Restoration & remediation
Books and taxes for lead paint abatement companies.
Landlord contracts, grant-funded jobs, and dust clearance testing that has to pass before a job is really done. 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
June made $12,000. The municipal grant reimbursement for the four-unit rental job landed a few weeks after the work closed, so it sat in receivables until it actually cleared.
- Landlord paymentJob payments
- Municipal grant reimbursementGrant-funded jobs
- Dust wipe test kitsClearance testing
- Hazardous waste haulerDisposal
- Certified renovator renewalCertification and training
Why your books are different
Lead paint abatement books go wrong when grant money and clearance testing get mixed in.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is older housing, dust testing that has to pass before you get paid in full, and reimbursements that can arrive on a city's schedule, not yours. When the books do not know that, a finished job can look unpaid.
-
1
Grant reimbursements arrive months later
A municipal lead hazard reduction program often reimburses a landlord job weeks or months after the work is done, and if that payment is expected the same month as the work, a finished job can look unpaid for far longer than it should.
What we doTracks grant-funded jobs as receivables until the reimbursement actually lands, so a normal lag does not read as a loss. -
2
Clearance dust testing gets buried in supplies
A lead dust wipe test after a job is what proves the work passed, and if that lab fee lands with paint scrapers and plastic sheeting, there is no way to see what clearance testing really costs across your jobs.
What we doBooks clearance testing as its own line, separate from containment materials, so its real cost per job is clear. -
3
Certified renovator renewals get lost in training costs
Every renovator working under the lead-safe rules needs periodic refresher training to stay certified, and if that renewal cost sits in a general training bucket, it is hard to see what staying compliant costs across a growing crew.
What we doKeeps certification renewals in their own line so the real cost of staying compliant is visible. -
4
Disposal fees for lead debris look like regular dump costs
Paint chips and contaminated debris from a lead job often have to be handled and disposed of differently than ordinary construction waste, and a fee for that lumped in with a general dump line hides what a job actually cost to clean up.
What we doKeeps lead-specific disposal in its own category so a job's true cleanup cost shows. -
5
Small jobs and rental portfolio contracts blur together
A one-time pre-sale job for a single homeowner and a running contract with a landlord who owns a dozen older units get paid very differently, and mixed together it is hard to see which kind of work is actually steady.
What we doKeeps one-time jobs and recurring landlord contracts in separate categories so you know where your steady income comes from.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a lead paint abatement 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
- Landlord and property owner paymentsRecurring contracts with owners of older rental buildings.
- Municipal and grant-funded jobsLead hazard reduction programs that reimburse after the work is done.
- Real estate transaction jobsPre-sale abatement required before an older home can close.
- Daycare and school contractsJobs on buildings that serve young children, often on a tighter timeline.
- Cash and self-pay homeowner jobsOne-time jobs paid directly by the homeowner.
Money out
- Containment suppliesPlastic sheeting, tape, and disposal bags.
- Clearance dust testingThe lab fee for dust wipe samples that prove a job passed.
- Certification and trainingCertified renovator renewals for everyone on the crew.
- Lead-specific disposal feesHandling and hauling for lead-contaminated debris.
- Respirators and PPEMasks, gloves, and disposable coveralls.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the crew vehicles.
- Insurance and licensingGeneral liability and any state license fees.
What we watch for you
- Grant receivables aging
How long a grant-funded job sits waiting on reimbursement, so a normal lag does not look like a loss.
- Job margin
What a job actually made after containment, testing, and disposal costs.
- Certification cost
What it costs each year to keep every renovator on the crew certified.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things lead paint abatement 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.
No, that is normal. I kept it as a receivable, not income yet, so the books show what is actually owed, not what is missing.
Yes. I logged it as certification and training, its own line, so you can see what staying compliant costs each year.
If you pay them $2,000 or more this year and they are not on payroll, they get a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of a lead paint abatement business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Grant income booked too early, a testing lab paid without paperwork, 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.
- Containment and testing equipmentEquipment bought for the business, like containment barriers and testing tools, can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Lab and tester 1099sA dust wipe lab or independent tester paid $2,000 or more in 2026 outside of payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Lead-safe certification rulesWork on older homes usually requires certified renovator training and lead-safe work practices under federal rules, with state add-ons in some places. Gus flags the cost when a renewal comes up.
- 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 lead paint abatement companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Containment plastic and tape
- Dust wipe test kits
- Paint scrapers and sanders
- Respirators and PPE
- Certification renewal and training
- Lead-specific disposal fees
- Disposable coveralls
- Phone and tablet for job documentation
- Insurance and bonding
- Tools that live on the truck
- Marketing to property managers
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 lead paint abatement year, kept every month.
Older housing does not follow a season, but rental turnover and grant cycles shape your calendar. 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 testing labs 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 spring rental turnover work changed the number.
- October
Before work slows
Before winter slows renovation 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 lead paint abatement 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 lead paint abatement owners ask first.
Can Gus handle jobs paid through a municipal grant program?
Yes. He tracks grant-funded jobs as receivables until the reimbursement actually lands, so a normal payment lag does not read as a loss.
I work mostly with landlords who own several older buildings. Does that change the books?
It changes how the categories are set up. Gus keeps recurring landlord contracts separate from one-time jobs, so you can see which kind of work is actually steady.
Does Gus handle the certified renovator paperwork?
No. Gus keeps the books and flags a certification renewal cost when it comes up, but staying certified under the lead-safe rules is on you.
My dust wipe testing lab is a separate company. Does that need a 1099?
If you pay them $2,000 or more in a year and they are not on payroll, yes. Gus keeps that list running all year so January is not a scramble.
Do I write off containment equipment 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
- 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