Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for hardwood floor refinishing companies.
A quick screen-and-recoat, a full sand-and-finish, dustless sanding equipment, and finish that needs days to cure before the family moves back in. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June came in at $13,000. The dustless sander needed new filters and a belt this month, so I logged it as equipment upkeep, not a supply run.
- Client payment, full refinishFull sand and finish jobs
- Client payment, recoat jobScreen and recoat jobs
- Bona finish orderStain and finish
- Sanding belts and filtersSanding supplies
- Truck fuelTrucks and equipment
Why your books are different
Hardwood refinishing books go wrong when a quick job and a full job get treated the same.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your business runs a mix of fast screen-and-recoat jobs and full sand-and-finish jobs that take days and force a family out of their kitchen. When the books do not track which kind of job you did, you cannot tell which side of the business is actually paying the bills.
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1
Screen-and-recoat and full refinish jobs get lumped into one number
A quick recoat takes a day and uses little material, while a full sand-and-finish takes several days, strips the floor down, and uses far more stain and finish. If both land in one revenue line, you cannot see which type of job is actually more profitable per day of work.
What we doSplits recoat jobs from full refinish jobs, so you can see which side of the business earns more for the time it takes. -
2
Finish and stain costs swing hard job to job
A water-based finish and an oil-based finish cost differently, and darker custom stains often need more product and more coats. If material cost is not tracked against the type of job, a string of custom-stain jobs can quietly cut into a month's margin.
What we doTracks finish and stain cost against the jobs that used it, so a custom-stain month's real cost is visible. -
3
Dustless sanding equipment upkeep gets buried in supplies
The dust containment system that makes a refinish livable for the homeowner needs regular filters, belts, and hose replacement, and if that upkeep is not tracked apart from daily sanding supplies, you cannot see what the equipment itself is really costing you.
What we doKeeps equipment upkeep in its own line, separate from day-to-day sanding belts and pads. -
4
A job that runs long on cure time delays the next booking
Finish needs one to several days to cure before furniture goes back and the family moves back in, and a job that runs longer than expected pushes the next job's start date, which can make a month look slower than the actual workload.
What we doTies each payment to the job it belongs to, so a scheduling delay does not make a busy month look thin.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a hardwood floor refinishing 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
- Full sand and finish jobsComplete refinishes that strip the floor down to bare wood.
- Screen and recoat jobsQuick jobs that clean and add a new finish coat without full sanding.
- Water damage and repair workBoard replacement and spot repairs, billed apart from a full refinish.
- Commercial and property manager jobsRental turnover and multi-unit work billed separately from homeowner jobs.
Money out
- Stain and finishWater-based and oil-based finish, and custom stain, tied to the job.
- Sanding suppliesBelts, discs, and pads used across jobs.
- Equipment upkeepDustless sander filters, hoses, and maintenance, kept apart from daily supplies.
- Trucks and equipmentFuel, repairs, and the vehicle that hauls sanders and finish.
- Dumpster and dust disposalHauling out old finish debris and sanding dust.
- Lead feesAngi, Houzz Pro, and paid leads that turn into signed jobs.
What we watch for you
- Job margin by type
Whether recoat jobs or full refinishes are actually earning more per day of work.
- Finish cost per job
How much stain and finish cost is running against custom or dark-stain jobs specifically.
- Equipment upkeep cost
What the dustless sanding system is really costing you to maintain over time.
- Days between jobs
Whether cure time delays are quietly slowing how many jobs you can book in a month.
Ask Gus
Things hardwood refinishers 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.
I kept those split, and recoats did bring in less per job this month, though they also took less time. Worth a look at your booking mix.
I logged it as equipment upkeep, separate from your regular sanding supplies, so you can see what the system itself costs to keep running.
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 hardwood floor refinishing business.
Most of what trips up this business is tracking job type and equipment right, so recoats, full refinishes, and a helper's status are not guessed at.
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 part-time helper on bigger jobs, 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 sander 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.
- Sanding equipmentDustless sanders and buffers 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 job type and material cost correctly all year.
Deductions hardwood floor refinishing companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Dustless sander filters and belts
- Stain and finish stock
- Sanding discs and pads
- Respirators and safety gear
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Liability insurance
- Dumpster and disposal fees
- Small tool replacement
- Continuing education and certifications
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Mileage between jobs
- Sample boards for stain color matching
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 hardwood refinishing year, kept every month.
Recoats and full refinishes book differently through the year. Gus keeps taxes on a schedule of their own. 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 is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether recoat or full refinish jobs are carrying the year.
- October
Before year-end
Gus looks at whether new sanding equipment before December makes sense, and where the year is landing.
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 hardwood floor refinishing 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 hardwood refinishers ask first.
Can Gus tell me whether recoats or full refinishes make more money?
Yes. He keeps the two types of jobs split, so you can see which one earns more per day of work instead of one blended revenue number.
Custom stain jobs use more finish. Does that get tracked?
Yes. Finish and stain cost gets tied to the jobs that used it, so a run of custom-stain work shows its real cost instead of blending into an average.
Do I write off a new dustless sander 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.
A job ran long because the finish needed extra cure time. Does that hurt my books?
No. Gus ties each payment to its job, so a scheduling delay does not make an otherwise busy month look thin.
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 do some rental turnover work for property managers. Can that stay separate from homeowner jobs?
Yes. Commercial and property manager work gets its own category, so you can see which side of the business is driving your income.
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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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