Every trade has its own bookkeeping quirks. Here's how we approach yours — and why a specialist beats a generalist every time.
Every trades business has different bookkeeping needs. Here's what we see in each and how we help.
Electricians often run lean operations with a mix of residential service calls, new construction work, and commercial maintenance contracts. You're dealing with material markup, ESA permit costs, and potentially apprentice wages on top of your own draws. Cash flow can be uneven when commercial jobs take 30-60 days to pay.
We set up job costing so you can track profitability per project type — service work vs. new builds vs. commercial — and see where your margins actually live. We handle HST correctly across all your income types, track ESA and material costs properly, and make sure your T5018s are filed for any subs you use.
Plumbing businesses deal with high material costs, emergency call pricing, permit fees, and a mix of small service jobs and larger renovation or new-build projects. Many plumbers also carry significant tool and vehicle assets that need to be depreciated correctly.
We track materials and labour per job, handle CCA depreciation for your truck and equipment, and manage your HST across different billing structures. If you're doing holdback projects on new construction, we track those separately so your cash flow picture is always accurate.
HVAC businesses have seasonal revenue patterns, recurring maintenance contracts, and high-ticket equipment installs alongside smaller service calls. You may carry inventory, deal with warranty claims, and run a small team of service techs on top of your own work.
We set up recurring revenue tracking for your maintenance contracts, help you understand your margin on equipment installs vs. service calls, and handle payroll for your technicians. We also track inventory properly so your financial statements aren't inflated by equipment sitting in the van.
GCs manage more financial complexity than almost any other trade. You're invoicing owners, paying subs, tracking holdbacks, dealing with draws and progress billing, and managing WSIB compliance for everyone on your site. The Ontario Construction Act adds a layer of legal obligation to how you handle money in the chain.
We handle everything: holdback tracking, T5018 slips for all your subs, job costing per project, progress billing, and WSIB. We also help with the employee-vs-subcontractor question — one of the most common audit risks for general contractors in Canada.
Landscaping businesses face extreme seasonality — most revenue comes in spring through fall, but expenses (equipment, insurance, fleet) run year-round. Many landscapers also manage recurring maintenance contracts alongside one-time installs, and run seasonal crews that bring payroll and WSIB complexity.
We set up your books to handle seasonal cash flow clearly, manage payroll for seasonal crews (including Records of Employment when the season ends), and track equipment depreciation. We help you understand your actual margins on installs vs. maintenance so you know which work to focus on growing.
Framers and finish carpenters often work as subcontractors to GCs and deal with holdbacks, square-footage billing, material cost tracking, and payment schedules tied to milestones. The cash flow gap between completing work and receiving payment is often the biggest stress in the business.
We track your AR closely so you always know what's owed and when, manage the holdback receivables correctly, and cost each project against your bids so you can see where your pricing needs adjusting. We also handle your HST and ensure your T4A/T5018 situation is clean with any GCs you work for.
Roofing businesses often scale up quickly with crews, run high material costs (shingles, membranes, flashing), and deal with insurance restoration jobs alongside standard installs. Warranty work and warranty provisions can complicate revenue recognition.
We handle crew payroll and WSIB, track material costs per job, and separate insurance restoration revenue properly for clean reporting. We also set up job costing so you know your margin on residential installs vs. commercial flat roofing vs. insurance work.
Painting businesses tend to have lower material costs relative to labour — which means your profitability hinges on how efficiently you quote and schedule. Many painters use subcontractors for larger commercial jobs and need T5018s filed. Cash collection on residential jobs can also be challenging.
We track labour efficiency and job margins so you can see where you're losing money on poorly-quoted jobs. We handle T5018s for your subs, manage your HST, and set up clean invoicing workflows in QuickBooks or Xero so you get paid faster.
If you're a trades, construction, or contracting business in Barrie or Simcoe County, there's a good chance we can help — even if your specific trade isn't listed here. Give us a call or book a free consultation and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.
Book a Free ConsultationBook a free consultation and let's talk through what your books actually need.