Who we work with
Bookkeeping for Painting Contractors
Painting has the simplest cost structure in the trades and the least forgiving. Materials are a small share; labour is almost everything. A job that runs a day over has lost most of its margin, and the books only catch it if hours are posted to the job.
Hours against the bid
Most painting estimates are built from square footage and a production rate. The job cost report should show the hours the crew actually spent against the hours the bid assumed, by job, at the burdened rate. That one comparison, kept for a season, tells you whether the production rate in your estimating is right, which is the most valuable thing a painter’s books can say.
Residential and commercial
Residential repaints are quick, deposit-and-balance jobs. Commercial work is bid against specifications, billed in stages, sometimes with retainage. The books carry both: a simple job cost for residential, progress billing and a WIP line for commercial, so neither hides the other’s margin.
Sub crews and payroll
Many painting companies run a mix of W-2 painters and subcontracted crews. The firm runs payroll in every state where your people work and handles W-9s and 1099-NECs for crews, posting both to the jobs they worked. Where a sub crew looks like employment, your bookkeeper says so.
Materials and sundries
Paint for a job goes to the job. Sundries, tape, plastic and sprayer parts go to the job when they are bought for it and to a supplies account when they are not. Store accounts are reconciled monthly and contractor rebates posted back against the jobs that earned them.
Send crew size and whether you run commercial work with retainage. The reply says what hours-against-bid reporting would cost to set up.
Painters: common questions
Can the report show hours per job against the estimate?
Yes, if time is recorded by job. A weekly sheet by job is enough; most crews already keep one.
We get a rebate from the paint store. Where does it go?
Back against the jobs that earned it, or to a materials rebate line if it cannot be traced, rather than to miscellaneous income.
Commercial jobs with retainage?
Handled with progress billing and a WIP line like any construction job.
What your bookkeeper handles
- Construction Bookkeeping Services
- Contractor Bookkeeping for Trades and Service Companies
- Construction Payroll Services
- Job Costing and WIP Reports for Contractors
- Construction Bookkeeping Cleanup and Catch-Up
Also written for General Contractors, Plumbers, HVAC Companies, Electrical Contractors, Landscapers, Roofers, Remodelers, Pool Builders, Handyman Businesses and Concrete & Excavation.
Request a quote for your painting company
Tell us about the company and the state of the books. Your bookkeeper replies within one business day with a plain answer: what it would take, and what it would cost. Requests answered within one business day · Calls Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm Eastern Or call (888) 720-4009 if you would rather talk it through first.