By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com Most construction trades peak in spring and summer. A chimney and fireplace business runs on the opposite calendar — demand concentrates in fall and winter, right when other trades are slowing down. Chimney contractor bookkeeping has to plan cash flow around that reverse seasonality and separate recurring inspection reven

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A countertop and stone fabrication business holds real raw-material inventory in a slab yard, runs on a templating-to-install lead time, and generates leftover remnant material that's a genuine, sellable asset. Countertop contractor bookkeeping has to track all three, or the shop's true cost and recovery value stay invisi

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A handyman business runs entirely on small tickets — but unlike a single-trade service business, one visit can cover carpentry, drywall, minor electrical, and minor plumbing all at once. Handyman contractor bookkeeping has to code each of those pieces correctly within a single ticket, and price minimum service calls to ac

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A metal building or pre-fab structure job runs through three cost sources that don't behave the same way — a foundation subcontractor, a manufacturer building the actual structure with real lead time, and your own crew erecting it once it arrives. Metal building contractor bookkeeping has to track all three separately, an

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A pool service and maintenance route is a completely different business from pool building — recurring, route-based revenue instead of one-time project work, where margin lives in route density and chemical inventory needs real, careful tracking. Pool service bookkeeping has to reflect that recurring, route-driven realit

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A cabinetmaker or millwork contractor runs a job through two distinct places — the shop, where fabrication happens, and the field, where it's installed — and most trades we cover only have one. Cabinetmaker and millwork contractor bookkeeping has to allocate shop overhead correctly, track custom design lead time, and cost

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com An epoxy and concrete coating business runs at a job velocity most trades never see — single- or few-day jobs, completed at real volume, often serving two very different customers at once: residential garages and commercial or industrial floors. Epoxy contractor bookkeeping has to keep up with that pace and track both mar

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com Batt, blown-in, and spray foam insulation aren't variations on the same job — they're three different cost structures with different equipment, different labor skill, and different install speed. Insulation contractor bookkeeping that treats them as one category will misprice most jobs, and a trade that runs entirely behi

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com Asphalt pricing moves with petroleum markets, paving can't happen below certain temperatures no matter how full the schedule is, and many paving companies run recurring commercial sealcoating contracts alongside one-time installs. Paving contractor bookkeeping has to handle all three, or job costing turns into guesswork e

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com A deck builder's material choice doesn't just change the price — it changes the warranty exposure. Pressure-treated lumber and composite decking carry completely different cost, install speed, and liability profiles. Deck builder bookkeeping has to track both correctly, alongside real permit variance by municipality and a

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com New York construction contractors operate under a law most builders in other states never deal with: the Scaffold Law, codified in New York Labor Law §§ 240 and 241, which imposes an absolute liability standard on owners and contractors for gravity-related injuries. For Buffalo contractors, this law shapes real, ongoing

By Tammy Hoang, QuickBooks ProAdvisor — Construction Bookkeeping Specialist | Construction Cost Accounting (949) 889-3283 | constructioncostaccounting.com Drywall work isn't one job — it's three distinct phases, each with its own pace and pricing: hanging the boards, taping and mudding the joints, and applying texture or finish. Drywall contractor bookkeeping that treats the whole job as one cost blob misses which phase is actually eating the margin. This guide covers what'