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How to Use QuickBooks for Construction Job Costing: A Step-by-Step Guide

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April 25, 2023

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We suggest using accounting staff with specialized training in construction accounting. Levelset uses the information in your QuickBooks invoices to track deadlines and generate notices automatically. You can set up your Levelset account to sync every time you create or edit an invoice. QuickBooks allows you to create invoices from scratch — or convert an estimate into a single invoice or progress invoices automatically. This is where creating a parent estimate for each project can save you a lot of time down the road. You can do this in QuickBooks by setting up a list of products or services in the application.

Users can program the software to automatically send invoices and documents. Furthermore, construction accounting software removes most of the risk of human error. Automated data entry and mathematics ensures that all values, names, account numbers, and other data are accurate, saving time in entry and fixing mistakes. Construction accounting software also allows users to track their actual progress in real time. This means they’ll be able to check Work In Progress reports, job-costing data, outstanding balances both receivable and payable, and other data. QuickBooks can be an excellent tool for job cost accounting and project management.

Using Projects

Construction is a complicated business, especially as companies grow and manage multiple projects at once. Keeping track of all your dollars and cents by Excel leaves room for error and is sure to give your accountant countless headaches. Through tech seems like an investment, the benefits pay your business back tenfold. Come tax time, you can easily pull needed documents and share your books with your accountant. ACA & W-2 Services Our ACA reporting & e-filing services include official 1094-C and 1095-C IRS reporting, optional e-filing , mailing to your employees and experienced support to help you. To add project transactions, go to your “Projects” list, select your job and click the button in the upper-right corner.

The next time you create an invoice, be sure to add the Billable Expenses from the drawer that appears on the right. From there, you can easily connect with your bank, find specific invoices or enter bills and receipts. If you cannot find something, the global search bar is there for quick reference. Check out these benefits of using QuickBooks for your construction company. QuickBooks Online allows financial collaboration in real-time from multiple devices and locations at once.

How to Setup Work in Progress (WIP) in QuickBooks

When it’s time to invoice the outstanding estimate, return to the estimate, click Create an invoice, and QuickBooks will prompt you to invoice the remaining amount. You can develop and distribute job estimates to prospective customers. It is critical to include as much data as possible in the estimate construction bookkeeping because it will serve as the foundation for subsequent change orders, invoices, and budget analyses. Your setup QuickBooks will have between 1,000 to 5,000 Items setup to track all the costs of the construction process from beginning to end in order to get the QuickBooks reports you need.

Key Performance Indicators can help illustrate your business’s financial health and show whether your business will turn a profit. Share this checklist with your spouse to assure you each have access to manage important financial tasks independently. E-Tech is the #1 Quickbooks data migration and Conversion service provider.

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Don’t forget the “Big Picture” by relying on your job cost reports to tell you everything you need to know about managing your business financially. Not only can youuse QuickBooks for construction companies, but it’s actually recommended to do so. There are very specific work processes that need attention in the construction industry.

• As per numerous reports, Intuit had stated that it would stop making older versions of QuickBooks Desktop after May 31, 2021.
• Unlike QuickBooks Desktop, you’re not tied to a singular monitor with the application downloaded onto it.
• Just setting up books for the first time in QB and need to be able to report WIP to accountants.
• QuickBooks can and should be used for all your construction accounting needs.
• There is no shortage when it comes to software for the construction industry, and you may wonder which one fits you the best.
• Depreciation will begin after the asset is put into service.

The report can be utilized by the contractor to control, manage, and make choices in order to keep the company moving in the right direction. Its two-way QuickBooks sync allows you to create estimates on the fly, convert it to a work order and issue an invoice in either program without needing to re-enter data. Store everything in the cloud and track insights about hours worked and estimated for future job costing. Because the expansion is complete and in service, the equipment in this example will begin depreciating as other fixed asset accounts do. Once construction is complete, shift the CIP account to the appropriate fixed-asset account. Let’s assume that a company is expanding its warehouse and the project is expected to take four months to complete.

Accurately Track Job Costs With Workyard

Hiring an experienced accounting team is the best way to ensure that your company maintains accurate, detailed, and up-to-date accounting books through every step of the construction process. Construction Work-in-Progress is a noncurrent asset account in which the costs of constructing long-term, fixed assets are recorded. Once you enable the project tracking report in QBO, then you are given access to various dashboards and reports that allow you to look at your incomes and costs in various different ways.

However, the Contractor Edition includes all of QuickBooks Premier’s advanced accounting features. QuickBooks Premier Contractor Edition is the version of QuickBooks software that is most beneficial for you as a general contractor or subcontractor. After purchasing QuickBooks Premier, you can select the Contractor Edition during the software’s download process.