FOR CONTRACTORS AND TRADES
Bookkeeping software for contractors who work from the truck.
Connect the business checking account and the card you buy materials with. Supply houses, fuel, tools, permits and recurring subcontractor payments get categorized automatically. You answer a handful of questions a week, and your accountant gets a finished year in one download.
A GOOD FIT
Owner-run trades and field work
- Electricians, plumbers, HVAC, roofing, landscaping, remodeling
- Books driven by bank, card and supply-house spending
- A few recurring subcontractors, paid by transfer or check
- You want tax-time records without evening data entry
- Your accountant files the return
NOT INCLUDED YET
Construction-specific tooling
- Per-job costing and profitability
- Progress invoicing, AIA billing and retainage
- Estimates, change orders and bids
- Payroll, crew time tracking and certified payroll
- 1099 filing and lien waivers
THE WEEKLY ROUTINE
Ten minutes on Friday, not an evening in the office.
Every transaction arrives with a suggested category, a confidence score and a plain reason. Anything the system already learned from you posts on its own. Approving a merchant once applies to every other transaction from that merchant, so the same supply house never asks twice. Close the month when you are satisfied and the period locks.
How the categorization worksSECURITY
Bank credentials never touch ConsulBooks.
Plaid handles institution sign-in, connection tokens are stored encrypted, records are isolated per workspace, and an authenticator code is required before a financial workspace opens. More on our security page.
HOW IT COMPARES
Priced and built for one job, not ten.
Regular U.S. list prices, checked . Each row links to a sourced comparison that also says when the other product is the better choice.
- ConsulBooks Starter$12/mo
Connect accounts, AI categorizes, one-download accountant package.
See plans - QuickBooks Simple Start$38/mo
Full suite: invoicing, payments, payroll add-ons, chart of accounts setup.
Full comparison - Xero Early$25/mo
Full platform with usage limits on the entry plan.
Full comparison - FreshBooks Lite$23/mo
Invoice-led; bank reconciliation starts on a higher plan.
Full comparison
See all comparisons or read the comparison methodology. Product names are trademarks of their owners; ConsulBooks is not affiliated with them.
CONTRACTOR QUESTIONS
What trades owners ask first.
Does it handle job costing?
Not yet. ConsulBooks organizes bank and card activity into categorized, accountant-ready books. If you need per-job profitability inside the same product, a construction-specific tool is the better fit today.
How are materials, fuel and subcontractors categorized?
Supply houses, fuel stations and recurring subcontractor payments are recognized by vendor. Once you approve a merchant, every other transaction from that merchant is categorized the same way from then on.
Can I track 1099 subcontractor payments?
Payments to each subcontractor are grouped by vendor and exportable as CSV, which gives your accountant the totals needed at 1099 time. ConsulBooks does not file 1099s.
What if I use a personal card for a job run?
Mark it personal in the review queue and it stays out of your business books, with the decision recorded in the audit trail.
What does my accountant get at year end?
A single download: P&L, balance sheet, trial balance, general ledger, transaction CSVs and the audit trail. You can also invite them to a read-only portal.
BOOKS THAT KEEP UP WITH THE JOB
Get the paperwork off the dashboard of your truck.
Starter is $12/month, and yearly billing saves 10%.
Get started