Remodeling & interiors

Books and taxes for custom built-in and trim carpenters.

Days in the shop building a bookcase, hardwood that costs differently by species, soft-close hardware, and a final install day on site. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, 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
NovemberExample month
$14,000
what you made

November came in at $14,000. The walnut for the Baird library built-in cost far more than the poplar trim job last month, so I kept lumber cost tied to each job instead of averaging it out.

  • Deposit, Baird library built-inDesign and shop deposits
  • Final payment, Torres trim jobInstall completion payments
  • Hardwood lumber orderLumber and sheet goods
  • Soft-close hardware orderHardware and fasteners
  • Shop dust collection maintenanceShop overhead
Money in$34,000
Money out$20,000
Set aside for taxes$2,700
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Custom built-in books go wrong when shop time and install time get blended.

A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your work happens mostly in a shop, not on site, with hardwood species that swing wildly in price and hours of hand fitting before a single piece ever leaves for install day. When the books do not track shop time apart from install, you cannot see what a piece actually took to build.

  1. 1

    Shop hours disappear into a flat labor number

    Most of a built-in's cost is the hours spent building and finishing it in the shop, not the day it gets installed, and if labor is tracked as one number, you cannot see whether a job's real cost came from shop time or install time.

    What we doKeeps shop labor and install labor visible against each other, so you can see where a job's hours actually went.
  2. 2

    Hardwood species cost gets averaged instead of tracked per job

    Walnut, white oak, and paint-grade poplar all cost very differently, and if lumber cost is averaged across jobs instead of tied to what each one actually used, a job built in a premium species looks like it ran over when it simply used pricier material.

    What we doTies lumber cost to the specific job and species, so a premium-wood project shows its real cost instead of looking like a budget miss.
  3. 3

    Shop overhead gets billed like a job cost

    Dust collection maintenance, shop rent, and finishing room upkeep are fixed costs that support every job, not any single one, and if they get charged against one project, that job looks less profitable than it actually was.

    What we doKeeps shop overhead separate from job-specific material and labor, so no single project absorbs a cost that belongs to the whole business.
  4. 4

    A deposit lands long before a piece leaves the shop

    You collect a design or shop deposit before building even starts, sometimes weeks before install day, and booked without tying it to the job, a slow month in the shop can look like a loss on a project that just has not finished yet.

    What we doTies the deposit to its job, so time spent building does not read as a bad month before the piece is even installed.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a custom built-in and trim carpentry business.

Set up once for how your jobs get paid and what they cost. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Design and shop depositsCollected before building starts, tied to the job.
  • Install completion paymentsThe balance collected once a piece is installed on site.
  • Trim and molding jobsWainscoting, crown, and casing work billed apart from full built-ins.
  • Designer and architect referralsWork that came through a design professional relationship.

Money out

  • Lumber and sheet goodsHardwood, plywood, and veneer, tied to the job and its species.
  • Hardware and fastenersSoft-close hinges, drawer slides, and finish hardware.
  • Finish and stainLacquer, stain, and paint used on the piece.
  • Shop overheadRent, dust collection, and equipment upkeep that support the whole shop.
  • Truck and deliveryThe vehicle that hauls finished pieces to install day.

What we watch for you

  • Shop versus install labor

    Whether a job's hours are going into building or into the on-site install.

  • Lumber cost by species

    Whether premium wood choices are being priced into jobs correctly.

  • Job margin

    What each piece actually cleared after lumber, hardware, and labor, not just the price quoted.

  • Shop overhead share

    How much fixed shop cost is running each month, kept apart from job-specific expenses.

Ask Gus

Things custom built-in carpenters 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 walnut for the Baird job cost way more than my usual lumber. Does that make the job look bad?

No, I tied that lumber cost to the Baird job specifically, so it shows up as a premium-wood project, not a budget miss.

I spent most of this month in the shop with nothing installed yet. Why does the month look thin?

I tied your deposits to the jobs you are building, so once they install, you will see the full picture, not just this month's shop time.

Do I owe my finishing helper a 1099?

If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I have been keeping that list all year so it is ready.

The tax side

The tax side of a custom built-in and trim carpentry business.

Most of what trips up this business is separating shop time from install time and lumber cost by job, plus knowing who works for you.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Helper and subcontractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a finishing helper for bigger pieces, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
  • Employee or subcontractorA helper who works your schedule and uses your shop tools usually looks like an employee, not a sub, no matter what the invoice says. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
  • Shop equipmentTable saws, planers, and dust collection systems can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right only when the books track lumber and labor correctly all year.

Deductions custom built-in and trim carpentry companies miss

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

  • Table saw and planer blades
  • Dust collection filters and bags
  • Finish and stain stock
  • Clamps and shop hardware
  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Liability insurance
  • Shop rent and utilities
  • Continuing education and certifications
  • Phone and tablet for client consultations
  • Mileage to install sites and lumber yards
  • Sample boards and finish swatches

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 custom built-in and trim carpentry year, kept every month.

Shop projects can run for weeks before an install day ever shows up on the calendar. Gus keeps taxes on their own schedule while that happens. 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 helper 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether shop hours are being priced into jobs correctly.

  4. October

    Before year-end

    Gus looks at whether new shop equipment before December makes sense, and where the year is landing.

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 custom built-in and trim carpentry 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 custom built-in carpenters ask first.

Can Gus track shop time separately from install day?

Yes. Shop labor and install labor are kept visible against each other, so you can see where a job's hours actually went, not just one blended labor number.

My lumber costs vary a lot by species. Does that get tracked accurately?

Yes. Lumber cost is tied to the specific job and species used, so a premium-wood project shows its real cost instead of looking like a budget problem.

My shop rent and equipment upkeep aren't tied to any one job. How does that get handled?

Gus keeps shop overhead separate from job-specific costs, so no single project gets stuck absorbing a cost that belongs to the whole business.

Do I write off a new table saw or dust collection system all at once?

Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.

My books are a few months behind. 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 within a week.

I take on smaller trim jobs alongside full built-ins. Can Gus keep those separate?

Yes. Trim and molding work gets its own category, so you can see how that side of the business compares to full built-in projects.

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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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