Bookkeeping for contractors and construction businesses
For general contractors, subcontractors, electricians, plumbers, HVAC and renovation businesses: books that show what each job cost, who you paid, and what your equipment is worth.
General contractors · Subcontractors · Electricians · Plumbers
- Operating checking Reconciled
- Business credit card Reconciled
- 412 transactions categorized June
- 3 open questions For you
What makes contractors books different
Costs by job
Materials, labor and subcontractors bought for one job and recorded as general expenses make it impossible to see which jobs make money.
Subcontractors and 1099s
Every subcontractor needs a W-9 and, above the threshold, a 1099-NEC. Missing them in January means penalties and scrambling.
Deposits and progress billing
Customer deposits received before work starts are not yet earned. Recording them as income distorts profit month to month.
Equipment and vehicles
Trucks, tools and machinery are assets with loans attached. Each purchase and loan payment needs to be recorded correctly for depreciation.
Materials and supplier accounts
Supply-house accounts, returns and credits pile up; unreconciled, they hide overcharges and duplicate payments.
Payroll and certified payroll
Crew payroll, overtime and prevailing-wage jobs create entries the books must match exactly.
What we do
- Jobs set up as classes or projects
- Materials and subcontractor costs coded to jobs
- W-9s collected and 1099 payments tracked
- Customer deposits recorded as liabilities until earned
- Supplier accounts and statements reconciled
- Equipment, vehicles and loans recorded
- Payroll entries from your payroll provider
- Accounts payable and due-date tracking
- Job profitability report each month
- Retainage receivable tracked
- Year-end fixed-asset list for depreciation
- 1099-NEC data ready in January
Example: a renovation company
A remodeler running eight to ten jobs at a time knew revenue but not job profit. We set each job up as a project, coded supply-house invoices and subcontractor bills to it, and held customer deposits as liabilities until work was done. Each month the owner sees job-by-job margin, and in January the 1099 list is already complete.
Small trades usually fit Essential or Growth; multi-crew contractors with job costing fit Growth or Advanced. See pricing or estimate your cost.
Percentage-of-completion and work-in-progress (WIP) schedules for bonding or larger contracts are scoped separately. Running payroll and certified payroll filings are a separate service.
Who we work with
- General contractors
- Subcontractors
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC businesses
- Renovation and remodeling companies
How monthly bookkeeping works
- 1
Onboarding
We learn the business and set up secure, read-only access where possible.
- 2
Transaction review
Income and expense activity is reviewed every month.
- 3
Categorization
Each transaction goes to the right account, with rules for repeat items.
- 4
Reconciliation
Every bank and card account is matched to its statement.
- 5
Reporting
P&L, Balance Sheet and agreed reports, plus a short summary.
- 6
Monthly review
Open questions answered and anything unusual flagged for you.
Books built for contractors businesses
Tell us about your business. We'll recommend a package or send a written quote, free.
Get contractors bookkeeping support
A few details help us come back with the right package or a written cleanup quote. There is no cost and no obligation.
- Reply within one business day
- Fee confirmed in writing before any work
- CPA-led, QuickBooks ProAdvisor certified team
Please don’t send bank passwords, SSNs or statements through this form. Once you’re a client, documents go through our secure client portal.
Bookkeeping questions
Bookkeeping reports are management reports for running the business and preparing tax returns. They are not audited, reviewed or compiled financial statements; those are separate engagements.