Outdoor living & structures
Books and taxes for chicken coop and backyard farm structure builders.
Off-the-shelf coop kits sold and delivered fast, custom coops and small barns built to order, and hardware cloth and predator-proofing that adds real cost to every build. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April came in at $7,500. The custom coop for the Whitfield backyard used more hardware cloth than a standard kit, so I tagged the extra cost to that job.
- Deposit, Whitfield custom coopCustom build deposits
- Kit sale, medium coopCoop kit sales
- Cedar and lumber orderCoop materials
- Hardware cloth and predator-proofingPredator-proofing materials
- Delivery, flatbed trailerDelivery costs
Why your books are different
Chicken coop and farm structure books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and lumber bills. Your business sells standard kits that ship in days alongside custom coops and small barns built to order, and predator-proofing hardware adds a cost most builders overlook. When the books blend a kit sale with a custom build, you cannot tell which one is actually worth pushing.
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1
Kit sales and custom builds get costed the same way
A standard coop kit assembled in a day and a custom-built coop or small barn designed to a customer's yard use very different amounts of material and labor, but when both get logged under one general category, the owner cannot see which one actually pays better.
What we doTags material and labor costs to the job and the build type, so kit sale margin and custom build margin show up separately. -
2
Predator-proofing hardware gets treated as an afterthought
Hardware cloth, buried skirting, and secure latches add real material cost to keep out raccoons and other predators, and if that cost is bundled into general lumber, the owner cannot see how much predator-proofing actually adds to a build.
What we doKeeps predator-proofing materials on their own line against the job, so this real cost is visible and accounted for in pricing. -
3
Delivery cost gets buried in general vehicle expenses
Delivering a finished coop by trailer costs real fuel and time per unit, and if it is filed as a general vehicle expense instead of tied to the sale, the true margin on that unit is overstated.
What we doBooks delivery costs against the unit they belong to, so real margin per sale is visible. -
4
A bulk lumber order skews a slow month
One lumber and hardware cloth order for several upcoming builds can make a month look like a loss on paper, with the sales landing weeks later.
What we doFlags large stock-up purchases and notes which jobs they belong to, so a big order does not read as the month falling apart.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a chicken coop and farm structure builder.
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
- Coop kit salesStandard kits sold and delivered quickly.
- Custom build depositsCollected at contract signing for custom coops and small barns, tracked against the job.
- Final paymentsPayment collected once a custom build is delivered or installed.
- Delivery and setup feesCharges billed separately for delivery and site placement.
Money out
- Coop materialsCedar, plywood, and roofing for kit and custom builds.
- Predator-proofing materialsHardware cloth, buried skirting, and secure latch hardware.
- Delivery costsFuel and trailer costs for delivering finished units, tracked per sale.
- Crew wages and subsBuild crew pay, tracked apart by kit or custom build.
- Equipment and toolsSaws, nail guns, and trailer maintenance.
- Lead fees and marketingFacebook marketplace and local advertising.
What we watch for you
- Kit versus custom margin
How standard kit sales compare to custom builds, so you know which to promote.
- Predator-proofing cost per build
What hardware cloth and secure latches actually add, so pricing accounts for this real cost.
- Jobs in progress
Deposits collected for custom builds not yet delivered, so a big deposit month does not look like profit that is not there yet.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things chicken coop builders 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.
No. I booked the extra predator-proofing material as its own cost on the job, so you can see it did not just vanish into general lumber.
The lumber and hardware cloth order for the Whitfield coop landed this month before the job was billed. I tagged it to that job, so it is not really a loss, it is a job still in progress.
If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running.
The tax side
The tax side of a chicken coop and farm structure business.
Most of what goes wrong here is blending kit sales with custom work and losing track of what predator-proofing really costs. Here is what actually matters at tax time.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment write-offsA delivery trailer or shop equipment bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a part-time build helper, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Self-employment taxAn owner not on payroll pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on profit, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- 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 chicken coop and backyard farm structure builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Delivery trailer maintenance
- Hardware cloth and latch stock
- Truck fuel
- Facebook marketplace ads
- Cedar and lumber samples
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tools that live on the truck
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Trade licenses and bonding
- Card and financing fees
- Nail gun and saw maintenance
- Truck signage
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 chicken coop and farm structure year, kept every month.
Demand often climbs in early spring as new flock owners get started, and custom builds can run through summer. Your taxes come on a schedule either way. 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 is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed as spring flock-starting season picks up.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether kit sales or custom builds carried the season.
- October
Before the season slows
A look at any equipment worth buying before winter, 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 chicken coop and backyard farm structure builders. 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 chicken coop builders ask first.
I sell some coops as kits and build others custom. Can Gus handle both?
Yes. He tags material and labor to the job and the build type, so kit sales and custom builds each show up as their own number instead of one blended average.
How does Gus handle predator-proofing costs?
He keeps hardware cloth, buried skirting, and secure latches on their own line against the job, so that real cost is visible and can be priced into future builds.
My books are behind from last season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Do I write off a delivery trailer all at once?
Often, yes. Business equipment can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, though sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
Do I need to track mileage for the delivery truck?
It helps. Business mileage can be deducted at a set rate per mile, and Gus can work from either mileage or actual vehicle costs, whichever gives you the better number.
Do you handle sales tax on the coops I sell?
No. Sales tax on materials and units varies by state and Gus does not file it. He keeps your books clean so whoever files your sales tax has accurate numbers to work from.
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