Construction and Trades Bookkeeping
Scarlet Ibis Bookkeeping provides construction bookkeeping for contractors, plumbers, electricians, and HVAC businesses. We track labor and material costs by job, reconcile accounts payable and receivable, and keep cash flow visible so you know where every job stands financially. Based in Niceville, Florida.
Who we serve
General contractors
Contractors managing multiple jobs, subcontractors, and material orders at once.
Plumbers and electricians
Trade businesses billing by job, service call, or contract.
HVAC businesses
Installation and service companies with both project work and recurring maintenance contracts.
Small trade crews
One- or two-crew operations that need accurate books without a full-time office hire.
Challenges we solve
- Labor and material costs need to be tracked by job to know whether a project actually made money, not just whether cash came in.
- Payments to subcontractors and suppliers can pile up fast and are easy to lose track of without a consistent accounts payable process.
- Slow-paying clients strain cash flow, especially when payroll and material costs are due regardless of when invoices get paid.
- Retainage, deposits, and progress billing complicate when income actually gets recognized.
- Without job-level reporting, it is hard to tell a profitable job from one that quietly lost money.
Know what each job actually costs
Construction and trades work runs on job costs. Labor, materials, subcontractor payments, and equipment costs all need to be tracked against the job they belong to, not just lumped into general expenses. We set your books up so you can see the real cost and profit on each job, not just the overall bank balance.
We also manage accounts payable and receivable so supplier bills get paid on time and client invoices get followed up on, which keeps cash flow steady between jobs.
Cash flow that keeps pace with the work
Payroll, materials, and equipment costs do not wait for a client to pay an invoice. We keep your books current so you have a clear, current picture of cash on hand and what is owed, which makes it easier to plan the next job or take on new work with confidence.
How we help
- Labor and material costs tracked by job for accurate job costing
- Accounts payable and receivable managed so cash flow stays steady
- Bank and credit card accounts reconciled monthly
- Payroll handled correctly for crews and subcontractors
- Financial reports that show which jobs are actually profitable
Common questions
Can you track costs by individual job, not just overall business expenses?
Yes. We set up job costing so labor, materials, subcontractor payments, and other costs are tracked against the specific job they belong to. That shows you the real profit on each project.
We pay a mix of employees and subcontractors. Can you handle both?
Yes. We manage payroll for employees and can track subcontractor payments correctly, including the 1099 side of things at year end.
Our invoices do not always get paid on time. Can bookkeeping help with that?
We manage accounts receivable so you have a clear view of what is owed and by whom, which makes it easier to follow up and keep cash flow steady even when a client pays late.
Do you understand retainage and progress billing?
Yes. We work with contractors on progress billing and retainage and make sure income is recorded accurately as jobs move through those stages.
Ready to know what each job actually costs?
Book a free consultation and we will map out job-costing-aware bookkeeping for your trade business.