Who we work with
Bookkeeping for Roofers
A storm month can look like a great year. Deposits pour in, materials go on account, crews are paid as subs, and the insurance checks arrive in pieces over the following six months. Roofing books that follow the cash are wrong in both directions, and the second direction arrives in winter.
Insurance jobs: ACV, RCV, holdbacks and supplements
An insurance job is paid in stages that have nothing to do with the work: an actual-cash-value check up front, the recoverable depreciation released on completion, and supplements approved for items the adjuster missed. Your bookkeeper tracks each job’s contract value including approved supplements, the amounts received by stage, and the holdback still owed, so the receivables report shows real money owed by carriers rather than a blur. Deductibles collected from homeowners are recorded as what they are.
Deposits and material draws
A deposit before the materials are dropped is a liability, not income, and in storm season the volume of deposits can make a company look profitable while the work is still on the ground. Your bookkeeper releases deposits to revenue as jobs are completed and reconciles the supplier’s account so material cost lands on the job it was dropped for.
Crews paid as subs
Most roofing labour is subcontracted by the square. Each crew needs a W-9 before the first payment, payments tracked by crew through the year, and 1099-NEC forms in January at the current threshold. Your bookkeeper also flags crews that look like employees under the classification tests, because the question is cheaper asked now than answered by an auditor.
Storm season and the off-season
Monthly reporting with jobs costed and deposits deferred shows what a storm season actually earned rather than what it collected, and the cash flow forecast built from the WIP schedule and the receivable ageing shows what the off-season will need. Companies that have had one honest winter forecast rarely want to go back.
Warranty and callbacks
Workmanship warranties produce real costs years later. Your bookkeeper can carry a warranty reserve so that callbacks are charged against it rather than against the month they happen in, which keeps a bad callback month from looking like a bad sales month.
Send how many insurance jobs are open and whether crews are subs or on payroll. That is enough for an honest quote before the next storm season.
Roofers: common questions
Can the books track supplements and depreciation holdbacks by job?
Yes. Each job carries its approved value, amounts received by stage and the holdback still owed, so carrier receivables are visible.
Our crews are 1099. Is that a bookkeeping problem?
Not in itself. W-9s, payment tracking and 1099-NECs are routine. Your bookkeeper will flag arrangements that look like employment so you can take advice.
Material supplier statements?
Reconciled monthly, with drops posted to the job they were for.
Retail versus insurance work?
Separate departments if you want the margins compared, which most roofers do once they see them.
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, Painters, Remodelers, Pool Builders, Handyman Businesses and Concrete & Excavation.
Request a quote for your roofing 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.