Bookkeeping for service businesses and the trades
HVAC, plumbing, electrical, cleaning, landscaping, pest control. You get paid by the job, crews get paid by the hour and the trucks never stop costing money. We set up job costing, run crew payroll and file sales tax where your services are taxable.
Where do service business books go wrong?
Busy season hides problems. Slow season shows them.
No idea which jobs pay
Materials and labor in one pile. We tag them to job types.
Crews paid as contractors
Set the schedule and supply the van, and the IRS likely sees employees. Real contractors paid $2,000 or more in 2026 get a 1099.
Deposits booked as income
Customer deposits aren't income until the work is done.
How do we set up a service business?
We work from Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan reports.
| Section | Accounts |
|---|---|
| Income | Service calls, installations, maintenance agreements, after-hours work |
| Cost of sales | Materials and parts, field labor, subcontractors, equipment rental |
| Operating | Vehicle fuel and repairs, insurance, office wages, marketing, software |
| Balance sheet | Trucks and equipment, customer deposits, vehicle loans, sales tax payable |
- Hourly crews, overtime and on-call pay in Gusto or ADP
- Crews in more than one state, each state registered
- Worker classification checked before the first payment
- An owner salary once you're an S-Corp
- Whether your services are taxable depends on the service and the state
- Materials you install may be taxed when you buy them, not when you bill
- Actual vehicle costs or the standard mileage rate, whichever works
- Heavier work trucks can qualify for faster write-offs
Illustrative example, not a client story. An HVAC company with five trucks books all materials to one account and can't tell installs from service calls. We tag revenue and materials by job type, and the first monthly report shows maintenance agreements earning twice the margin of installs. The owner shifts marketing toward agreements before the slow season.
What tells you the business is healthy?
Every month, from books that tie to your bank and field software.
Margin by job type
Install, repair and maintenance, side by side.
Revenue per technician
Billed work per tech or crew, month over month.
Average ticket
Revenue per completed job, by service line.
Days to collect
How long customers take to pay.
Maintenance plan revenue
Recurring agreements that smooth slow months.
Cost per truck
Fuel, repairs, insurance and payments per vehicle.
Owners in the trades ask us.
Ask anything else on a free 30-minute call.
Book a callSources: IRS worker classification, standard mileage rates
Free tools: Overtime calculator, Markup calculator, Mileage calculator, Break-even calculator
Do you work with Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan?
We work from their reports and use their QuickBooks Online connection where it's reliable. We'll check how yours is set up on the first call.
Are my services subject to sales tax?
It depends on the service and the state. Many states tax only a short list of services, and some treat work on homes differently from work on commercial property. We check before you collect anything.
Can my business be an S-Corp?
Many profitable service businesses are. We check the numbers, including a reasonable salary for your role, before you elect.
Tell us what's messy. We'll tell you what it takes.
Tell us what you need and get a fixed price before any work starts. No pressure and no contract.