Restoration & remediation
Books and taxes for crawl space encapsulation companies.
Vapor barrier installs, dehumidifiers on nearly every job, referral fees from pest control partners, and financed contracts. 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
February made $13,000. The referral fee from the pest control company on last week's crawl space job went in as its own line, not lumped with materials, so it is clear where that cash actually came from.
- Wisetack payoutFinanced jobs
- Pest control referral feeReferral income
- Vapor barrier liner orderMaterials and supplies
- Dehumidifier unit orderEquipment
- Sales commission payoutSales commissions
Why your books are different
Crawl space encapsulation books go wrong when materials and equipment blur together.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is vapor barrier liner, a dehumidifier on nearly every job, and referral relationships that bring in a different kind of income. When the books do not separate those pieces, a job's real cost stays hidden.
-
1
Dehumidifiers get filed like a supply run
A crawl space dehumidifier can cost over a thousand dollars per unit and gets installed on nearly every job, and bought alongside vapor barrier liner and sealant tape, it gets expensed the same way and throws off equipment depreciation across a busy month.
What we doFlags dehumidifier purchases over a set size and logs them separately, so the accountant can apply the right depreciation. -
2
Referral fees from pest control partners hide in the wrong place
A referral fee from a pest control company for sending a moisture job their way, or one they send you, is a different kind of income than a job you sold and installed yourself, and mixed together there is no way to tell how much of your revenue comes from your own sales work.
What we doKeeps referral income in its own category so it never gets confused with jobs your own crew closed and installed. -
3
Encapsulation warranties mean free dehumidifier swaps
A warranty on the vapor barrier and dehumidifier can mean a free unit swap years after the original job, and if that visit shows no revenue against real parts and labor cost, the books make it look like the crew worked for nothing.
What we doTags a warranty visit as a service cost against the original job, not a stand-alone loss. -
4
Sagging floor jack posts are structural work, not encapsulation
Adding support jacks for a sagging floor joist is a different scope and cost than sealing and dehumidifying a crawl space, and if both get billed and booked as one job, it is hard to tell which service actually drives your margin.
What we doKeeps structural support work in its own line, separate from encapsulation materials and labor. -
5
Financing payouts land short
When a homeowner finances a crawl space job, the lender pays out less than the invoice and keeps a fee, and booked as the full sale, both revenue and cost come out wrong.
What we doBooks the full job as money in and the lender's cut as a financing fee, so price and cost both show up honest.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a crawl space encapsulation 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
- Financed jobsThe full job amount, with the lender's cut booked as a fee.
- Cash and check jobsHomeowners who pay directly without financing.
- Referral incomeFees from pest control and other partner relationships.
- Commercial and maintenance contractsRecurring crawl space checks for landlords and property managers.
- Warranty transfer feesSmall fees paid when a home with an existing system is sold.
Money out
- Vapor barrier and sealant materialsLiner, tape, and adhesive used on nearly every job.
- Dehumidifiers and sump pumpsLogged so equipment depreciates right.
- Structural support materialsJack posts and framing for sagging floor joists.
- Sales commissionsWhat closers earn on a signed contract.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
- Financing and card feesWhat the lender or card processor kept before you got paid.
- Marketing and lead feesReferral partnerships and local advertising.
What we watch for you
- Financing cost
What lenders keep on financed jobs. Worth knowing before offering it on every contract.
- Referral income share
How much revenue comes from partner referrals versus your own sold jobs.
- Job margin
What a job actually made after materials, equipment, and labor.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things crawl space encapsulation 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.
Two referral fees from the pest control company you work with came in. I kept those separate from installed jobs so you can see they are a different kind of income.
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.
I tag the replacement as a service cost against the original job, so it does not look like the crew worked for nothing on a free swap.
The tax side
The tax side of a crawl space encapsulation business.
Most of what goes wrong here is labels and timing. Equipment filed as supplies, referral income mixed with sales revenue, 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.
- Dehumidifiers and equipmentDehumidifiers, sump pumps, 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 an independent closer or a structural sub, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Commission versus payrollA salesperson paid straight commission with no set schedule may be a contractor, but one who works your hours and follows your process is usually an employee. Gus flags the pattern before it becomes a habit.
- 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 crawl space encapsulation companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Vapor barrier liner
- Sealant tape and adhesive
- Dehumidifier filters and repairs
- Sump pump stock
- Structural jack posts
- Sales training and materials
- Financing and card fees
- Tools that live on the truck
- Phone and tablet for estimates
- Licenses and bonding
- Warranty parts inventory
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 crawl space encapsulation year, kept every month.
Moisture problems do not wait for a season, but summer humidity brings the busiest stretch. Your team keeps you ahead of both the work and the taxes. 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 structural 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 summer humidity calls changed the number.
- October
Before work slows
Before winter slows crawl space work, 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 crawl space encapsulation 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 crawl space encapsulation owners ask first.
Can Gus handle referral income from pest control partners?
Yes. He keeps referral fees in their own category, separate from jobs your own crew sold and installed, so you always know where the money actually came from.
Can Gus handle jobs paid through financing companies?
Yes. He books the full job as money in and the lender's fee as a cost, so your sales are not understated and the fee still counts against your taxes.
A dehumidifier failed under warranty and I had to replace it for free. Does that hurt my numbers?
No. Gus tags the replacement as a service cost against the original job, so a free swap does not look like the crew worked for nothing.
We sometimes add support jacks for a sagging floor. Does that change the books?
Gus keeps structural support work in its own line, separate from encapsulation materials, so you can see which service is actually driving your margin.
Do I write off dehumidifier units 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.
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.
- Contents cleaning & pack-out
- Lead paint abatement
- Odor removal specialists
- Radon testing & mitigation
- Asbestos abatement
- Basement waterproofing
- 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