Updated · Built and checked by the PlinzoTools team, formulas tested against published sources
Quickly find the decimal hours between two clock times.
3.67
This is a quick single-purpose version of the Time Duration Calculator: enter a start and end time, get the total in decimal hours, plus the same total rounded to the nearest quarter hour -- the rounding convention many payroll systems use.
Enter a start time and an end time. The result shows the exact decimal-hour total and the quarter-hour-rounded figure.
Rounded quarter hours = round(decimal hours x 4) / 4 -- this rounds to the nearest 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, or whole hour, the standard payroll rounding increment.
9:00 AM to 12:40 PM is 3.667 decimal hours, which rounds to 3.75 hours at the nearest quarter hour.
For a full day's punches with a lunch break, see the Time Card Calculator. For a weekly total across multiple days, use the Timesheet Calculator.
Enter the start and end times and you will see two numbers: the exact decimal hours and the same figure rounded to the nearest quarter hour. Use the exact number when you want precision, such as billing by the minute, and the rounded number when your employer or client explicitly bills in 15-minute blocks. The tool does not know which one your workplace uses, so choose based on your own policy, not on which number looks larger.
Rounding is to the nearest quarter, so it can go up or down. A hypothetical 1:00 PM to 4:05 PM span is 3 hours 5 minutes, or 3.083 decimal hours, and rounds down to 3.00 because 3.083 times 4 is 12.33, which rounds to 12, and 12 divided by 4 is 3. A span of 3 hours 8 minutes (3.133 hours) times 4 is 12.53, which rounds to 13, giving 3.25. So the rounding turns over at about 7.5 minutes into each quarter. Seeing both numbers next to each other shows how much your rounding policy is worth over a full pay period.
Employers often use rounding conventions for timekeeping, and the rules about what is permitted are set by labor law where you work. Rounding that consistently favors the employer can raise legal questions, while neutral rounding is common. This page cannot judge your situation. If you suspect your hours are being shortchanged, keep your own record of exact start and end times and ask your payroll department, or consult your state or national labor agency for guidance.
Beyond payroll, the quarter-hour figure suits freelancers who bill in fifteen-minute increments, lawyers or consultants who keep a time log, and anyone estimating a project's cost from clock times. For a whole week, add the decimal totals from each day, or use the Timesheet Calculator.
Many payroll systems process time in 15-minute (quarter-hour) increments rather than exact minutes, so this figure matches what often shows up on an actual paycheck.
Yes -- if the end time is earlier in the clock than the start time, it's treated as the next day.
They compute the same underlying duration -- this version adds the quarter-hour-rounded figure specifically for payroll use.
Rounding goes to the nearest 0.25, so it turns over roughly halfway between quarters, at about 7.5 minutes past each quarter hour.
Use whichever your employer or client agreement specifies. The exact figure is precise, while the rounded one matches quarter-hour billing.
The result is zero hours. The tool only assumes the next day when the end time is earlier than the start time.
Reference: U.S. Department of Labor