Trades & contractors
Bookkeeping for contractors and trade businesses
Dave Platzer helps general contractors, electricians, plumbers, and trade owners get their nights and weekends back. Greater Philadelphia in person, virtual anywhere in the US.
Contractor bookkeeping comes down to 4 things: tracking materials and labor per project so you know your real margins, automating bank feeds with secure read-only access, keeping accounts receivable tight so you get paid faster, and handing a clean, reconciled set of books to your CPA every February.
The contractor's second job: paperwork at midnight
A typical contractor here in South Jersey or Greater Philadelphia gets up early, loads the truck, and spends the day building, fixing, and solving hard problems for clients. You know your trade, work as hard as anybody in the business, and have a solid reputation to back it up.
When the tools get put away and the sun goes down, a second shift quietly starts. Now you are sitting at the kitchen table at midnight or in the office on a Saturday afternoon trying to wrestle with QuickBooks. Under the truck dashboard sits a pile of faded supply house receipts, and you are trying to remember which materials went to which job site. Payroll is looming, 1099s need tracking, and open client invoices never got sent.
Your crew was slammed this month with a packed schedule. But when you look at the business bank account, you wonder why such a busy month leaves the account feeling so empty. The hard truth is simple: you did not start your business to become an accountant. Trapped behind a screen forcing spreadsheet categories to balance does not generate money, and it keeps you off the job site.
No lectures, no embarrassment: I have seen worse
You do not need a lecture about your paperwork. You do not need to feel embarrassed about how far things have slipped. Paperwork gets overwhelming when you are busy; that is life. You simply want to stop doing the tasks you dread and get back to what you are great at.
That is where NE Bookkeeping steps in. Dave Platzer acts as the financial navigator trade businesses are missing. Having owned and operated small businesses for over 25 years, Dave knows what owners avoid, why they dread it, and how doing it right changes cash flow downstream. Dave's first rule of bookkeeping is simple: if you don't take care of your books, your books will take care of you. And not in a good way.
How we win your nights and weekends back
1. Proper job costing and project margins
Dave tracks materials and labor per project so you know exactly which jobs are making money and which ones are eating your profit. Whether your team uses field software like Jobber, Housecall Pro, or Buildertrend, or you keep it simple inside QuickBooks Projects, Dave ties your project costs directly back to actual bank transactions. You stop guessing on estimates and start bidding with clear job-cost history.
2. Automated bank feeds and secure read-only access
Dave connects directly to your accounts with secure read-only access. By design, he cannot move money or sign a check. He handles the money coming in and makes sure every transaction gets sorted into the right pile automatically.
3. Accounts receivable that keep cash moving
Dave tracks who owes you and for what, helping you invoice promptly and get paid faster. You avoid situations where invoices go out weeks late or require an awkward collection phone call.
4. Local sales tax and subcontractor compliance
In South Jersey, knowing whether a job is a tax-exempt capital improvement (requiring a signed NJ Form ST-8) or a taxable repair saves contractors from painful state tax audits. Dave ensures your subcontractor W-9s are on file before payments go out, and tracks job-level compliance so year-end 1099 filings and local payroll requirements cause zero scramble.
5. Flawless CPA handoff at tax time
When February rolls around, your tax preparer or CPA receives a pristine, perfectly reconciled set of books. They get exactly what they need on day 1, and you save thousands in CPA cleanup fees.
Breathing again on Friday afternoon
The end result is breathing room. You end Friday knowing your accounts are reconciled, your invoices are out, and your financial reports are delivered in plain language you can actually use to grow your business. You are not doing books at midnight, and you get your weekends back.
Local to South Jersey and Greater Philadelphia trades
Dave meets trade owners face to face throughout South Jersey (including Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties) and Greater Philadelphia (including Montgomery, Bucks, and Delaware counties). Whether you want to meet at your shop, a current job site, or over a cup of coffee, Dave will review where your books stand and talk through your numbers in plain language. He also works virtually with trade businessesanywhere in the United States.
Looking for contractor financial guides? ReadDave's guide to NJ contractor sales tax and Form ST-8, explorecontractor bookkeeping best practices, or seehow job-site money gets away.
Contractor bookkeeping questions
How does job costing help my contracting business?
Job costing tracks materials and labor per project instead of throwing all costs into one pile. You see exactly which jobs made money and which ones quietly ate your margins, so you can bid future projects with real data.
Can you move money out of my bank accounts?
Never. Dave operates with secure, read-only access to your accounts. By design, he cannot move funds, issue payments, or sign checks. He reconciles transactions and categorizes expenses without touching your money.
Do you prepare or file business income taxes?
Dave does not file taxes. He keeps your books accurate, clean, and fully reconciled throughout the year, then delivers a CPA-ready package directly to your tax preparer in February. That handoff routinely saves contractors thousands in cleanup fees.
What trades and contractors do you work with?
General contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, roofers, painters, landscapers, and specialty subcontractors. If you send crews out in trucks and purchase job materials, Dave understands your workflow.
Do you help New Jersey contractors with sales tax and Form ST-8?
Yes. In New Jersey, labor on capital improvements is exempt from sales tax only if you retain a signed Form ST-8 from the property owner. Labor on repairs is taxable. Dave helps you track project files and documentation so you are protected during state sales tax audits.
Do you meet contractors in person?
Yes. Dave meets contractors throughout South Jersey (Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester counties) and Greater Philadelphia face to face: at your shop, on your job site, or over coffee. He also works virtually with trade businesses anywhere in the United States.
Stop doing your books at midnight.
Book a free consultation over Zoom or in person over coffee. Tell Dave about your trade, and he'll take a look at where your books stand. If you are stressed about the current state of things, don't be. He has seen worse.