Restoration & remediation
Books and taxes for contents cleaning and pack-out companies.
Pack-outs after a fire or flood, months of storage while a home gets rebuilt, ultrasonic cleaning, and a pack-back once repairs finish. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April made $17,000. The storage unit rent for a fire job still waiting on the rebuild got tied to that claim number instead of general overhead, so it is clear which job is still costing money.
- State Farm claim payoutInsurance claims
- Pack-back labor invoicePack-back jobs
- Storage facility rentStorage costs
- Ultrasonic cleaning suppliesCleaning supplies
- Moving truck rentalTrucks and equipment
Why your books are different
Contents cleaning and pack-out books go wrong when storage outlives the job.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is boxes today, a storage unit for months, and a pack-back long after the pack-out is forgotten. When the books do not tie those pieces to the same claim, an open job quietly costs money nobody notices.
-
1
Storage rent outlives the claim that caused it
Contents from a fire or flood can sit in a storage unit for months while a home is rebuilt, and if that ongoing rent lands in general overhead instead of tied to the job, nobody notices a claim quietly costing money every month it drags on.
What we doKeeps storage costs tied to the claim they came from, so it stays clear which job is still costing money. -
2
Pack-out and pack-back are billed and paid differently
The initial pack-out is often billed as part of the insurance claim, while the pack-back after repairs finish can be scheduled and invoiced separately, sometimes months later, and mixed together there is no way to tell whether either phase actually pays for itself.
What we doKeeps pack-out and pack-back revenue in separate lines so each phase of a job shows its own numbers. -
3
Cleaning equipment reads as a supply expense
An ultrasonic cleaning tank or an ozone chamber for smoke-damaged items can cost thousands of dollars, and bought alongside boxes and packing tape, it gets expensed the same way and throws off equipment depreciation.
What we doFlags a big equipment purchase the day it shows up and logs it separately for the accountant. -
4
A total loss determination changes what gets paid
When items are declared a total loss instead of salvageable, the insurer pays out differently, and if the books do not track which items were cleaned and returned versus written off, the job's real labor cost against what it billed stays unclear.
What we doTracks cleaning labor against what was actually salvaged, so a job's true cost per item cleaned is visible. -
5
Multiple storage units for one big loss multiply quietly
A large home's contents can fill several storage units, each billed separately, and if those charges land in different months without being tied together, the true ongoing cost of one job is easy to lose track of.
What we doKeeps every storage unit tied to the same claim so the full ongoing cost of one job is always visible in one place.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a contents cleaning and pack-out 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
- Insurance claim paymentsPack-out and cleaning billed as part of a contents claim.
- Pack-back jobsThe return delivery once repairs are finished, often invoiced separately.
- DeductiblesWhat the homeowner owes directly on the contents portion of a claim.
- Cash and self-pay jobsVoluntary moves and downsizing cleanouts with no claim involved.
- Commercial and landlord contractsRecurring pack-out work across a rental portfolio.
Money out
- Storage costsUnit rent, tracked against the claim it belongs to.
- Cleaning supplies and equipmentUltrasonic tanks, ozone chambers, and cleaning fluid.
- Trucks and moving equipmentFuel, repairs, and dollies for the moving fleet.
- Boxes and packing materialsWrap, tape, and containers used on every job.
- SubcontractorsExtra movers and specialty cleaners brought in on bigger losses.
- Insurance and licensingGeneral liability and any local licensing fees.
- Marketing and lead feesInsurance referral networks and local ads.
What we watch for you
- Storage cost per claim
How much an open job is still costing in unit rent while a rebuild finishes.
- Job margin
What a job actually made after cleaning labor, storage, and moving costs.
- Pack-out to pack-back rate
How many pack-outs actually turn into a paid pack-back once repairs finish.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things contents cleaning and pack-out 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 storage unit rent is still running while the rebuild finishes. I kept it tied to that claim so you can see the ongoing cost instead of it disappearing into overhead.
Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
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 as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of a contents cleaning and pack-out business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Equipment filed as supplies, a moving sub paid like an employee, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Cleaning and storage equipmentUltrasonic cleaning tanks, ozone chambers, and other 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 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, including a moving sub or a specialty cleaner, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Employee or contractorA mover or cleaner who works your schedule and uses your truck is usually an employee, even if paid by the job. Getting that wrong gets 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 the books are right all year.
Deductions contents cleaning and pack-out companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Storage unit rent
- Ultrasonic cleaning fluid
- Ozone chamber maintenance
- Boxes and packing materials
- Moving equipment and dollies
- Uniforms with your logo
- Insurance referral network fees
- Phone and tablet for inventory photos
- Licenses and bonding
- Tools that live on the truck
- Inventory and job software
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 contents cleaning and pack-out year, kept every month.
Pack-outs come whenever a fire or flood does. Your taxes 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for moving and cleaning subs is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether open claims from spring storms changed the number.
- October
Before the holiday rush
Before holiday moves and year-end claim closeouts pick up, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 contents cleaning and pack-out 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 contents cleaning and pack-out owners ask first.
Can Gus track storage costs on a claim that is still open?
Yes. He ties storage rent to the claim it came from, so you can see exactly how much an open job is still costing while the rebuild finishes.
Pack-out and pack-back get invoiced separately for the same job. Does that confuse things?
No. Gus keeps them in separate lines, so each phase of the job shows its own numbers instead of getting blended together.
Some items get declared a total loss instead of cleaned. Does that change the books?
Gus tracks cleaning labor against what was actually salvaged, so a job's true cost per item cleaned stays visible, whatever the insurer decides.
Do I write off an ultrasonic cleaning tank all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.
One big loss filled four storage units. Does Gus track them together?
Yes. Every unit tied to the same claim stays together in the books, so the full ongoing cost of one job is always visible in one place.
My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. 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.
More in restoration & remediation
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Lead paint abatement
- Odor removal specialists
- Radon testing & mitigation
- Asbestos abatement
- Basement waterproofing
- Crawl space encapsulation
- Foundation repair
- Mold remediation
- Fire & smoke damage restoration
- Water damage restoration
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
- Retractable screens & motorized shades
- Seawall & bulkhead contractors
- Sport court builders (pickleball, basketball)
- Cedar shake roofing specialists
- Custom built-ins & trim carpenters
- Historic home restoration contractors
- Popcorn ceiling removal
- Skylight installation & repair
- Slate & tile roofing specialists
- Stair & railing contractors
- Stucco & EIFS repair
- Wallpaper installers
- Artificial turf installers
- Backflow testing & certification
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