Roofing & exterior

Books and taxes for commercial roofing contractors.

Progress billing on a flat roof job, retainage held back for months by a property manager, TPO and EPDM membrane material by the roll, and crews certified by the manufacturer. Gus tracks it all by job, 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
AugustExample month
$70,200
what you made

August cleared $70,200. The Meridian Plaza job's second progress payment came in, and I kept the ten percent retainage on that one tracked as money still owed, not lost.

  • Progress payment, Meridian PlazaProgress billing
  • Retainage release, Elm Business ParkRetainage collected
  • Firestone membrane orderMembrane and roofing materials
  • Certified crew payoutSubcontracted crews
  • Crane rentalEquipment rental
Money in$312,000
Money out$241,800
Set aside for taxes$16,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Commercial roofing books go wrong around long jobs and holdback, not day-to-day cash.

A generalist bookkeeper expects a job to pay in full when it's done. Your jobs run for months, bill in progress payments, and often hold back ten percent until final inspection. If the books can't hold that timeline, a healthy job can look like it never got paid.

  1. 1

    Retainage disappears from the books until it lands

    A property manager or general contractor holding back ten percent for sixty or ninety days after completion makes a job look fully paid when a real chunk of it is still owed, which throws off cash planning for the next job.

    What we doTracks retainage as money still coming, so cash flow reflects what's actually collected versus what's still outstanding.
  2. 2

    Progress payments blur into one lump sum

    A large membrane job billed in stages, tear-off, insulation, membrane, flashing, can look like several unrelated payments if they aren't tied back to the same job as it moves through the schedule.

    What we doKeeps every progress payment tagged to its job, so the full contract value builds correctly as the job moves through each stage.
  3. 3

    TPO and EPDM material costs get mixed with residential shingle costs

    Commercial membrane systems are bought by the roll and cost very differently than asphalt shingles, and if your books don't separate the two, you can't price commercial bids accurately.

    What we doKeeps membrane and commercial roofing materials in their own line, separate from any residential shingle work you also do.
  4. 4

    A crane or lift rental for one job hides in overhead

    A crane needed to hoist membrane rolls or equipment onto a multi-story flat roof is a real job cost, but if it's not tracked against the specific contract, that job's true cost looks lower than it was.

    What we doBooks crane and lift rental against the job it was rented for, so the full cost of a commercial job is visible.
  5. 5

    A long job spans several tax quarters

    A commercial roof replacement that starts in June and finishes in October crosses more than one estimated tax period, which can throw off how much you should be setting aside along the way.

    What we doKeeps the running total of what a long job has brought in, so the set-aside stays accurate even mid-project.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a commercial roofing contractor.

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

  • Progress billingStaged payments tied to a job as it moves through tear-off, insulation, and membrane.
  • Retainage collectedThe holdback percentage released after final inspection.
  • Fixed-price completed jobsSmaller commercial repairs paid in full on completion.
  • Maintenance contractsOngoing roof inspection and repair agreements with property managers.

Money out

  • Membrane and roofing materialsTPO, EPDM, and insulation from a supplier like a Firestone or GAF commercial network.
  • Subcontracted crewsManufacturer-certified install crews, kept apart from payroll.
  • Equipment rentalCranes, lifts, and hoists rented for specific jobs.
  • Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
  • Bonding and insurancePerformance bonds, liability coverage, and workers' comp for larger contracts.
  • Certification and trainingManufacturer certification to install and warranty specific membrane systems.
  • Disposal feesDumpster rental and hauling for tear-off.

What we watch for you

  • Outstanding retainage

    How much holdback is still owed across active and recently finished jobs.

  • Job margin

    What each contract actually cleared once materials, certified crew pay, and equipment rental are counted.

  • Material cost per square

    How membrane and insulation price swings are affecting bid margins.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month even mid-project, so a long job doesn't turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things commercial roofing 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 Elm Business Park job finished two months ago but I'm still waiting on the retainage. Is that a problem?

No, I've had that ten percent tracked as money still coming since the job wrapped, so it's not lost, just waiting on the release.

The Meridian Plaza job is billing in three stages. How do I see the whole picture?

Every progress payment gets tagged to that job, so the full contract value builds up correctly as each stage gets paid.

Do my certified install crews need 1099s?

If they're not on payroll and you pay them $2,000 or more this year, yes, by January 31. I'm keeping that list running across your active contracts.

The tax side

The tax side of a commercial roofing business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing across long jobs with progress billing and retainage, not day-to-day categorizing.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Equipment and vehiclesTrucks, lifts, and equipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • 1099s for certified crewsAny crew not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Employee or contractorA crew that works exclusively for you, uses your equipment, and follows your schedule usually looks like an employee, whatever the contract says. Gus flags it before it becomes expensive.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when long jobs are tracked correctly through every progress payment.

Deductions commercial roofing contractors miss

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

  • Membrane and insulation materials
  • Crane and lift rental
  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Performance bonding fees
  • Manufacturer certification training
  • Fall protection systems
  • Dumpster and disposal fees
  • License and bonding fees
  • Uniforms and branded gear
  • Phone and tablet for job tracking
  • Estimating software subscription
  • Card and financing 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 commercial roofing year, kept every month.

Contracts run for months and cross tax quarters without stopping. Gus keeps the year straight anyway. 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 certified crew 1099 list is finalized, and the monthly set-aside is planned around this year's contract pipeline.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, with retainage and progress billing already accounted for correctly.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand on active contracts, and how much outstanding retainage is sitting out there.

  4. October

    Before the slowdown

    A look at equipment bought during the busy months and any moves worth making before the season quiets down.

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 commercial roofing contractors. 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 commercial roofing owners ask first.

How does Gus track retainage that isn't paid for months?

He keeps it as money still coming from the day the job wraps, so your cash flow picture accounts for what's outstanding instead of treating the job as fully paid.

My jobs bill in progress payments across several months. Can Gus follow that?

Yes. Every progress payment gets tagged to its job, so the full contract value builds correctly as the job moves through each billing stage.

I do both residential and commercial roofing. Does Gus separate them?

Yes, membrane and commercial materials are kept apart from any residential shingle work, so you can price and compare each side of the business accurately.

My crews are certified by the manufacturer and paid as subcontractors. Does that change anything?

It changes the certification requirement, not the bookkeeping. Gus tracks their pay against the jobs they worked and flags 1099 or classification questions for the accountant.

A job spans two tax quarters. How does the set-aside work?

Gus keeps a running total of what a long job has brought in as it progresses, so your set-aside stays accurate even in the middle of a multi-month contract.

My books are behind on tracking retainage separately. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus starts tracking retainage and progress payments correctly going forward, and the accountant checks the result.

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 roofing & exterior

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