Linear issue estimates size the work in effort terms. Everhour adds tracked hours for billing-aware variance review.
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Use this page when you need to compare planned effort on Linear issues with the time people actually recorded. The useful result is a variance review, not a single total. A small issue with 12 hours of logged work needs a different follow-up than a large issue with only 30 minutes recorded.
Keep the review tied to the issue that owns the work. Linear issues can carry project, cycle, assignee, priority, labels, status, and estimate values, so the cleanest evidence starts at that level. Project and cycle context help group the work later, but the issue holds the planning assumption and the work record.
Linear issue estimates are effort or size values, not clock-time records. Supported scales include Exponential, Fibonacci, Linear, and T-Shirt sizing, and those values support scope and delivery planning. Everhour task estimates and tracked time support hour-based comparisons when the review needs elapsed work, cost, billing, or capacity evidence.
A team can still compare both systems if each unit stays labeled. For example, a lead can review issues estimated at 3 points and see whether the matching tracked work usually lands near 4 hours, 8 hours, or 12 hours. That pattern improves planning, but it does not convert points into billable time.
Variance is the gap between the estimate used for planning and the time recorded against the issue or task. An overrun can point to under-scoped work, changed acceptance criteria, extra review, or hidden coordination. An underrun can point to a simpler task, a split issue, or missing time entries.
Review the comment trail, status, assignee, labels, and logged time before changing your planning rule. One large overrun is a delivery note. Several similar overruns are a planning signal. The next action should be specific: split this class of work earlier, raise the next task estimate, or tighten the definition of done.
A one-off estimate check is enough for one project, one cycle window, or a short list of issues. It works for a planning retro, a scope conversation, or a simple variance list. The limit appears when the same review must support client billing, budget protection, or recurring delivery forecasts.
A managed workflow keeps the record intact. Everhour can track billable and non-billable time, mark specific tasks non-billable, apply custom task rates, and report billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost. That turns estimate variance into usable history for future project budgets instead of a spreadsheet rebuilt after every review.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
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No. Linear issue estimates are effort or size values, while tracked hours measure time actually spent. Keep the labels separate in every review. Use estimate values for planning patterns, and use tracked hours when the decision involves cost, billing, payroll review, or capacity.
A useful review includes the issue title, project, assignee, status, estimate value, tracked time, and completion or review date. Labels help compare similar work, such as bugs, refactors, or customer requests. Priority adds context, but it should not explain away missing time records or unclear scope.
Start by separating planning misses from recording misses. A task estimated for 5 hours and recorded at 9 hours points to extra effort, changed scope, or a weak estimate. A task estimated for 5 hours and recorded at 1 hour may be incomplete, split across other issues, or missing time.
Yes, use the cycle window as the date range for review. Compare the issues planned or completed during that period with the time recorded in the same period. Keep the cycle as a review rhythm. The useful output is a list of repeated overruns, missing records, and estimate patterns to adjust next time.
The biggest mistake is mixing effort points, hour estimates, and tracked hours without labels. A report that places a 5-point issue beside 5 logged hours suggests false precision. Keep each unit explicit, and avoid adding points and hours into one total. The comparison should explain planning accuracy.
Everhour lets admins set project billing status, mark specific tasks as non-billable, use custom task rates, and report billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost. That gives estimate reviews a billing layer when Linear issues drive client work.
Everhour syncs Linear workspace, project, issue, status, and tag data into reports, then connects tracked time to the same work structure. Reports can compare actual hours against task estimates and show remaining or over-estimate hours for project review.
Track billable and non-billable time on Linear issues, then compare actual work against task estimates with Everhour reporting, rates, and cost visibility.
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