diff --git a/doc/lsst.verify/index.rst b/doc/lsst.verify/index.rst
index 59e52c2..dcc63cd 100644
--- a/doc/lsst.verify/index.rst
+++ b/doc/lsst.verify/index.rst
@@ -119,4 +119,8 @@ Python API reference
    :no-main-docstr:
    :no-inheritance-diagram:
 
+.. automodapi:: lsst.verify.timer
+   :no-main-docstr:
+   :no-inheritance-diagram:
+
 .. _SQUASH: https://squash.lsst.codes
diff --git a/python/lsst/verify/__init__.py b/python/lsst/verify/__init__.py
index 455a3a7..4acaa31 100644
--- a/python/lsst/verify/__init__.py
+++ b/python/lsst/verify/__init__.py
@@ -41,4 +41,5 @@
 from .jobmetadata import *
 from .job import *
 from .output import *
+from . import timer
 from . import yamlpersistance
diff --git a/python/lsst/verify/jobmetadata.py b/python/lsst/verify/jobmetadata.py
index 104f0ef..9f6b7a7 100644
--- a/python/lsst/verify/jobmetadata.py
+++ b/python/lsst/verify/jobmetadata.py
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ def values(self):
         """Iterate over metadata values.
 
         Returns
-        ------
+        -------
         items : `~collections.abc.ValuesView`
             An iterable over all the values.
         """
diff --git a/python/lsst/verify/timer.py b/python/lsst/verify/timer.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f350f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/python/lsst/verify/timer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# This file is part of verify.
+#
+# Developed for the LSST Data Management System.
+# This product includes software developed by the LSST Project
+# (https://www.lsst.org).
+# See the COPYRIGHT file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# for details of code ownership.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+__all__ = ["time_this_to_measurement"]
+
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+import time
+
+import astropy.units as u
+
+from .datum import Datum
+from .measurement import Measurement
+
+
+def _epoch_to_iso(seconds):
+    """Convert a time in seconds since Unix epoch to an ISO 8601 timestamp.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    seconds : `float`
+        The number of seconds since the Unix epoch.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    timestamp : `str`
+        The input time represented as a timestamp.
+    """
+    iso_format = "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"
+    return time.strftime(iso_format, time.gmtime(seconds))
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def time_this_to_measurement(measurement: Measurement):
+    """Time the enclosed block and record it as an lsst.verify measurement.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    measurement : `lsst.verify.Measurement`
+        Measurement object to fill with the timing information. Its metric must
+        have time dimensions. Any properties other than ``metric`` and
+        ``metric_name`` may be overwritten.
+    """
+    start = time.time()
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        end = time.time()
+        measurement.quantity = (end - start) * u.second
+        # Same metadata as provided by TimingMetricTask
+        measurement.notes["estimator"] = "verify.timer.time_this_to_measurement"
+        measurement.extras["start"] = Datum(_epoch_to_iso(start))
+        measurement.extras["end"] = Datum(_epoch_to_iso(end))
diff --git a/tests/test_timer.py b/tests/test_timer.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..178d8af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_timer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# This file is part of verify.
+#
+# Developed for the LSST Data Management System.
+# This product includes software developed by the LSST Project
+# (https://www.lsst.org).
+# See the COPYRIGHT file at the top-level directory of this distribution
+# for details of code ownership.
+#
+# This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+import time
+import unittest
+
+import astropy.units as u
+
+import lsst.utils.tests
+
+from lsst.verify import Measurement, Metric, Name
+from lsst.verify.timer import time_this_to_measurement
+
+
+class TimeThisTestSuite(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        super().setUp()
+        self.metric_name = Name("verify.DummyTime")
+
+    def test_basic(self):
+        duration = 0.2
+        meas = Measurement(self.metric_name)
+        with time_this_to_measurement(meas):
+            time.sleep(duration)
+
+        self.assertEqual(meas.metric_name, self.metric_name)  # Should not have changed
+        self.assertIsNotNone(meas.quantity)
+        self.assertGreater(meas.quantity, duration * u.second)
+        self.assertLess(meas.quantity, 2 * duration * u.second)
+
+    def test_unit_checking_ok(self):
+        duration = 0.2
+        metric = Metric(self.metric_name, "Unconventional metric", u.nanosecond)
+        meas = Measurement(metric)
+        with time_this_to_measurement(meas):
+            time.sleep(duration)
+
+        self.assertEqual(meas.metric_name, self.metric_name)  # Should not have changed
+        self.assertIsNotNone(meas.quantity)
+        self.assertGreater(meas.quantity, duration * u.second)
+        self.assertLess(meas.quantity, 2 * duration * u.second)
+
+    def test_unit_checking_bad(self):
+        duration = 0.2
+        metric = Metric(self.metric_name, "Non-temporal metric", u.meter / u.second)
+        meas = Measurement(metric)
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            with time_this_to_measurement(meas):
+                time.sleep(duration)
+
+    def test_exception(self):
+        duration = 0.2
+        meas = Measurement(self.metric_name)
+        try:
+            with time_this_to_measurement(meas):
+                time.sleep(duration)
+                raise RuntimeError("Something went wrong!")
+        except RuntimeError:
+            pass
+
+        self.assertEqual(meas.metric_name, self.metric_name)  # Should not have changed
+        self.assertIsNotNone(meas.quantity)
+        self.assertGreater(meas.quantity, duration * u.second)
+        self.assertLess(meas.quantity, 2 * duration * u.second)
+
+
+class MemoryTester(lsst.utils.tests.MemoryTestCase):
+    pass
+
+
+def setup_module(module):
+    lsst.utils.tests.init()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    lsst.utils.tests.init()
+    unittest.main()