HVAC, insulation & chimney

Books and taxes for chimney sweep companies.

Level one and level two inspections, masonry and liner repairs, a fall rush before the first cold snap, and insurance claims for chimney fire damage. 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

OctoberExample month

$10,400

what you made

October came in at $10,400. The Hendricks liner replacement closed out this month, and I kept the masonry work separate from the sweep visit that started the job.

Square payouts, sweep visitsChimney sweeping
Insurance check, Hendricks claimInsurance repair work
Masonry supply yardMasonry materials
Google local servicesLead fees
Shell fuel, service vanVan and fuel

Money in$33,800

Money out$23,400

Set aside for taxes$2,500

An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Chimney sweep books go wrong around one wild season and mixed job types.

Almost all your calls land in the eight weeks before the first cold snap, a simple sweep can turn into a liner or masonry repair on the spot, and an insurance claim pays on its own slow schedule. When the books cannot follow all three, the season looks chaotic instead of normal.

1
A sweep visit and a repair are two different jobs

A $180 chimney sweep turns into an $1,800 liner replacement once the tech finds cracked flue tile. Booked as one deposit, you cannot tell how often inspections turn into real repair revenue.

What we doKeeps sweeping visits and repair or masonry work in separate categories, so the upsell rate is visible.
2
The fall rush looks like a red flag instead of the calendar

Most of your year lands in a short window before winter, and a slow August compared side by side with a packed November can look like something went wrong.

What we doTracks the calendar with your season in view, so a slow month is read against the right month, not your busiest one.
3
An insurance claim pays out on its own timeline

Chimney fire or storm damage repair work often gets paid by the insurance company weeks or months after the job is done, sometimes in parts. Compared to same-day sweep payments, that lag can make a busy month look thin.

What we doTies insurance payments to the job they belong to, so the income lands where the work actually happened, not just when the check arrived.
4
Masonry materials get lost with everyday supplies

Firebrick, refractory mortar, and flashing bought for one repair can cost more than a week of sweep visits combined, and lumped with brushes and rods, it hides what the repair side of the business really costs.

What we doKeeps masonry materials in their own category, tied to the repair job they served.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a chimney sweep 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

Chimney sweepingStandard sweep and inspection visits.
Liner and masonry repairFlue liner replacements and brick or mortar work, kept apart from sweeps.
Insurance repair workChimney fire or storm damage jobs paid through a claim.
Cap and damper installsSmaller add-on installs, kept apart from full repairs.

Money out

Masonry materialsFirebrick, refractory mortar, and flashing, tied to the job that used them.
Sweeping equipment and suppliesBrushes, rods, and vacuum bags.
Van and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the service van.
Lead fees and marketingGoogle local services and fall season ad campaigns.
Certification and trainingChimney Safety Institute of America certification renewal.
Card and processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keep before you get paid.

What we watch for you

Repair conversion rate
How often a sweep visit turns into a paid repair, and what that is worth.
Season concentration
How much of the year lands in the fall rush, so cash gets planned for the quiet months.
Insurance receivable
How much repair income is billed but not yet paid by an insurance company.
The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things chimney sweep 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.

How often do my sweep visits actually turn into repair jobs?

I keep sweeps and repairs in separate categories, so I can pull that number for you. It has been a healthy share of your fall calls this year.

Should I worry that August looked so much slower than October?

No. That is the season, not a problem. Almost everyone in this trade earns most of the year in the fall rush, and I track the calendar with that in view.

The insurance company still has not paid the Hendricks claim from September. Does that mess up my books?

No, I have it tracked as owed against that job. When it lands, it will count for the work that was done, not just show up as a random deposit.

The tax side

The tax side of a chimney sweep business.

Most of what goes wrong here is a short season making the numbers hard to read, and repair jobs that need to be tracked apart from routine sweeps.

What your return has to get right

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

Vans and equipmentThe service van and larger 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 mason 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 helper who drives your van, works your schedule, and sweeps on your jobs is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
All income countsInsurance claim payments for repair work are taxable income the same as a card payment from a homeowner, whether they arrive in one check or several.

Deductions chimney sweep and repair companies miss

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

Firebrick and refractory mortar
Brushes, rods, and vacuum bags
Van fuel and repairs
Chimney Safety Institute certification
Google local services ads
Uniforms with your logo
Ladder and safety gear
Phone and tablet for scheduling
Business license renewal
Liability insurance
Camera inspection equipment
Card processing fees

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 chimney sweep year, kept every month.

Almost your whole year happens in a few fall weeks. Your team keeps you ahead of that swing and the return. 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, right as the slow season sets in for spring and summer.
July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how much cash to plan for before the fall rush.
October
The rush is here
This is your busiest stretch. Before it peaks, 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 chimney sweep and repair 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 chimney sweep owners ask first.

Can Gus tell me how often a sweep visit turns into a bigger repair?

Yes. Sweeping and repair work stay in separate categories, so you can see how often an inspection turns into real repair revenue.

Is it normal that most of my year happens in the fall?

Yes, for this trade. Gus tracks the calendar with your season in view, so a slow summer month is read against your other slow months, not your busiest one.

How does Gus handle an insurance claim that pays out weeks after the repair is done?

The payment gets tied to the job it belongs to, so it counts for the month the work happened, not just the month the check arrived.

Do I need to track masonry materials differently from sweeping supplies?

Yes, and Gus does it automatically. Firebrick and mortar for a repair job stay separate from routine brushes and rods, so you can see what repair work really costs.

My books are a mess from doing everything myself during the rush. Can Gus fix that?

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.

We keep books for the business next door too.

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

Books and taxes for chimney sweep companies.

Chimney sweep books go wrong around one wild season and mixed job types.

A sweep visit and a repair are two different jobs

The fall rush looks like a red flag instead of the calendar

An insurance claim pays out on its own timeline

Masonry materials get lost with everyday supplies