The short answer
Bookkeeping for electricians in Arizona means tracking service calls and construction jobs separately, costing materials like wire and conduit to the right job, and keeping labor and loans accurate. AZ Easy CPA sets up QuickBooks this way and keeps it current, so you can bid and price with confidence.
Why separate service work from construction work?
Many electrical contractors do both: residential and commercial service calls, plus new construction or tenant improvement projects. The two behave differently. Service is fast and paid on completion, while construction runs for weeks with draws and sometimes retainage. Mixing them makes both harder to manage.
When both kinds of work share one income account, a slow construction month can look like a service problem or the other way around. We set up separate income and cost tracking for each division so you can see them side by side.
| Service work | Construction work | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing | Invoice at completion | Progress billing or draws |
| Job length | Hours or a day | Weeks or months |
| Key report | Revenue and margin per call | Job cost against estimate |
| Cash timing | Fast | Slower, may include retainage |
How do you track material costs on electrical jobs?
Wire, conduit, panels and fixtures are a big share of an electrical job, and copper prices move. We code supply house bills to the job they belong to and reconcile supplier statements each month, so your job costs reflect what materials actually cost.
Electricians often order materials for a project, return some, and pick up more mid-job. Returns and credits that never get applied are a common reason job costs look worse than they are. We match credits to the right job and the right bill.
- Supplier bills coded by job or project
- Returns and credit memos applied, not left open
- Monthly supplier statement reconciliation
- Materials bought for stock separated from job purchases
What does job costing look like for an electrician?
Job costing for electricians ties labor hours, materials, permits, equipment rental and any subcontracted work to each project. When the job is done, you can compare actual cost to your estimate and adjust future bids, which is where most of the value shows up.
Labor is usually the hardest piece. Apprentices and journeymen may split time across several jobs in a week, so time needs to be tracked by job and carried into payroll. Payroll runs through our payroll partners, and we record it so labor lands on the right jobs.
For longer construction jobs, a work in progress schedule may also help. Chris can tell you if your job mix needs one.
Do electricians need financial statements for bonds?
Many electrical contractors need a license bond, and those bidding larger or public projects may need performance and payment bonds. Surety companies often ask for financial statements, and AZ Easy CPA can prepare compiled financial statements from clean books.
A compilation puts your financials into a standard GAAP format prepared by a CPA, without auditing the numbers. If your surety asks for something more, we can talk through what they need. Learn more about compiled financial statements.
"Super organized, easy to talk to, and just gets it done right." (Jesenia M., Google review)
What about vans, tools and software?
Service vans, lifts, trenchers and specialty testers are often financed. We set up each loan on the balance sheet and reconcile it monthly. If you use field service software for service calls, we connect it to QuickBooks so invoices and payments post correctly.
Some electrical contractors run service calls through Housecall Pro, Jobber or ServiceTitan and manage construction jobs directly in QuickBooks. That works well when the two are set up to use the same income and cost structure, which we handle during QuickBooks setup.
Arizona transaction privilege tax can apply differently to contracting and service work. That is a topic for your tax partner, and we keep the income split so it is easy to report.
How do we get started?
Free phone call
Tell us about your service and construction mix, your software and your goals.
Review the file
Chris reviews your QuickBooks setup, supplier accounts and loans.
Split the divisions
We set up service and construction tracking, job costing and supplier reconciliations.
Monthly bookkeeping
We close the books each month and walk through job results with you.
Electricians questions
We only do residential service. Do we still need job costing?
You may not need full project job costing, but tracking margin by job type (panel upgrades, troubleshooting, EV chargers and so on) is still useful. We set up the level of detail that fits your business.
Can you help with progress billing on construction jobs?
Yes. We help you set up progress invoices in QuickBooks and track what has been billed, collected and held as retainage on each job.
How do you handle supply house returns?
We record credit memos and apply them to the right bill and job, then reconcile the supplier statement each month. That keeps job costs and payables accurate.
Do you work with electricians outside Chandler?
Yes. We are based in Chandler and work with electrical contractors across Arizona using a secure upload portal and cloud tools.
Can you prepare statements for my bonding company?
We prepare compiled financial statements, which many sureties accept. If yours asks for a review or audit, we will talk through what they need.
Do you track 1099 subcontractors?
Yes. We track payments to subs through the year and help you collect W-9s up front so year-end 1099s are easier.
Bookkeeping near you
From our Chandler office we work with businesses across the East Valley and Arizona, in person or online.
