Mileage Tracking for Construction Workers
Many construction workers drive 8,000 to 20,000 business miles a year. At the 2026 IRS standard rate of 72.5 cents per mile, that is a deduction range of $5,800 to $14,500 for the workers who can claim it.
Who can deduct
Construction workers split between 1099 independent contractors (deductible on Schedule C at 72.5 cents per mile) and W-2 employees of construction companies (not federally deductible since 2018, made permanent by the OBBBA). Per-diem and union W-2 workers should pursue employer reimbursement and check state law.
How construction workers actually drive
A 1099 independent doing job-site work for multiple GCs commonly logs 12,000 to 18,000 business miles a year. W-2 workers driving between sites for the same employer log similar mileage but cannot deduct it federally.
Typical deductible trips
The trips below are the ones construction workers most commonly forget to log, plus the obvious ones. Auto-tracking catches all of them, including the small ones that add up.
- Driving from a base of operations (home office or shop) to a job site (1099 only for federal deduction)
- Driving between two job sites in a single day
- Driving to a supply house to pick up materials for a specific job
- Driving to client meetings or estimate appointments (1099 deductible)
- Driving to required OSHA training, certifications, or apprenticeship classes (1099 deductible)
How TruMile helps
TruMile auto-detects every drive using motion plus location, so the trips above get logged whether you remember them or not. Smart classification learns your repeat routes (between regular client homes, between job sites, to your supply store) and starts tagging them automatically after a few trips.
At year-end, one tap turns your trip log into an IRS-compliant CSV or PDF you can hand to your accountant or paste into Schedule C. The math is already done.
Free for 40 auto trips a month, every month. If you are anywhere near the high end of the typical mileage range, the unlimited Pro tier at $7.99 a month or $59.99 a year usually pays for itself in the first week of tax season.
FAQ for construction workers
I am W-2 union. The job-site changes every few weeks. Why can't I deduct?
The W-2 mileage deduction was eliminated in 2018 and made permanent by the One Big Beautiful Bill. Many construction CBAs include mileage-reimbursement provisions for travel beyond a defined radius; check your CBA. California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York also mandate employer reimbursement.
I'm a 1099 sub. Are drives between sites for two different GCs deductible?
Yes. As an independent contractor, every drive between job sites is business mileage, regardless of which GC you are working for that day.
Are home-to-first-site drives deductible?
For a 1099 contractor with a qualifying home office, yes. Without a qualifying home office, the first drive of the day is treated as a commute and is not deductible.
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