Bookkeeping for Contractors Who Are Too Busy Running Jobs to Run Their Books
Job costing. QuickBooks cleanup. Real numbers for real tradespeople.
You're running crews, managing jobs, chasing invoices, and trying to grow a business. The last thing you have time for is figuring out why QuickBooks looks nothing like your bank account.
At Prosper & Pearl, we specialize in bookkeeping for contractors — HVAC technicians, plumbers, electricians, and general contractors who need their financials to actually reflect what's happening in the field.
We handle the books. You handle the work.
I Know What It's Like to Run a Home Service Business. Because I Did.
Before I was a bookkeeper, I was you. I ran my own home service business for five years. Three different services. Full solopreneur. I handled the clients, the scheduling, the invoicing, the expenses, and the ever-present question of where the money actually went at the end of the month.
I didn't learn about home service businesses from a textbook. I learned them by living inside one. And now I bring that understanding to every contractor client I work with.
When I look at your job costing, I'm not just entering numbers. I'm reading your business. I know what the margins should look like, what expensive labor on a small job means for your bottom line, and what patterns in your receivables usually signal.
What We See Most Often with Contractors
Job costing that doesn't work
Most contractors know something is off but can't tell you which jobs are actually profitable and which ones are eating your margin. If you're billing by the job and not tracking labor, materials, and time per project, you're flying blind on every bid you write.
QuickBooks set up wrong
QuickBooks is powerful. But it's set up wrong more often than not in service-based businesses. Wrong chart of accounts, misclassified expenses, unreconciled accounts that go back years. We see it constantly. And we fix it.
Tax season disasters
Every year you hand your accountant a pile of statements and receipts and hope for the best. Every year it's more expensive and more stressful than it should be. Clean monthly books mean your CPA starts from a foundation instead of building one from scratch.
You can't tell what you can afford
Want to buy a new truck? Hire a second crew? Take on a bigger contract? If you don't trust your numbers, you can't make those calls with confidence.
What Bookkeeping for Contractors Actually Looks Like
Monthly reconciliation
Every bank account and credit card reconciled every month. No more mystery transactions. No more year-end panic.
Job costing in QuickBooks
We set up and maintain job costing so you can see what each project actually costs — labor, materials, subcontractors, overhead.
Expense categorization that makes sense
Equipment. Fuel. Tools. Materials. Subcontractor payments. Every category placed correctly so your reports reflect how your money moves.
Accounts receivable tracking
We help you see what's outstanding, what's aging, and where you have collection risk.
Year-end prep
Your CPA gets clean, organized books. Not a shoebox. Not a panic. A clear set of financials they can work with efficiently.
Growth Plan add-ons
Monthly financial review calls with Kerrie. Cash flow projections for busy and slow seasons. CFO-style guidance on whether to hire, what to bid, and how to read your margins.
Questions from Contractors
Job costing in QuickBooks lets you track income and expenses for each individual job or project. It shows whether a specific job was profitable after labor and materials. Without it, you're averaging your margins across everything instead of seeing where money is made or lost.
Yes. QuickBooks cleanup is one of the most common services we start with. We review the existing setup, correct the chart of accounts, reconcile back months or years, and get you to a clean starting point before moving to monthly service.
No. We work virtually with contractors across the country. Most of the work happens through QuickBooks Online, and communication happens by email, phone, and scheduled calls.
Absolutely. We provide your CPA with clean, organized books. We're not a tax firm — we're the prep work that makes the tax filing accurate and efficient. Most contractors find their accounting costs drop once their books are in order.
Our Essential Plan starts at $400 per month. The Growth Plan starts at $850 per month and includes advisory services, job costing review, and monthly calls. We'll recommend the right fit after a free discovery call.
We handle the bookkeeping for businesses with mixed workforce structures. Payroll processing itself is a separate service, but we integrate with payroll data and ensure your books reflect all labor costs correctly.
Your Books Should Be as Solid as Your Work.
You take pride in the jobs you do. The financials behind that work deserve the same attention. Book a free discovery call and let's talk about what your books look like, what you need, and what we can do to get you to a place where you trust your numbers.