Pest & wildlife control

Books and taxes for bat removal and exclusion companies.

Exclusion jobs that only run outside maternity season, guano cleanup billed apart from sealing, and the mason you call for a church steeple. Gus sorts 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
$12,000
what you made

November came in at $12,000. The mason's invoice for the church steeple job went in as a subcontractor cost, not exclusion materials.

  • Exclusion job, final paymentExclusion installs
  • Guano cleanup, attic jobGuano cleanup
  • One-way device orderExclusion devices
  • Steeple Masonry Co.Structural subcontractor
  • Fuel, truck 1Trucks
Money in$42,000
Money out$30,000
Set aside for taxes$2,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Bat exclusion books go wrong in the same five places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business only does exclusion work outside a legal maternity window, splits guano cleanup from sealing, and sometimes brings in a mason for an old barn or steeple. When the books do not know that, a normal quiet season can look like trouble.

  1. 1

    Exclusion season is not a slow season

    State and local rules keep many bat exclusion jobs off-limits during maternity season, so a summer with almost no exclusion revenue is normal for this business, not a warning sign the way it would be for a business that works year-round.

    What we doTracks bat exclusion revenue against its actual working season, so a quiet summer reads as expected, not as a business problem.
  2. 2

    Guano cleanup is a different job than exclusion

    Removing years of bat guano from an attic is a biohazard cleanup job with its own labor, PPE, and disposal cost, and it often gets billed alongside the exclusion work as if it were the same service, hiding what cleanup alone actually costs to deliver.

    What we doKeeps guano cleanup on its own line, separate from exclusion labor, so each part of the job shows its real cost and price.
  3. 3

    The final payment waits on the one-way devices

    A bat exclusion job usually needs one-way devices left in place for several days before the final seal, so the deposit and the final payment can land in different months even though it is one job start to finish.

    What we doKeeps a job's deposit and final payment tied together, so a job that spans the calendar does not look like two smaller ones.
  4. 4

    Barn and church jobs bring in a structural subcontractor

    Old barns, historic buildings, and church steeples where bat colonies settle often need a carpenter or mason to handle structural repairs beyond sealing, and that invoice can get buried in your own materials if it is not tracked separately.

    What we doBooks a structural subcontractor's invoice as its own cost against that job, so your margin on the exclusion work stays visible.
  5. 5

    Bat houses sell alongside the job, not as part of it

    Selling and installing a bat house as an alternative roost is a small add-on with its own cost and price, and folding it into the exclusion invoice makes it hard to tell if that side of the business is worth the shelf space.

    What we doKeeps bat house sales in their own line, so you can see whether that add-on earns its keep.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a bat removal and exclusion 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

  • Inspection and assessmentThe colony assessment fee before an exclusion plan is written.
  • Exclusion installsOne-way device installs and final sealing, timed to the legal season.
  • Guano cleanupAttic and structure decontamination, billed apart from exclusion.
  • Bat house salesAlternative roost boxes sold and installed as an add-on.
  • Warranty exclusion jobsExclusion work sold with a guarantee against bats returning.
  • Historic building contractsBarns, churches, and older structures needing extra care.

Money out

  • Exclusion devicesOne-way devices and sealing materials from a wildlife supply house.
  • Cleanup PPE and disposalRespirators, suits, and biohazard disposal fees for guano jobs.
  • Structural subcontractorsWhat a mason or carpenter invoices for barn or steeple repair.
  • Bat house materialsWood and hardware for alternative roost boxes.
  • Ladders and access gearSteeple and high-structure access equipment.
  • Disease exposure insuranceLiability coverage tied to biohazard cleanup risk.
  • License and bondingWildlife control license and business bonding fees.

What we watch for you

  • Season concentration

    How much revenue lands outside maternity season, since that is when exclusion work is legal.

  • Cleanup vs exclusion mix

    Guano cleanup against exclusion revenue, showing which service really drives the business.

  • Labor share

    Wages against money in. Structural and steeple jobs cost more per hour than a simple seal.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things bat removal 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.

Summer is always dead for exclusion jobs. Is that a problem?

Not for this business. I track it against your actual working season, so a quiet summer shows up as expected, not as a warning sign.

A guano cleanup job took way more labor than the exclusion itself. Does that show up anywhere?

Yes. I keep cleanup on its own line, separate from exclusion labor, so you can see what each part really costs to deliver.

I brought in a mason for a church steeple job. How does his invoice get handled?

As a subcontractor cost against that specific job, so your margin on the exclusion work itself stays visible.

The tax side

The tax side of a bat removal business.

Most of what trips up this business is timing: a season split by legal restrictions, a subcontracted mason, and a job whose final payment lands weeks after the deposit.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Exclusion equipment and vehiclesOne-way devices, sealing tools, and service trucks can often be written off in the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Structural subcontractor 1099sA carpenter, mason, or steeple specialist you subcontract gets a 1099-NEC if you pay them $2,000 or more in 2026 and they are not your employee.
  • Employee or contractorA tech who works your schedule with your gear is usually an employee. A structural specialist who brings their own equipment and sets their own hours may be a legitimate contractor.
  • 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 bat removal and exclusion companies miss

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

  • One-way exclusion devices
  • Sealing materials and hardware cloth
  • Guano cleanup PPE and respirators
  • Biohazard disposal fees
  • Bat house materials
  • Ladders and steeple access gear
  • Structural subcontractor fees
  • Disease exposure liability insurance
  • Wildlife control license and bonding
  • Continuing education courses
  • Marketing to historic property owners
  • Phone and camera for inspections

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

A bat removal year, kept every month.

Legal restrictions shape the calendar as much as the weather does, and your taxes still come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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, any structural subcontractor 1099s are ready, and a monthly set-aside means April holds no surprises.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed as the exclusion season winds toward the maternity restriction, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Midyear check

    Where you stand and what you will owe, right in the middle of the season when exclusion jobs are legally on hold.

  4. October

    Before the exclusion rush

    As the maternity restriction lifts and exclusion season opens back up, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 bat removal and exclusion 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 bat removal owners ask first.

My revenue disappears every summer. Is that normal for this business?

Usually, yes. Many exclusion jobs cannot legally happen during maternity season, so a quiet summer is expected. Gus tracks it against your real working season instead of flagging it as a problem.

Do you handle the state rules on when I can and cannot do exclusion work?

No. Your team keeps your books and files your return. The timing rules for bat exclusion vary by state, so that stays with you or your state wildlife agency.

A cleanup job took far more labor than the exclusion itself. How is that tracked?

Guano cleanup gets its own line, separate from exclusion labor, so you can see what each part of the job really costs to deliver.

I bring in a mason for church and barn jobs. Does that complicate my books?

No. Gus books the subcontractor's invoice as its own cost against that job, so your margin on the exclusion work stays visible.

I sell bat houses alongside exclusion jobs. Should that be separate income?

Yes. Keeping it in its own line shows whether that add-on is worth the shelf space, instead of blending into the exclusion invoice.

The deposit and final payment on a job land in different months. Does that confuse things?

No. Gus ties the deposit and final payment to the same job, so a job that spans the calendar because of a required waiting period does not look like two smaller ones.

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