HVAC, insulation & chimney

Books and taxes for attic insulation companies.

Blown-in cellulose and fiberglass jobs, air sealing add-ons, utility rebate paperwork, and crews that finish two or three jobs a day. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
NovemberExample month
$14,700
what you made

November came in at $14,700. Two utility rebate jobs finally paid out this month, so I matched them back to the September install instead of counting them as new work.

  • Square payouts, job revenueInsulation and air sealing jobs
  • Utility rebate program payoutUtility rebates
  • Insulation supply houseInsulation materials
  • Google local servicesLead fees
  • Fuel card, crew truckTrucks and fuel
Money in$46,200
Money out$31,500
Set aside for taxes$3,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Attic insulation books go wrong around rebates and fast jobs.

You run crews that finish a job in a few hours, sell air sealing as an add-on, and often work through a utility rebate program that pays out weeks after the blower goes quiet. When the books cannot follow the rebate or separate the add-on, a busy month can look thin.

  1. 1

    A utility rebate lands weeks after the job is done

    A utility weatherization program might reimburse part of an $1,800 attic job two or three months later, sometimes to the homeowner and sometimes to you. Untracked, that money either disappears or looks like a random deposit.

    What we doTies each rebate to the job it came from and books it the month it actually lands.
  2. 2

    Air sealing is not the same sale as blown-in insulation

    A crew often air seals the attic floor before blowing in new material, and priced as one number, you cannot tell how much of the job's value is sealing labor versus material and blowing time.

    What we doKeeps air sealing and insulation material sales in separate categories, so each part of the job is visible.
  3. 3

    A bulk material buy wrecks one month's number

    Buying a truckload of blown-in cellulose or fiberglass batts at once, to get a better price, can make that month look like a loss and the next several jobs look unusually profitable.

    What we doKeeps insulation material in one steady line and flags when a bulk buy, not a bad month, is the reason it looks thin.
  4. 4

    Fast job volume hides which crew is actually profitable

    Two or three crews each finishing jobs in a few hours a day can make it hard to see whether one crew is running faster with more callbacks or more material waste than another.

    What we doKeeps job revenue and material use visible enough to compare, so a costly pattern gets caught early.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an attic insulation 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

  • Insulation and air sealing jobsThe core attic job, blown-in or batt, with or without sealing.
  • Utility rebatesWeatherization program payments, matched to the job they belong to.
  • Crawl space and rim joist jobsSmaller add-on jobs, kept apart from full attic work.
  • Insulation removalOld material removal, sold as its own line item.

Money out

  • Insulation materialsBlown-in cellulose, fiberglass batts, and sealing foam.
  • EquipmentBlower machines and hoses, logged so they get written off right.
  • Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the crew trucks.
  • Protective gearRespirators and suits for attic and crawl space work.
  • Lead fees and marketingGoogle local services and utility program referral fees.
  • Crew wagesKept apart so labor cost is visible against job volume.

What we watch for you

  • Rebate backlog

    How much rebate income is promised but not yet landed, so it is not forgotten.

  • Material cost per job

    How much a bulk buy or a wasteful job is eating into margin.

  • Jobs per crew

    How job volume and material use compare across crews.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things attic insulation 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.

A utility rebate on a September job just paid out in November. Does that count as new income?

No, I matched it back to the September job. It shows up as income this month, but tied to the work that earned it, not counted as something new.

I bought a truckload of cellulose to get a better price. Why does this month look so thin?

That was the bulk buy, not a bad month. I keep material in one steady line and flagged this one so it does not look like trouble.

Can you tell if one of my crews is running through more material than the others?

I can keep an eye on it. It is above what I decide on my own, but I will flag anything that looks off and the accountant can help you dig in.

The tax side

The tax side of an attic insulation business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing on rebates and a bulk material buy that gets booked the wrong way.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Trucks and equipmentCrew trucks and blower equipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sA subcontracted crew or helper you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, outside of payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • Employee or contractorA crew member who drives your truck, works your schedule, and installs on your jobs is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
  • 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 attic insulation and air sealing companies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Blown-in cellulose and batts
  • Sealing foam and caulk
  • Blower machine repairs
  • Respirators and protective suits
  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Google local services ads
  • Uniforms with your logo
  • Phone and tablet for scheduling
  • Contractor license renewal
  • Liability insurance
  • Card processing fees
  • Attic access and safety equipment

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 attic insulation year, kept every month.

Fall and spring bring the busiest weeks. Your team keeps you ahead of the season and the return. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, right as spring air sealing calls pick up.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring's job volume changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the fall push

    Homeowners book insulation before winter heating bills climb. Before that rush, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

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 attic insulation and air sealing 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 attic insulation owners ask first.

How does Gus handle a utility rebate that pays out months after the job?

He ties it to the install it came from and books it the month it lands, so it counts for the work that earned it, not as a mystery deposit.

I buy insulation material in bulk to get a better price. Does that wreck the books?

No. Gus keeps material in one steady line and flags a bulk buy so it does not look like a bad month when it is really a stock-up.

Can Gus separate air sealing from the insulation itself?

Yes. They stay in different categories, so you can see how much of a job's value comes from sealing labor versus material and blowing time.

I run more than one crew. Can Gus help me see which one runs more efficiently?

He can flag patterns worth a look, like a crew using more material than usual. The full breakdown is something the accountant can dig into with you.

My books are behind and mixed up with rebate paperwork. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. 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.

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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