Commercial & custom builders
Books and taxes for log home builders.
A log package deposit that is a third of the contract before a single log arrives, remote sites that need their own driveway and well, winter that shuts the job down for months, and a settling callback a year later. Gus sorts 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 $24,000. The Whitcomb cabin's log package deposit went out to Southland, so I logged it against that job instead of general materials.
- Whitcomb cabin depositDeposits
- Southland Log Homes orderLog package
- Well and septic subSite work
- Chinking and sealant orderMaterials
- Fuel, crew truckTrucks and fuel
Why your books are different
Log home builder books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist bookkeeper sees a deposit and a lumber bill. Your jobs start with a log package deposit that can be a third of the whole contract, sit on remote sites that need their own well and driveway before framing even starts, and stop cold every winter until the thaw. When the books do not know any of that, a normal season looks erratic.
-
1
The log package deposit is not a cost yet
A $140,000 log package deposit goes out to Southland to start milling for the Whitcomb cabin, months before a single log is delivered to a remote site. Book that as an expense the day it clears and the month looks like a disaster for a job that has barely started.
What we doHolds the package deposit against that specific job until the logs are actually delivered and the build is underway, so one big supplier payment does not wreck an otherwise normal month. -
2
Remote sites hide extra costs
A cabin two hours from the nearest supply yard needs its own well, septic, and a quarter mile of new driveway before the crew can even mobilize. Lumped into general site costs, those expenses make a remote build look far less profitable than a job closer to town, when really the site itself was just more expensive.
What we doTracks site work and mobilization costs by job, so a remote build's true numbers are visible instead of blended into every other project. -
3
Winter shutdowns scatter one job across two years
A cabin started in September stalls out in December when the roads become impassable, then picks back up in April. The costs land across two calendar years for a single job, and without job costing that build looks like two different, half-finished projects.
What we doKeeps every cost tied to the job it belongs to no matter how many months, or how many winters, it takes to finish. -
4
A settling callback looks like a new job
A year after move-in, logs settle and shrink, and the homeowner calls you back to re-chink and adjust doors and windows. If that visit gets billed and booked like a brand new project, it hides the fact that most builders plan for this kind of service work from the start.
What we doKeeps callback and warranty work in its own category, so it shows up as the ongoing part of the business it actually is.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a log home builder.
Set up once for package deposits, remote site work, and callbacks, and an accountant checks it every month.
Money in
- DepositsMoney collected upfront to start milling on a log package.
- Progress billingDraws paid as site work, log delivery, and finish stages complete.
- Final paymentThe balance collected at closeout and final walkthrough.
- Callback and warranty billingChinking, sealant, and settling adjustments billed after move-in.
- Change order billingUpgrades or added scope, billed apart from the base contract.
Money out
- Log package purchasesThe log kit itself, from suppliers like Southland or Honest Abe.
- Site work and utilitiesWells, septic systems, and driveways on remote building sites.
- SubcontractorsElectrical, plumbing, and finish trades on the build.
- Chinking and sealantsSpecialty log home stains, sealants, and chinking materials.
- Equipment rentalCranes and lifts rented to set heavier log courses.
- Fuel and fleetFuel and repairs for trucks making the trip to remote sites.
- Insurance and bondingGeneral liability and any bonding required on larger contracts.
What we watch for you
- Job margin
Profit once the log package, site work, and labor are all in against the price.
- Deposits outstanding
Packages paid for but not yet delivered, so a quiet month is not really behind.
- Winter carryover
Jobs spanning two calendar years, so nothing gets lost in the shutdown.
- Callback hours
Time spent on settling and warranty work, since it is part of the real cost of the trade.
Ask Gus
Things log home builders 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.
It does not, once I moved that deposit against the Whitcomb job instead of counting it as a straight expense. The logs have not been delivered yet, so the cost is not fully earned against the job either.
No. I tracked that site work against this specific job, so you can see it cost more because the site was remote, not because the build itself ran over.
It can, and I am keeping every cost tied to the job either way. Worth a look with the accountant on how a job that spans two years should be reported.
The tax side
The tax side of a log home building business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing. A package deposit that is not a cost yet, and a build that can stretch across two winters and two tax years.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Deposits are not deductions yetMoney paid to a log home manufacturer to start milling is usually not a deductible cost until the logs are delivered and the job is underway. Gus flags deposits so the accountant times the deduction correctly.
- Long-term contract incomeA build that spans more than one tax year, common when winter shuts a job down for months, sometimes has to show income as it is earned rather than only when billed. Gus flags multi-year jobs for the accountant to review.
- Equipment write-offsCranes, lifts, and trucks the business owns outright can usually be written off in the year purchased, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Subcontractor 1099sAny electrician, plumber, or finish sub not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list current across every build.
Deductions log home builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Chinking and sealant supplies
- Crane and lift rental
- Truck and fleet fuel
- Small tools and hand tools
- Safety gear and PPE
- General liability insurance
- Bonding premiums
- Building permit fees
- Continuing education
- Uniforms with your logo
- Phone for job scheduling
- Mileage to remote sites
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 log home builder's year, kept every month.
Winter decides when logs can be set, but the tax calendar runs on its own schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of it. 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 subcontractor 1099 list gets finalized, and you get a monthly set-aside 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 no matter which jobs carried over the winter.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand on every log package ordered and every home under construction, and whether this year's build season is ahead of last year's.
- October
Before the freeze
A look at equipment worth buying before the season slows, and any moves worth making before winter shuts the sites down.
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 log home builders. 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 log home builders ask first.
Do you track log package deposits separately from job costs?
Yes. A deposit sent to the manufacturer stays tied to that job but is not counted as a finished cost until the logs are actually delivered and the build is underway, so one big deposit does not wreck an otherwise normal month.
Our sites are remote and need their own well and driveway before we start. Does that get tracked?
Yes. Site work and mobilization costs are tracked by job, so a remote build's true cost shows up as the site being more expensive, not the construction itself running over.
A job stopped for winter and will not finish until spring. Does that split it across two tax years?
It can, and every cost stays tied to the job either way. Gus flags jobs that span two tax years so the accountant can review how the income should be reported.
We go back a year later to re-chink and adjust doors as the logs settle. Is that billed differently?
Yes. Callback and warranty work gets kept in its own category, since it is a normal, expected part of log construction rather than a brand new project.
Our books are behind from a season that carried into winter. Can you catch them up?
Yes. Send the bank statements and job records you have. Gus sorts income and cost by job, and most owners know where each home stands 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.
More in commercial & custom builders
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Barndominium builders
- Church & religious facility builders
- Shipping container home builders
- Timber frame builders
- Tiny home builders
- Metal building erectors
- Modular & manufactured home dealers
- Post-frame & pole barn builders
- Tenant improvement contractors
- Commercial general contractors
- Design-build firms
- Acoustical ceiling contractors
- Architectural millwork & woodworking
- Commercial glaziers & storefront glass
- Commercial kitchen equipment installers
- Concrete cutting & coring
- Crane services
- Directional boring contractors
- Elevator installation & service
- Erosion control contractors
- Fire sprinkler contractors
- Hydro excavation
- Land surveying firms
- Parking lot striping & maintenance
- Pond & lake construction
- Private utility locating
- Scaffolding contractors
- Sheet metal contractors
- Waterproofing & caulking contractors
- Drafting & CAD services
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