Services
Construction Accounting Services for Contractors
Most accountants treat a construction company like any other small business. Yours isn’t. You bill in progress, you carry retainage, change orders move the numbers every week, and a job can look profitable right up until it isn’t.
We’re a California CPA firm that works with contractors across the state: trade subs, general contractors, remodelers and builders. We keep your books right, show you which jobs make money, and plan your taxes before the year ends, not after.
Built for the people doing the work
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete, framing, roofing, painting and more.
Running several jobs and crews at once.
Including spec and multifamily projects.
Who’ve outgrown a bookkeeper and a once-a-year tax preparer.
That need CFO-level numbers without hiring a full-time CFO.
If you’re doing the work, signing the checks and wondering where the cash went, you’re in the right place.
Our construction accounting services
Clean books, real job costing, WIP reporting, tax planning and payroll, working together.
Construction bookkeeping
Clean, monthly books set up for how contractors actually operate. We clean up messy books, reconcile accounts, and track deposits, retainage and draws so your numbers hold up for you, your bank and your bonding agent.
BookkeepingJob costing
We set up your chart of accounts and cost codes so labor, materials, subs and equipment land on the right job. You’ll see profit by job, not just for the whole company, so you can spot the jobs that are losing money while there’s still time to fix them.
Find your profit leaksWIP schedules and percentage of completion
A work-in-progress schedule shows where every job stands: costs to date, billings, estimated gross profit, and whether you’re overbilled or underbilled. We prepare WIP reports and help with percentage of completion reporting that banks and sureties expect.
Ask about WIPConstruction tax planning
Year-round planning, not a December scramble. Equipment and vehicle purchases (Section 179 and bonus depreciation), cost segregation on owned shops and yards, accounting method choices, retirement plans for owners, and California pass-through entity tax (PTET) elections.
Tax PlanningContractor tax preparation
Accurate business and personal returns for contractors: Schedule C, partnership, S corp and C corp, plus California. We file on time and work from numbers we already understand, so there are no surprises in April.
Tax PrepEntity structure
LLC, S corp or C corp? We look at your profit, payroll and plans and tell you what actually saves money, including how much to pay yourself as salary and how to hold trucks, equipment and real estate.
Plan your structurePayroll for crews and subs
Payroll, payroll tax filings, W-2s and 1099s handled correctly. We help you classify workers properly and stay on top of California rules so payroll taxes never become a personal problem.
PayrollVirtual CFO and advisory
Cash flow forecasts, budgets, bid and margin reviews, and a monthly look at the numbers with someone who knows construction. It’s the financial clarity of a CFO without the full-time salary.
VCFOTax resolution
Behind on filings or got an IRS or FTB letter? We help contractors get back into compliance, set up payment plans and reduce penalties where the rules allow.
Tax ResolutionWe only think about construction
- We only think about construction. Progress billing, retainage, change orders and certified payroll are normal for us, not edge cases.
- Tax planning all year. We look ahead so you can make decisions before December 31, not explain them after.
- Numbers you can use. Job-level profit and cash flow, not just a tax return once a year.
- A real person. You work with George and the team directly, and we answer in plain English.
- Local and virtual. Based in Tarzana, serving contractors across Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and the rest of California.
We also share what we know for free. George hosts Concrete Numbers, a YouTube channel about the money side of construction: youtube.com/@concretenumbers.
Frequently asked questions
Still have a question? The first call is free and there’s no pressure.
What is construction accounting?
It’s accounting built around jobs instead of just months. It tracks costs and revenue for each project, handles progress billing and retainage, and uses reports like WIP schedules so you know which jobs are making money.
Do contractors really need a specialized accountant?
Not every contractor, but most growing ones benefit. A general accountant can file your return. An accountant for contractors can also fix job costing, pick the right accounting method, plan around equipment purchases and catch overbilling or underbilling before it becomes a cash problem.
Can you clean up books that are behind or a mess?
Yes. Cleanups are one of the most common ways we start with a contractor. We catch up the books, reconcile accounts, sort out owner draws and loans, and set things up so they stay clean.
Do you help with WIP schedules for banks and bonding?
Yes. We prepare work-in-progress schedules that show over and underbillings and estimated profit by job, the format lenders and surety companies ask for.
Should my construction company be an S corp?
It depends on your profit, your payroll and your plans. For many profitable contractors an S corp saves self-employment tax, but only with a reasonable salary and clean payroll. We run the numbers before you change anything.
Do you work with contractors outside Los Angeles?
Yes. We’re based in Tarzana and work with contractors throughout California, including the Bay Area, and we can work fully virtually.
Let’s look at your numbers
If your books are behind, your job costing is a guess, or your tax bill keeps surprising you, let’s talk. The first call is free and there’s no pressure.