Choosing a bookkeeper for your Austin contracting business

What to look for in a contractor bookkeeper

Whoever you hire, check for these:

• They work in QuickBooks Online and can set up a new file or clean up a messy one.
• Job costing: labor, materials and subs tracked by job, so you see margin on each job instead of only the bank balance.
• Deposits, progress payments and change orders recorded so revenue lands in the right month.
• Subcontractor costs and 1099 vendors kept apart from materials.
• Payroll for field crews that ties back to the books.
• A fixed close date every month, with the numbers explained in plain English.
• Catch-up for months or years of back books before monthly work starts.
• A clear pricing process and no long-term contract.
• They know where bookkeeping stops. Tax returns stay with your CPA.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Who does the work: the owner, or someone you'll never talk to?
• What date are the books closed each month?
• What do you get each month?
• How is catch-up priced, and can you buy it on its own?
• How long is the contract?
• How do you share documents securely?

Our answers, so you can compare: you work directly with the owner, Kipp Koeppel. Books close by the 15th. Each month you get a P&L, a balance sheet and a one-page summary of what the numbers mean. Catch-up is quoted separately, and you can hire us for catch-up alone. Month-to-month, with 30 days' notice to cancel. Documents go through the secure Financial Cents client portal.

Where KWK Books fits, and where it doesn't

A good fit

Home-service and residential contractors in Austin, Austin area cities and Central Texas who run their books in QuickBooks Online and want to work directly with the owner. That includes HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical, remodelers and general contractors, landscaping, gutters, and cleaning and restoration companies.

Not a fit

• Contractors who need WIP schedules, AIA billing or certified payroll. KWK Books doesn't do that work. Commercial GCs with bonding often need it, and a construction-accounting specialist will serve them better.
• Owners who need a tax return prepared. We don't prepare taxes. We keep the books CPA-ready and work alongside your CPA.

How pricing works

We quote a fixed monthly fee after the free call. It depends on transaction volume, number of accounts, payroll and how far behind the books are. Catch-up is quoted separately as its own project, and you can hire us for catch-up alone. Month-to-month, cancel with 30 days' notice. For more on what drives the number, read what bookkeeping costs for contractors.