Bookkeeping for Home Services Companies
Bookkeeping Built for the Trades
Your books should tell you which departments make money, which techs are profitable, and where cash is going. Generic bookkeepers can’t do that. We built our entire practice around the financial mechanics of home services companies.
Why generic bookkeepers fail home services companies
Most bookkeepers come from retail, restaurants, or professional services. They can reconcile a bank statement, but they don’t understand the financial structure that drives profitability in the trades.
They run cash-basis books
A $15K install payment clears and revenue spikes. The parts were purchased last month and labor was last week. Cash-basis accounting masks your real margins and makes it impossible to benchmark against industry standards. Every PE-backed platform in the trades runs accrual — and for good reason. Learn more about our full accounting services for home services companies.
They can’t connect your field software
Your operational data — revenue per tech, job costing, booking rate, close rate by lead source — lives in ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, or Jobber. Your bookkeeper reconciles bank feeds. The two systems never talk, which means your P&L doesn’t reflect what’s actually happening in the field.
They use a generic chart of accounts
Install revenue, service revenue, and maintenance revenue are all lumped into one line. COGS doesn’t break out parts vs. labor vs. subcontractors. You can’t tell which department is profitable, which service lines are dragging margin, or where overhead is actually going.
They deliver financials too late to act on
By the time you see last month’s numbers, you’ve already made this month’s hiring, marketing, and purchasing decisions blind. Seasonal businesses need financial visibility in weeks, not months — especially heading into shoulder seasons when cash gets tight.
Bookkeeping built for operators, not tax preparers
Every deliverable is designed to help you make decisions — not just file taxes at year-end.
📊 Accrual-Basis Monthly Financials
See your true profitability every month. Revenue matched to when it was earned, expenses matched to when they were incurred. Closed within 15 business days. This is the standard PE buyers expect and the only way to benchmark your margins accurately.
📋 PE-Standard Chart of Accounts
We restructure your QuickBooks to separate install, service, and maintenance revenue. COGS breaks into parts, labor, subcontractors, and equipment. You get department-level P&Ls that show exactly where margin lives and where it leaks.
🔄 Field Software Integration
We reconcile ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, or Jobber to your QBO general ledger every month. No more wondering why the two systems show different numbers. Your financials reflect what’s actually happening on the trucks.
💰 Accounts Payable & Receivable
Vendor bill entry, payment tracking, aging management, and collections follow-up for commercial accounts. Cash doesn’t leak through missed bills, late payments, or receivables nobody is chasing.
👥 Payroll Reconciliation
True labor cost by department — not just total payroll. Commissions, spiffs, tech comp, installer pay, and office salaries allocated to the right departments every month. When comp is allocated wrong, your margins are wrong.
📑 Monthly Financial Package
P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, and a management summary that tells you what changed, why it changed, and what to do about it. Built for your Monday meeting, not a filing cabinet.
Bookkeeping calibrated to your specific trade
Every trade has different revenue cycles, cost structures, and operational complexity. We’ve built trade-specific bookkeeping processes so your financials reflect how your business actually runs.
❄️ HVAC
Department-level P&Ls for install vs. service vs. maintenance. Seasonal revenue recognition across summer and winter peaks. Equipment financing and SEER-based costing. ServiceTitan integration for tech performance tracking.
💧 Plumbing
Emergency vs. scheduled service mix analysis. Drain cleaning and excavation job costing. Water heater replacement margin tracking. Steadier revenue curve but complex cost allocation across service types and 24/7 dispatch overhead.
⚡ Electrical
Panel upgrade and EV charger installation economics. Commercial vs. residential revenue separation. Generator revenue spike tracking. Licensing overhead allocation that makes electrical different from every other trade.
🏠 Roofing
Storm and insurance work revenue cycles. Subcontractor cost management and material cost tracking as a percentage of revenue. Longer sales cycles and the cash flow complexity of large-ticket jobs with delayed payment schedules.
Bookkeeping is the foundation. When you’re ready for margin analysis, cash flow forecasting, comp modeling, and exit planning — see our Fractional CFO Services →
We don’t just do your books — we understand your business
Most bookkeeping firms learn your industry on your dime. We came from the buy side of home services M&A — we already know what clean books look like and why they matter.
Buy-side M&A experience
We’ve reviewed financials on 200+ home services acquisitions. We know exactly what PE firms and consolidators look for in a company’s books — and we’ve seen every red flag that kills deals or tanks valuations. That perspective shapes every chart of accounts we build.
ServiceTitan & QBO specialists
We’re one of the only accounting firms that actually works inside ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber. We pull operational data and tie it directly to your general ledger — no manual spreadsheets, no month-end guessing.
$5M–$30M revenue focus
We specialize in the messy middle — companies past startup but not yet big enough for a full in-house accounting department. You’ve outgrown your bookkeeper-who-does-everything but can’t justify three full-time hires. That’s exactly where we fit.
PE-grade output from day one
Accrual-basis financials, department-level P&Ls, proper cost allocation, clean reconciliations. Whether you plan to sell in two years or never, your books should be built to a standard that would survive due diligence.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from my current bookkeeper?
Most bookkeepers categorize transactions and reconcile bank statements. They don’t restructure your chart of accounts to PE standards, integrate your field service software, or deliver accrual-basis financials with department-level detail and management commentary. We do all of that — because we’ve seen what best-in-class home services financials look like from the buyer’s side of the table.
How much does home services bookkeeping cost?
Our bookkeeping engagements typically range from $2,000–$5,000 per month depending on transaction volume and complexity. Compare that to an in-house bookkeeper at $45K–$65K+ in salary and benefits who likely doesn’t have home services experience. Most clients find the cost is comparable or less than a full-time hire with significantly better output.
Do I need to switch from my current accounting software?
No. We work in QuickBooks Online and integrate with ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, and other field service platforms. We meet you where you are and optimize from there.
What’s the difference between bookkeeping and fractional CFO services?
Bookkeeping records what happened — accurate, timely financial statements that show where your money went. A fractional CFO uses those financials to tell you what to do about it: margin optimization, cash flow forecasting, pricing strategy, and exit planning. Most of our clients start with bookkeeping and add CFO services as they grow.
How quickly can you get started?
Onboarding typically takes 2–3 weeks. We review your current books, restructure the chart of accounts, connect your field service platform, and begin the first monthly close. Most clients are fully transitioned within one close cycle.
Your books should work as hard as you do
Book a free consultation. We’ll look at your current books and show you exactly where the gaps are — and what fixing them would mean for your margins.