Free Contractor Bookkeeping Resources

Tools that help your books
actually reflect your business

Practical, contractor-specific bookkeeping guides built for the trades. No fluff, no upsell, just useful resources that help you set up clean books and understand what the numbers mean.

Disclaimer: These resources are for general educational purposes and do not constitute accounting, tax, legal, or financial advice. Individual circumstances vary. Always consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

๐Ÿ“ŠFree Download
PDF Guide

Job Costing for Contractors: A QuickBooks Guide

A practical walkthrough of how to set up job costing inside QuickBooks Online so you can see the true profit or loss on every project, not just your overall P&L.

  • Setting up classes and locations for each job
  • Mapping labor, materials, and sub costs to projects
  • Reading a job cost report in QuickBooks
  • Spotting under-billed and over-budget jobs early
  • Common setup mistakes that hide job-level data
๐Ÿ“‹Free
PDF Checklist

Trade-Native Chart of Accounts Checklist

The account categories that matter for contractors, structured so your P&L actually reflects the way your business works. Covers HVAC, plumbing, electrical, general contracting, and landscaping.

  • Income accounts split by job type and service line
  • Cost of goods sold accounts for labor, subs, and materials
  • Equipment and tool depreciation tracking
  • Overhead vs. direct job cost separation
  • Accounts generic bookkeepers routinely miss
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PDF Guide

1099 Subcontractor Tracking Guide

How to track subcontractor payments correctly through the year so you are ready for 1099-NEC filing and not scrambling in January for W-9 forms.

  • Which sub payments are reportable and which are not
  • How to collect and store W-9 information
  • Coding subs vs. materials in QuickBooks
  • Year-end 1099 preparation checklist
  • Penalties for late or missing filings

Key Account Categories for Contractors

A generic QuickBooks setup hides the numbers that matter. These are the account categories most contractors need in their chart of accounts to get useful financial reports.

Revenue: Service Jobs
Income from billable labor and service calls
Revenue: Project Work
Income from fixed-bid or time-and-material projects
COGS: Direct Labor
Wages and payroll costs tied to jobs
COGS: Subcontractors
Payments to 1099 subs, separate from materials
COGS: Materials
Job-specific parts, supplies, and materials
COGS: Equipment Rental
Rented equipment assigned to a specific job
Overhead: Vehicle Expenses
Fuel, insurance, and maintenance for company vehicles
Overhead: Tools and Small Equipment
Non-capitalized tools and equipment purchases

Contractor bookkeeping guides

Plain-English articles on the bookkeeping that actually moves the needle for a trades business. No gate, just read them.

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