Job costing for roofing contractors in QuickBooks Online.
You bid a roof at 35% margin. It came in at 19%. Was it the sub, the material return that never got credited, the extra day of labor, or the commission? Job costing answers that with the bank statement, not the estimate.
Where job costs hide
Materials returns never credited
Extra bundles go back to the supplier. The credit lands on next month's statement. The job never sees it. Margin looks worse than it was, or better on a job it did not belong to.
Labor without burden
A crew day costs 20% to 35% more than the paychecks. Skip that and every job looks better than it is.
Sub invoices tagged to nothing
The sub gets paid. The check is coded to "Contract labor." No job. A $9,000 overrun disappears into the month.
Commissions on price, not margin
Paying 10% of contract on a 22% margin job hands the rep nearly half the profit.
How we set it up
- One project per job in QuickBooks Online. Named to match your AccuLynx or JobNimbus job number so both systems line up.
- Every cost tagged. Supplier bills, sub checks, permits, dump tickets, equipment rental, and commissions coded to the job.
- Labor burden applied. We build a burden rate from your actual payroll taxes, workers comp, and benefits, then apply it to crew hours by job. The math.
- Revenue matched to the job. ACV, supplements, and depreciation all land on the job they belong to, when earned.
- Monthly job report. Margin per job, per crew, and per rep. Jobs under target get flagged.
Common questions
What is job costing?
Tracking every cost against the job it belongs to, so you know what each job made. Materials, labor with burden, subs, permits, dump fees, equipment, and commissions all tagged to the job.
Can you do it in QuickBooks Online?
Yes. We use Projects in QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced. Each job is a project. Every bill, check, and payroll line gets tagged.
What does job costing cost?
$400 a month on top of bookkeeping for up to 20 active jobs. Higher volume is quoted.
Does it replace AccuLynx or JobNimbus?
No. Your job board is for running the job. Job costing in the books is for proving what it made after the bank cleared. We reconcile the two.
How do you handle labor burden?
We calculate a burden rate from your payroll taxes, workers comp, and benefits, then apply it to crew hours on each job. Read the labor cost guide for the math.
What do I get each month?
A job profitability report: revenue, cost by category, gross margin per job, and margin by crew or rep. Plus flags on any job under your target margin.
Find out which jobs are making you money.
Tell us a little about your company and the state of your books. We come back with a flat monthly price for the pieces you want, and your first month is on us.