labor, Equipment, and Materials. It is the standard T&M field-ticket format, not a brand name.
Is a LEM the same as a daily report?
No. A daily report is progress and conditions. A LEM is the billable record of labor, iron, and materials against a rate sheet.
The index is a benchmark. Rate sheets are how you bill.
Rates shows public charge-out ranges. SubTrack rate sheets lock your crew numbers into a template the field actually bills from, on every LEM.
One template, every job
Labor, equipment, materials, and subs live in one sheet. Assign it to a project and tickets read the same numbers.
OT and markup apply themselves
Standby, overtime, and markup rules ride with the sheet. The field does not retype them.
The client sees what they signed
Line items match the agreed rates. Fewer disputes, faster approvals.
Project rate sheet
Labor · assigned to the job
| Position | Reg. rate | OT rate |
|---|---|---|
| Foreman | $72/hr | $108/hr |
| Operator | $68/hr | $102/hr |
| Laborer | $35/hr | $52.50/hr |