Accounting & Back-Office Tools

The back office is where contractors quietly succeed or fail — you must know whether each job actually made money (job costing), not just your bank balance.

Tools by stage

• QuickBooks Online — where most small contractors start; add job costing and a payroll add-on.
• Knowify / Buildertrend — connect estimating/PM to invoicing and sync with QuickBooks.
• Foundation, Sage 100 Contractor, Sage Intacct Construction — purpose-built construction accounting for when you grow (true job cost, AIA billing, certified payroll).
• Payroll services (Gusto, ADP) — taxes, direct deposit, and certified payroll for public work.

Beginner back-office kit

QuickBooks + a payroll service + disciplined job costing covers most small contractors. Tag every cost to a job and cost code so you can compare estimated vs. actual and learn what to bid next time. Separate business and personal accounts from day one (it protects your liability shield, too).

Takeaway: Know if each job made money via job costing: start with QuickBooks + a payroll service, tag every cost to a job/cost code to compare estimated vs. actual, and move to construction-specific accounting (Foundation, Sage) as you scale.

Product names are examples for learning, not endorsements; features and pricing change. Always trial before you buy.