Bookkeeping and payroll for contractors
Know which jobs make money, who you owe, and what’s coming in, with books organized around your projects, not just your bank account.
Job costing: profit by project
Contractors don’t have one business; they have many small ones running at once. Each job has its own revenue, materials, labor and subcontractor costs. We set up job-level tracking so you see profit and margin per project, catching the bid that was too low before you repeat it.
Progress billing, deposits and retainage
Construction revenue rarely arrives in one piece. Deposits, progress invoices and retainage held back until completion create timing gaps between work performed and cash received. We track billed vs. unbilled work and receivables by job, so you understand your real position at month-end.
Subcontractors and 1099s
Paying subcontractors correctly means collecting W-9s, tracking payments by vendor and issuing 1099s by January 31. We keep this organized all year. Correct worker classification is critical in the trades, so we’ll also flag situations where someone treated as a subcontractor may look like an employee. Our payroll team handles your actual employees.
Materials, equipment and vehicles
Material purchases are assigned to the right job, and equipment and vehicles are tracked on a fixed-asset listing for your CPA’s depreciation work. That means fewer misplaced receipts and cleaner tax-time deductions.
Seasonality and storm-driven demand
South Florida contractors ride waves of demand, from renovation seasons to post-storm repair. Monthly statements with comparisons help you see the cycles and plan cash for the slower stretches.
How we set up your books
- A job or class for every project so revenue, materials, labor and subcontractor costs land in the right place
- Separate accounts for deposits received, billings in excess of costs, and retainage receivable and payable
- Subcontractor files with W-9s, insurance certificates and payment history organized for 1099 season
- Equipment and vehicles on a fixed-asset list, so your CPA has what they need for depreciation
- A monthly job-profitability report that shows margin by project, not just a company total
Common mistakes we clean up
- Running every cost through one general “materials” account, so no job’s profit can be measured
- Recording a customer deposit as income on the day it arrives
- Forgetting retainage, so receivables look smaller than they really are
- Paying subcontractors without W-9s, then scrambling in January
- Treating a worker as a subcontractor when the relationship looks more like employment
If any of these sound familiar, it’s fixable. We review what’s there, tell you what’s wrong and give you a written estimate to correct it, including catch-up work for past months.
What you get every month
- Reconciled bank and credit card accounts
- Accounts payable and receivable managed
- Financial statements with comparisons by the 15th
- Payroll and payroll taxes that reconcile to your books
See the full scope of our bookkeeping and payroll services.
Serving contractors across South Florida
Contractors bookkeeping questions
Can you track profit by job?
Yes. We set up class or job tracking so your statements show margin project by project.
Do you handle 1099s for my subs?
Yes. We track subcontractor payments during the year and prepare 1099s at year-end.
Books that fit how your contractor business works
Book a free call. We’ll look at where your books stand and give you an honest estimate before we start.