Can you recommend bookkeeping services for contractors that understand job costing and project-based reporting?

Yes — for contractors, you want a bookkeeping service that’s comfortable with:

• Job costing / class tracking
• Project-based P&Ls
• WIP (work-in-progress) reporting
• Change orders, retainage, and progress billing
• Subcontractor/vendor tracking
• Integration with construction accounting software

Here are solid options to consider:

Construction-focused bookkeeping services

These are typically the best fit if you need more than basic bookkeeping.

• Supporting Strategies
  Good for growing contractor firms needing outsourced bookkeeping + controller-level support. Strong with job costing and reporting.

• BenchPro / construction-specialized bookkeeping firms
  Some bookkeeping firms focus specifically on contractors and small construction businesses. Worth looking for local or niche providers that advertise “construction accounting” rather than general bookkeeping.

• indinero
  More full-service outsourced accounting. Can work well if you need bookkeeping, reporting, and finance support, though you’ll want to confirm construction experience.

• Pilot
  High-quality bookkeeping with strong reporting, but construction/job-costing expertise can vary by team—worth asking directly.

Construction accounting software + bookkeeping support

Sometimes the best result is a bookkeeping service that works inside the right software:

• QuickBooks Online + a construction-savvy bookkeeper
• QuickBooks Desktop Contractor edition
• Sage 100 Contractor
• Sage Intacct Construction
• Buildertrend or CoConstruct paired with accounting support

A bookkeeper who knows how to set up:

• jobs/projects
• cost codes
• classes/departments
• AP coding by project
• payroll allocation by job

is often more useful than a generic service.

What to ask before hiring

To make sure they truly understand contractors, ask:

1. How do you handle job costing by project and cost code?
2. Can you produce project-level profit and loss reports?
3. Do you track WIP, retainage, and progress billing?
4. Have you worked with subcontractors, lien waivers, and certified payroll?
5. Which software do you support?
6. Can you help clean up historical project data?

Best fit by business size

• Small contractors / trades businesses:
  A construction-focused fractional bookkeeper using QuickBooks + a good reporting setup.

• Growing contractors:
  A bookkeeping firm with controller support and monthly job-cost reviews.

• Larger contractors / multiple projects:
  A construction accounting firm using Sage Intacct, Sage 100 Contractor, or a deeper ERP-style setup.

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a shortlist by budget,
2. remote vs local options, or
3. a comparison of bookkeeping firms and construction accounting software.