82% of contractors can't identify their most profitable job. Can you?
Free Assessment (385) 374-9295Built for Contractors Who Are Done Guessing
Your crew doesn't build houses with a tape measure that's "close enough." So why are your financials held together with spreadsheets, guesses, and a prayer?
Salisbury Bookkeeping exists for one reason: construction companies between $500K and $10M that have outgrown their bookkeeper but aren't ready to drop $150K on a full-time CFO. We call it the Graduation Gap—and it's where good contractors go broke despite doing great work.
The Numbers That Keep Contractors Up at Night
Not sure if we're a fit? 30 minutes. Zero pitch. Just a look under the hood of your numbers.
Schedule Your Free Assessment Download the Construction VaultWe only take on 2 new clients per month — quality over quantity.
Industries We Specialize In
We don't serve restaurants, dentists, or "businesses." We serve contractors. Period. Your financial world has retainage, WIP schedules, and draw management—and that requires someone who's been in the trenches (figuratively).
Custom Home Builders
You build beautiful homes. Your P&L should look just as good. We set up job costing by phase, align draws to real costs, and catch every change order before it falls through the cracks. Because "we'll bill them later" is how $28K disappears.
"We recovered over $8,000 in approved change orders within the first 60 days. The system now makes it nearly impossible for billable work to slip through."— Zach, Custom Home Builder ($2M–$3M)
Remodelers & General Contractors
Five jobs running, three crews out, change orders flying in from the field. Sound like a Tuesday? We build the financial systems so you know which jobs actually make money—not just which ones feel busy.
"Now we can see which jobs make money in real time, and we bid with confidence. Our P&L finally matches our bank account."— Dave, Residential Remodeler ($1M–$2M)
Commercial Subcontractors
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, finish trades—if your biggest expense is labor and your biggest headache is getting paid, we get it. Progress billing, retainage, AIA docs, and the eternal question: "Where's my money?"
"Knowing our cash position 2 months out completely changed how we run the business. Bank conversations are easier, and we trust our numbers."— Adam, Commercial Contractor ($3M–$5M)
Spec Home Developers
Spec homes are a bet—and the house always wins if you don't track carrying costs. Interest, holding costs, and timing can eat your profit faster than a bad subcontractor. We make sure you know the real number, not the hopeful one.
"Finally understanding true carrying costs per project helped us pick better lots and time our sales smarter."— Mike, Spec Developer ($4M–$6M)
Multi-Crew Construction Firms
You went from one truck to five. Revenue doubled. But did your financial systems? Growing without Controller-level oversight is like framing a house without a level—everything looks fine until it doesn't.
"Scaling from 2 to 5 crews would've crushed us without proper systems in place. Now I actually know what's happening across all projects."— Ryan, GC ($5M–$8M)
Utah Contractors (and Beyond)
Based in Eagle Mountain, we're plugged into Utah's building boom. But our cloud-based systems don't care where your jobsite is. Salt Lake City, St. George, or South Carolina—if you build, we can help.
"Having someone who understands Utah's market and regulations made all the difference. And they're just a text away."— Josh, Utah Home Builder ($1.5M)
What's Actually Breaking Your Books?
You didn't get into construction to reconcile bank statements. Here are the six problems we fix most—and yes, at least three will sound painfully familiar.
"I Think We Made Money on That Job" (Job Costing is Fuzzy)
You finish a $400K job thinking you cleared 20%. The P&L says otherwise. Costs are scattered across categories with no clear project attribution. The real margin? Nobody knows until it's too late to fix.
"We Did That Change Order... Did We Bill It?" (Revenue Leaks)
Client asks for an extra outlet. Crew installs it. Nobody writes it down. Three months later, you can't remember if it was in the original scope. Industry data shows 20-30% of change orders never get invoiced.
"That's the Owner's Card... I Think" (Personal vs. Business)
The owner's personal card bought materials at Home Depot, lunch for the crew, and gas for the boat. All in the same week. Now job costs are mixed with owner draws and your CPA is sending passive-aggressive emails.
"Is That Crew Even Profitable?" (Labor Allocation)
Payroll goes out every week, but you can't tell which jobs are eating up labor hours or if crews are profitable. Certified payroll slows everything down. Labor burden? That's a term you've heard but never calculated.
"We're Profitable but Where's the Cash?" (Cash Flow Swings)
Progress billing plus slow-paying GCs equals constant gaps. You're profitable on paper but scrambling to make payroll every other Friday. Retainage sits untouched for months. The classic construction cash flow paradox.
"I'll Catch Up This Weekend" (Bookkeeping Chaos)
No cadence to keep books clean. You're always "catching up." Month-end close takes weeks. Reports are stale by the time you see them. You make financial decisions on gut, not data—and your gut is tired.
Real Results from Real Contractors
We could tell you we're great. Or we could show you what happened when contractors like you let us look at their numbers.
$137K Impact in Year One
Zach was profitable on paper but cash-poor. Approved change orders weren't getting billed. Job costs were scattered across categories like confetti. Within 60 days, we recovered $8K+ in unbilled change orders. By month 6, margins improved 2%+ through better bidding data.
14-Day DSO Reduction
Adam's AR was a mess—invoices going out late, no retainage tracking, constant cash stress despite steady work. We implemented automated billing triggers and AR aging protocols. Collections accelerated, cash flow stabilized, and Adam stopped losing sleep over payroll Fridays.
Tools We Integrate
Your field software and accounting finally talking to each other—no more typing the same number into two different systems like it's 2004.
QuickBooks Online
NAHB Chart of Accounts setup, job costing by project, and real-time financial dashboards.
Buildertrend
Budgets, change orders, and POs sync directly into QuickBooks—zero manual entry.
Procore
Enterprise-grade project data flows into your financials for complete visibility.
Knowify
Job costing, time tracking, and invoicing connected to your books automatically.
Bookkeeper vs. Controller vs. CFO
Most contractors are paying for a bookkeeper when they need a Controller. Here's why that gap is costing you more than you think.
| Capability | Basic Bookkeeper | Fractional Controller (Us) | Full-Time CFO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction Recording | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Job Costing by Phase | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| WIP Schedules | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cash Flow Forecasting | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| PM Software Integration | — | ✓ | Maybe |
| Real-Time Dashboards | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Strategic Planning | — | ✓ | ✓ |
| Construction Expertise | Rarely | Always | Sometimes |
| Typical Annual Cost | $12K–$24K | $30K–$60K | $100K–$200K+ |
Ready to see what Controller-level support looks like for your company?
Schedule Your Free Assessment Download the Construction VaultQuestions Contractors Ask Us
What size construction company does Salisbury Bookkeeping work with?
Salisbury Bookkeeping specializes in construction companies doing $500K to $10M in annual revenue—the "Graduation Gap" where you've outgrown basic bookkeeping but aren't ready for a $100K+ full-time CFO. Our fractional controller model gives you that expertise at a fraction of the cost.
Does Salisbury Bookkeeping work with specialty trade contractors?
Absolutely. Salisbury Bookkeeping serves electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and finish trade contractors. Labor-heavy jobs with progress billing and retainage require specialized tracking—that's exactly what we excel at. We handle certified payroll allocation, job burden tracking, and T&M reconciliation.
What makes construction bookkeeping different from regular accounting?
Standard accounting tracks expenses by date. Construction accounting tracks by project and phase—job costing, WIP schedules, retainage, and draw management. Salisbury Bookkeeping uses the NAHB Chart of Accounts, the industry standard that banks and bonding companies expect.
Does Salisbury Bookkeeping serve contractors outside of Utah?
Yes. While based in Eagle Mountain, Utah, Salisbury Bookkeeping serves builders, remodelers, and specialty trades nationwide. Our cloud-based systems (QuickBooks Online + your PM software) work seamlessly regardless of your jobsite locations.
What if my books are currently a mess?
Messy books are our specialty. Salisbury Bookkeeping handles cleanup and catch-up as part of onboarding. We audit past transactions, restructure your Chart of Accounts to NAHB standards, and recategorize expenses so you have accurate historical data for better bidding. Most cleanups take 30-60 days.
How quickly can I expect results from Salisbury Bookkeeping?
Most clients see improved visibility within 30 days. Recovered revenue from unbilled change orders typically happens in the first 60 days (average $28,400). Full financial clarity—real-time dashboards, accurate WIP, predictable cash flow—usually takes 90 days.
What PM software does Salisbury Bookkeeping integrate with?
Salisbury Bookkeeping integrates QuickBooks Online with Buildertrend, Procore, CoConstruct, and Knowify. This eliminates double data entry and syncs field operations directly into financials—budget updates, change orders, and time tracking flow automatically.
Stop Guessing. Start Seeing.
If your numbers feel off, they probably are. 30-minute financial assessment. No pitch, just clarity—and usually at least one "oh, that's where it went" moment.
We only take on 2 new clients per month — quality over quantity.
"Best 30 minutes I've spent on my business this year. No pressure, just facts about where our money was going."— Adam, Commercial Contractor
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