The short answer
Bookkeeping for contractors and the trades in Arizona means more than categorizing expenses. It covers job costing, work in progress, syncing field service software with QuickBooks, planning around seasonal swings and producing financials a bonding company or lender will accept. AZ Easy CPA in Chandler handles all of it for trade businesses.
Which trades do we work with?
We work with plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, general contractors, pool service companies and landscapers. Each trade has its own money patterns, so each has its own page below with the details that matter for that kind of business.
- Plumber bookkeeping: service calls, truck stock, memberships and water heater installs.
- HVAC bookkeeping: the Arizona summer rush, maintenance agreements and equipment financing.
- Bookkeeping for electricians: service work alongside construction jobs, material swings and license bonds.
- Bookkeeping for general contractors: progress billing, retainage, WIP schedules and subcontractors.
- Pool service bookkeeping: route revenue, chemical costs and repair work.
- Landscaping bookkeeping: maintenance contracts, install projects and crews.
What is job costing and why does it matter?
Job costing ties every dollar of labor, materials, equipment and subcontractor cost to the job it belongs to. It shows you which jobs, customers and job types earn money and which ones quietly lose it, so your bids and pricing are based on real numbers.
Without job costing, a profitable month can hide two or three jobs that went badly.
We set up QuickBooks with projects or classes, a chart of accounts built for the trades and clear rules for how receipts, bills and time get coded. Then we keep it accurate month after month as part of monthly bookkeeping.
What is work in progress (WIP) for a trade business?
Work in progress is the picture of jobs that are started but not finished: what you have spent, what you have billed and what is left. For longer jobs it keeps your profit from looking too high in one month and too low in the next.
Short service calls rarely need it, but projects that run for weeks or months do. We explain WIP in plain terms on the general contractors page.
Can my field service software sync with QuickBooks?
Yes. ServiceTitan, Jobber and Housecall Pro can all send invoices and payments to QuickBooks, but the sync only helps when it is set up right. We map items, customers, taxes and payment deposits so the data lands in the right places instead of creating duplicates.
The most common problems we see are duplicate customers, invoices posting to the wrong income account and card deposits that never match because processor fees were taken out first. Each one makes your reports harder to trust.
- Match software items to the right income and cost accounts.
- Record merchant fees so deposits reconcile to the bank.
- Decide which system owns customers, so records do not double.
- Check the sync each month during reconciliation.
How do you plan for seasonal swings in Arizona?
Arizona trades run on seasons. HVAC and pool service peak in the summer heat, landscaping shifts with planting and overseeding, and construction slows around holidays. Monthly reports and a simple budget help you set aside cash in busy months for the quiet ones.
We review results with you each month and build a budget that reflects your real busy and slow periods. That makes it easier to decide when to hire, when to buy equipment and how much cash to keep on hand.
Do I need compiled financial statements for bonding?
Often, yes. Surety companies and lenders commonly ask contractors for financial statements prepared by a CPA, and a compilation is a common starting point. AZ Easy CPA prepares GAAP format compilations and can talk through whether your surety is asking for something more.
A compilation presents your financials in a standard format without giving assurance, which means the CPA does not audit or verify the numbers. Bonding capacity often depends on what those statements show, so clean books all year make the process smoother. Learn more on our compiled financial statements page.
How do we get started?
Free phone call
Tell Chris about your trade, your software and where the books stand today. No pressure.
Look at the books
We review your QuickBooks file and software setup and let you know if cleanup comes first.
Set up for the trade
We build the chart of accounts, job costing structure and software sync around how you work.
Monthly bookkeeping
Each month we reconcile, close and send reports, then review the results with you.
Trades questions
Do you work with trade businesses outside Chandler?
Yes. Our home base is Chandler and the East Valley, but we work remotely through a secure upload portal and cloud tools. Trade businesses across Arizona and the US work with us.
How much does bookkeeping for a trade business cost?
Monthly bookkeeping plans typically start around $300 a month. The price depends on transaction volume, the number of accounts and how much job costing is involved. We quote after a free call.
Do you handle payroll for my crew?
We do not run payroll in house. We work with trusted payroll partners and make sure payroll entries are recorded correctly in your books, including job costing for labor.
Do you prepare my business tax return?
No, tax return preparation is handled by our trusted partners. We keep your books organized and ready so your tax preparer has what they need.
My books are a mess. Can you still help?
Yes. Many trade businesses come to us behind or with a messy file. We start with a cleanup or catch-up project, then move into monthly bookkeeping.
Do you track 1099 subcontractors?
Yes. We track payments to subcontractors through the year and help you collect W-9s, so 1099 season is not a scramble.
Bookkeeping near you
From our Chandler office we work with businesses across the East Valley and Arizona, in person or online.
