How much does construction bookkeeping cost per month?

Basic bookkeeping costs $500 to $1,500 per month. Fractional CFO services with job costing, WIP, and cash flow forecasting cost $1,500 to $4,000 per month. Setup fees are $2,000 to $8,000.

Why does construction bookkeeping cost more than regular bookkeeping?

It requires job costing, retainage tracking, WIP schedules, progress billing, PM software integration, and NAHB chart of accounts — specialized expertise most general bookkeepers lack.

Is a construction bookkeeper worth the cost?

Most clients see 3 to 5x ROI in the first year. Average recovery of $28,400 in unbilled change orders within 60 days typically covers several months of service.

Should contractors hire in-house or outsource bookkeeping?

A full-time controller costs $90,000 to $150,000 per year. Outsourced fractional CFO costs $18,000 to $48,000 per year with equal or better construction expertise.

How long until construction bookkeeping shows ROI?

Most clients see measurable results in 60 to 90 days. Month 1 finds unbilled revenue, Month 2 improves collections, Month 3 delivers accurate job costing.

Construction bookkeeping costs $500 to $4,000 per month depending on the level of service. A basic bookkeeper handling transaction recording and reconciliation costs $500–$1,500/month. A fractional CFO providing job costing, WIP reporting, cash flow forecasting, and PM software integration costs $1,500–$4,000/month. Setup fees range from $2,000–$8,000 depending on cleanup needed. Salisbury Bookkeeping serves contractors in the $500K–$10M revenue range, and most clients see 3–5× ROI in the first year from recovered revenue alone.

How Much Does a Construction Bookkeeper Cost in 2026?

Q: What is the difference between a bookkeeper and a fractional CFO?

A bookkeeper records transactions. A fractional CFO provides job costing, WIP schedules, cash flow forecasting, and strategic advisory — forward-looking financial leadership.

The real question isn't what it costs — it's what it costs you NOT to have one. Here's the honest breakdown.

Construction Bookkeeping Pricing Breakdown

Construction bookkeeping costs more than general business bookkeeping because it's more complex. Job costing, retainage, WIP schedules, progress billing, and PM software integration require construction-specific expertise that most general bookkeepers don't have.

Basic Bookkeeping: $500–$1,500/month

Transaction recording, bank reconciliation, accounts payable/receivable, and monthly financial statements. Suitable for contractors who just need clean books and basic reporting. Does NOT include job costing by phase, WIP schedules, or cash flow forecasting.

Fractional CFO Services: $1,500–$4,000/month

Everything in basic bookkeeping PLUS job costing by project and phase, WIP reporting, 13-week cash flow forecasting, retainage tracking, PM software integration, weekly/monthly strategic reviews, and bonding/financing report preparation. This is the level that pays for itself.

Setup Fees: $2,000–$8,000 (One-Time)

Setup covers NAHB Chart of Accounts configuration, QuickBooks Online migration (if needed), historical data cleanup, PM software integration, and initial job costing setup. The fee depends on how much catch-up your books need. A contractor with relatively clean books and simple operations might be $2,000. A contractor with 2 years of messy books and multiple software systems might be $7,000–$8,000.

For comparison: A full-time in-house controller costs $70,000–$120,000/year in salary plus benefits, taxes, and overhead — roughly $90,000–$150,000 total. A fractional CFO at $2,500/month costs $30,000/year and typically delivers the same (or better) financial visibility because they specialize in construction.

What Determines the Price?

Transaction Volume

A contractor with 50 transactions/month costs less than one with 500. More transactions means more categorization, reconciliation, and review time.

Number of Active Projects

Job costing across 3 projects is simpler than 15. More projects means more cost tracking, more progress billing, more retainage to monitor.

Software Complexity

If you run QuickBooks Online with one PM tool, integration is straightforward. If you have Buildertrend, Procore, ADP Payroll, and a time tracking app, the integration and maintenance is more involved.

Cleanup Required

If your books are current and reasonably organized, setup is fast. If you're 6–18 months behind, cleanup fees are higher. We always quote cleanup separately so you know exactly what you're paying for.

Why Construction Bookkeeping Pays for Itself

This is the part most contractors don't hear from their current bookkeeper. Proper construction financial systems don't just organize your books — they find money you're losing.

$28,400 average recovered in unbilled change orders in the first 60 days. Change orders that were approved in the field but never invoiced.

$34,000 in forgotten retainage recovered by one client in Q1. Money that was earned and held by GCs but never followed up on.

2% pricing accuracy improvement from real-time job cost data. On a $2M pipeline, that's $40,000 in additional gross profit from smarter bidding.

14–21 day improvement in collections from faster invoicing and AR management. Getting paid sooner means less credit line usage and less interest.

★★★★★

"Recovered over $8,000 in approved change orders in 60 days. The ROI paid for itself multiple times over in the first quarter."

Zach

Custom Home Builder · 4× ROI in 60 days

★★★★★

"Scaling from 2 to 5 crews would have crushed us without proper systems in place."

Ryan

General Contractor · $5M–$8M revenue

Frequently Asked Questions

Basic bookkeeping (transaction recording, reconciliation, monthly statements) costs $500–$1,500/month. Fractional CFO services (job costing, WIP, cash flow forecasting, PM integration) cost $1,500–$4,000/month. Setup fees are $2,000–$8,000 one-time depending on cleanup needed.

Construction accounting requires job costing by project and phase, retainage tracking, WIP schedules, progress billing, PM software integration, and construction-specific chart of accounts setup. These require specialized expertise that general bookkeepers don't have.

Most clients see 3–5× ROI in the first year. The average client recovers $28,400 in unbilled change orders in the first 60 days. Add improved pricing accuracy, faster collections, and retainage recovery, and the service typically pays for itself within the first quarter. See client results.

A bookkeeper records what happened — categorizes expenses, reconciles bank accounts, produces basic financial statements. A fractional CFO analyzes what happened, forecasts what is coming, and helps you make better decisions. Job costing, WIP schedules, cash flow forecasting, and strategic advisory are CFO-level work.

A full-time in-house controller costs $90,000–$150,000/year (salary + benefits + overhead). A fractional CFO costs $18,000–$48,000/year and typically delivers equal or better construction financial expertise because they specialize exclusively in construction accounting.

Our services range from $500–$4,000/month depending on the level of support. Setup fees are $2,000–$8,000. We serve contractors in the $500K–$10M range. Book a free assessment and we will give you an exact quote based on your situation.

Most clients see measurable results within 60–90 days. Month 1 typically uncovers unbilled change orders and billing gaps. Month 2 sees collections improve. Month 3 delivers accurate job costing that catches profit fade on active jobs.

Salisbury Bookkeeping — Eagle Mountain, Utah · Serving contractors nationwide · Last updated: March 2026

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Salisbury Bookkeeping — Eagle Mountain, Utah · Serving contractors nationwide