Remodeling & interiors

Books and taxes for garage door installation and repair companies.

A full door ordered from your dealer network, an emergency spring repair call, a manufacturer warranty reimbursement, and a tech paid on commission. 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
DecemberExample month
$17,000
what you made

December came in at $17,000. A broken spring call came in on a Sunday and got billed at the emergency rate, so I kept that job apart from your standard repair line.

  • Client payment, new door installDoor installation jobs
  • Emergency spring repair callEmergency repair calls
  • Clopay dealer orderDoor and panel orders
  • Manufacturer warranty reimbursementWarranty parts reimbursements
  • Tech commission payoutTech wages and commissions
Money in$56,000
Money out$39,000
Set aside for taxes$3,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Garage door books go wrong between a dealer order and a Sunday spring call.

A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your business sells full doors ordered from a manufacturer's dealer network, runs emergency repair calls at odd hours, gets reimbursed by the manufacturer for warranty parts, and pays techs on commission. When the books do not track each piece, you cannot tell what actually pays.

  1. 1

    Install jobs and emergency repair calls get lumped together

    A full door installation ordered through your dealer network is a different job than a same-day spring or cable repair, priced and margined differently, and if both land in the same revenue line, you cannot see which side of the business is actually driving your income.

    What we doSplits installation jobs from repair and emergency calls, so you can see which side of the business is carrying the other.
  2. 2

    Manufacturer warranty reimbursements look like random deposits

    When you replace a part still under manufacturer warranty and get reimbursed later, that payment often lands weeks after the repair and does not look connected to any job unless it is labeled correctly.

    What we doTies warranty reimbursements back to the repair they cover, so a delayed manufacturer payment does not look like unexplained income.
  3. 3

    Tech commissions hide inside plain payroll

    Techs paid a percentage of each install or repair call look like ordinary wages, but that structure buries what labor really costs against what each type of job brings in, which matters when install and repair pay so differently.

    What we doKeeps wages and commissions visible against job type, so you can see labor cost against what each kind of call actually earns.
  4. 4

    A big door order from the dealer network wrecks the monthly number

    Ordering several doors and openers ahead of a busy install stretch is standard practice, but booked as a plain expense, one large dealer order can make a good month look thin and the next look artificially strong.

    What we doKeeps dealer orders in a steady line and tells you when a stock-up, not a slow month, is behind a thin number.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a garage door 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

  • Door installation jobsNew doors and openers sold and installed, often tied to new construction or remodels.
  • Standard repair callsScheduled repairs and tune-ups, booked in advance.
  • Emergency repair callsSame-day spring, cable, and opener emergencies, billed at your emergency rate.
  • Warranty parts reimbursementsManufacturer payments for parts replaced under warranty, tied to the repair.

Money out

  • Door and panel ordersFull doors and openers ordered through your dealer network.
  • Springs, cables, and repair partsStandard repair stock, kept apart from full door orders.
  • Tech wages and commissionsKept visible against job type so labor cost against revenue is clear.
  • Truck and equipmentService vehicles, lifts, and the tools techs carry.
  • Lead feesAngi, Google local services, and paid leads that turn into signed jobs.

What we watch for you

  • Install versus repair margin

    Whether full door installs or repair calls are actually the more profitable side of the business.

  • Emergency call share

    How much of your revenue comes from higher-rate emergency calls versus scheduled work.

  • Labor share

    Tech wages and commissions against money in, watched so pricing keeps pace with labor cost.

  • Warranty reimbursement lag

    How long manufacturer warranty payments typically take, so cash flow timing is not a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things garage door 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.

We got a manufacturer reimbursement check this month that doesn't obviously match any job. What is that?

I tied it back to the Alvarez opener repair from six weeks ago, where the part was under warranty. It just took the manufacturer a while to pay it out.

Emergency calls feel like they're worth more than regular install jobs lately. Is that actually true?

It is showing that way this quarter. Emergency repair calls are running a better margin than installs right now, worth keeping in mind for how you staff.

Do I owe my part-time tech 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 garage door business.

Most of what trips up this business is labeling manufacturer money correctly and telling a tech from an employee.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Tech and helper 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a part-time tech, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
  • Employee or subcontractorA tech who drives your truck, works your schedule, and takes dispatched calls 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.
  • Trucks and equipmentService vehicles and lifts 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 dealer orders and warranty reimbursements are booked correctly all year.

Deductions garage door installation and repair companies miss

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

  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Spring and cable repair stock
  • Opener and electronics parts
  • Google local services and Angi fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Tool and equipment replacement
  • Continuing education and certifications
  • Uniforms with your logo
  • Phone and tablet for dispatch
  • Mileage between service calls
  • The answering service

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 garage door year, kept every month.

Cold snaps and holiday parking bring repair calls any time of year, while installs follow the remodeling season. Gus keeps taxes on their own schedule through both. 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 tech 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 install or repair work is carrying the year.

  4. October

    Before winter calls pick up

    Cold weather means more spring and opener failures. Gus looks at any equipment worth buying before December 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 garage door installation 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 garage door owners ask first.

Can Gus track manufacturer warranty reimbursements separately from regular income?

Yes. He ties reimbursements back to the repair they cover, so a delayed manufacturer payment does not look like an unexplained deposit.

Can Gus tell me whether install jobs or repair calls make more money?

Yes. Installation jobs and repair calls are kept separate, so you can see which side of the business is actually driving your income.

My techs are paid on commission. Does that change how Gus tracks labor?

It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Commissions paid through payroll stay payroll, kept visible against job type so you can see labor cost against what each kind of call earns.

I ordered several doors ahead of a busy install stretch. Will that hurt my monthly number?

No. Gus keeps dealer orders in a steady line and flags a stock-up, so it does not look like a bad month.

Do I write off a new service truck or lift 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.

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