Construction & Trades
Profitable construction relies on accurate job costing. We track labor and materials by the project. This gives you the data to bid future work with certainty.
The Industry
Construction accounting is different. You don’t just have a monthly P&L, you have a P&L for every single project. You are fronting the cash for materials and labor, often waiting 30, 60, or 90 days to get paid by the general contractor or the homeowner.
The complexity comes from the moving parts. You have subcontractors who need 1099s. You have change orders that get agreed to with a handshake but never make it onto the invoice. You have insurance audits that require precise payroll records.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
General contractors, electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, framers, and landscapers. Anyone who bids on a project, buys materials, and bills for the finished product.
The Friction
The Friction
Receipts fade on the dashboard. Vendor accounts at the supply house get messy. Figuring out if you actually made money on the Smith job after paying the crew and the subs requires math that usually gets skipped.
What We Handle
We focus heavily on job costing. Every receipt, every hour of labor, and every sub invoice gets tagged to a specific project. We move you away from a generic “Materials” expense line to a detailed breakdown of what it cost to build that specific job.
We also manage the compliance side. We track which subcontractors have sent their W-9s and their Certificates of Insurance. We handle the monthly pay apps if you are doing commercial work, ensuring the paperwork matches the progress.
Job Profitability
Job Profitability
We track revenue and expenses by project. You will know exactly which jobs generated a healthy margin and which ones barely broke even. This data is critical for pricing future bids.
Subcontractor Management
Subcontractor Management
We keep the subs organized. We ensure we have a W-9 on file before the first check goes out. This makes January 1099 filing a non-event instead of a frantic scramble.
Common Problems
The biggest issue in construction is “robbing Peter to pay Paul”. Cash from the new deposit gets used to finish the old job. It works for a while until the music stops. Without clear WIP (Work in Progress) reporting, you don’t know you are in trouble until the bank account is empty.
Another killer is the “verbal change order”. You agree to move a wall or upgrade a fixture, but it never gets added to the bill. You end up eating the cost of materials and labor because the paperwork wasn’t done.
Undervaluing Overhead
Undervaluing Overhead
It is easy to count the lumber and the labor. It is harder to factor in the truck insurance, the office rent, and the software subscriptions. If your bid doesn’t cover overhead, you are working for free.
Audit Panic
Audit Panic
Workers’ Comp audits are inevitable. If your payroll records aren’t segregated properly between class codes, or if you can’t prove your subs have their own insurance, you will get hit with a massive premium adjustment.
What Changes
You start bidding with confidence. You look at the data from the last three kitchen remodels and you know exactly what your margin was. You stop guessing and start quoting based on reality.
The cash flow roller coaster smooths out. You can see the draw schedule coming up and plan your material buys accordingly. The bank relationships improve because you can produce a clean Balance Sheet when you need to finance a new truck or piece of equipment.
Controlled Growth
Controlled Growth
You can scale because you know your numbers. You know how many crews you can support and what your overhead needs to look like. You grow based on profit, not just revenue.
Audit Readiness
Audit Readiness
When the insurance auditor calls, you just forward the file. The payroll is split by code. The sub certificates are organized. It turns a stressful event into a routine check.
Full-Charge Bookkeeping for Mid-Mo's Businesses
The Next Step:
Get Your Quote
Tell us what you're dealing with. We'll listen, ask a few questions, and give you a straightforward price that meets your expectations.
