Restoration & remediation
Books and taxes for asbestos abatement companies.
Licensed disposal, third-party air monitoring, and jobs that run from a homeowner's basement to a school gym. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
May made $17,000. The air monitoring tech's invoice for the school gym job went in as an outside test, not a supply cost, so the numbers stayed honest.
- Commercial property paymentJob payments
- School district paymentJob payments
- Air monitoring tech invoiceThird-party testing
- Licensed landfill feeDisposal
- Abatix supply orderContainment supplies
Why your books are different
Asbestos abatement books go wrong when notification and disposal costs get buried.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is containment, a licensed dump run for hazardous waste, and an outside technician who has to test the air before you can call a job done. When the books do not separate those pieces, real costs go missing.
-
1
Third-party air monitoring looks like a supply bill
A licensed air monitoring technician has to test the air before, during, and after most abatement jobs, and if that invoice lands in the same category as containment plastic, there is no way to tell how much outside testing actually costs on a job.
What we doBooks air monitoring fees as their own line, separate from containment materials, so a job's real outside cost is clear. -
2
Disposal manifests hide the real dump cost
Asbestos waste has to go to a licensed landfill under a tracked manifest, and the fee for that can run far higher than regular debris hauling, but lumped in with general dump fees, a job's true disposal cost disappears.
What we doKeeps licensed asbestos disposal in its own line so you can see what a job actually cost to haul away. -
3
Notification and permit fees get missed as a cost
Most jobs require advance written notice and a fee paid to a state or local agency before work can start, and if that fee gets lost in general permits, it is easy to underprice the next job by leaving it out.
What we doKeeps notification and permit fees visible by job so pricing accounts for every real cost. -
4
Containment gear reads as one supply pile
Negative air machines, decon chamber materials, and full-face respirators get bought together for a job and can total thousands of dollars, but expensed as one supply run, they muddy the month and throw off depreciation on the bigger items.
What we doFlags equipment purchases over a set size the day they show up and logs them separately for the accountant. -
5
Certification costs go untracked
Certified supervisors and workers need annual refresher training to stay licensed, and if that cost gets buried in general training expenses, it is hard to see what staying compliant actually costs per crew member each year.
What we doKeeps certification and training costs in their own line so you know what it costs to keep a crew licensed.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an asbestos abatement company.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Commercial and industrial contractsOffice buildings, warehouses, and industrial sites scheduled for renovation.
- School and municipal contractsPublic building jobs, often bid and scheduled around breaks.
- Residential renovation jobsHomeowners clearing asbestos before a remodel.
- Real estate transaction jobsAbatement required before a sale can close.
- Landlord and property manager contractsOlder rental buildings with recurring abatement needs.
Money out
- Containment suppliesPlastic sheeting, tape, and decon chamber materials.
- Respirators and PPEFull-face respirators, disposable coveralls, and fit testing.
- Third-party air monitoringThe independent technician who tests the air on most jobs.
- Licensed disposal feesManifested hauling to a licensed landfill.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the crew vehicles.
- Insurance and licensingGeneral liability, pollution liability, and state license fees.
- Certification and trainingAnnual refresher courses for supervisors and workers.
What we watch for you
- Job margin
What a job actually made after containment, disposal, and testing costs.
- Disposal cost per job
What licensed hauling and landfill fees run against what a job billed.
- Certification cost
What it costs each year to keep every supervisor and worker licensed.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things asbestos abatement owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
The air monitoring and disposal fees on that one ran higher than usual. I kept them in their own lines so you can see exactly what ate into the margin.
Yes. I logged it as certification and training, so it is easy to see and the accountant can confirm how it is treated.
If you pay them $2,000 or more this year and they are not on payroll, they get a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of an asbestos abatement business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Equipment filed as supplies, an outside tester paid without paperwork, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Containment and safety equipmentNegative air machines, decon chamber setups, and other equipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Third-party tester 1099sAn air monitoring technician or lab paid $2,000 or more in 2026 outside of payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- State and federal licensing rulesAsbestos work usually requires notice to a state or local agency before a job starts, along with licensed worker and supervisor certification. Rules and fees vary by state, and Gus flags the cost when it shows up.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions asbestos abatement companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Respirators and fit testing
- Containment plastic and tape
- Negative air machine filters
- Decon chamber supplies
- Licensed disposal fees
- Notification and permit fees
- Certification renewal and training
- Disposable coveralls
- Phone and tablet for job documentation
- Insurance and bonding
- Tools that live on the truck
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
An asbestos abatement year, kept every month.
Renovation jobs and school schedules shape your calendar. Your taxes come on a schedule too. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for testing techs and disposal haulers is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the spring renovation season changed the number.
- October
Before contracts wind down
Before winter renovation work slows, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for asbestos abatement companies. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions asbestos abatement owners ask first.
Can Gus handle a mix of commercial and residential jobs?
Yes. He keeps commercial, school, and residential jobs in separate categories, so you always know which kind of work is filling your schedule.
Does Gus handle the notification paperwork for a job?
No. Gus keeps the books and flags a notification or permit fee when it shows up, but filing the actual notice with your state or local agency is on you.
My air monitoring tech is a separate company I hire per job. Does that change anything?
No. Gus books their invoice as its own line, and an accountant checks it like any other cost. If you pay them $2,000 or more in a year, they get a 1099.
Do I write off a negative air machine all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.
Disposal fees vary a lot job to job. Does Gus track that?
Yes. Licensed disposal gets its own category, so you can see what hauling and dump fees actually cost on each job, not just a general dump line.
My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in restoration & remediation
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Contents cleaning & pack-out
- Lead paint abatement
- Odor removal specialists
- Radon testing & mitigation
- Basement waterproofing
- Crawl space encapsulation
- Foundation repair
- Mold remediation
- Fire & smoke damage restoration
- Water damage restoration
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
- Retractable screens & motorized shades
- Seawall & bulkhead contractors
- Sport court builders (pickleball, basketball)
- Cedar shake roofing specialists
- Custom built-ins & trim carpenters
- Historic home restoration contractors
- Popcorn ceiling removal
- Skylight installation & repair
- Slate & tile roofing specialists
- Stair & railing contractors
- Stucco & EIFS repair
- Wallpaper installers
- Artificial turf installers
- Backflow testing & certification
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever