Outdoor living & structures
Books and taxes for outdoor kitchen builders.
Deposits, progress draws, grill and appliance packages, and the plumber or electrician you bring in for every gas line and outlet. 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
May came in at $15,500. The Lynx grill package for the Foster job went in as materials for that job, not general supplies.
- Deposit, Foster outdoor kitchenJob deposits
- Final payment, Reyes kitchenFinal payments
- Lynx grill packageAppliance packages
- Block and stone orderMasonry materials
- Riverside Plumbing gas line subGas and electrical subs
Why your books are different
Outdoor kitchen books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and material bills. Your business is masonry, appliance packages that can cost more than the counter they sit on, and gas or electrical subs on nearly every job. When the books do not separate that, you cannot tell which parts of a build actually carry the margin.
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1
Appliance packages outweigh masonry in the books
A built-in grill, side burner, and refrigerator package from Lynx or a similar brand can cost more than the block, stone, and countertop around it, but when it is filed as one general materials line, the owner cannot see where the job's cost really sits.
What we doKeeps appliance packages on their own line against the job, so masonry and appliance costs are both visible on their own. -
2
Gas and electrical subs blur into general labor
A plumber running a gas line and an electrician wiring outlets and lighting get paid out of the same account as the masonry crew, hiding how much of the job's real cost is licensed trade work instead of build labor.
What we doKeeps gas and electrical subcontractor costs in their own category, tagged to the job, separate from crew wages. -
3
A deposit looks like profit before the block is even delivered
A $15,000 deposit on an outdoor kitchen that will not break ground for three weeks shows up as income the day it lands, so the month looks strong before a single block is laid.
What we doTracks the deposit against its job and recognizes the income as the work gets done, so a big deposit month does not hide a thin one underneath it. -
4
A big appliance order skews a slow month
One grill and refrigeration package order for an upcoming job can make a month look like a loss on paper, with the install and revenue landing weeks later.
What we doFlags large appliance purchases and notes which job they belong to, so a big order does not read as the month falling apart.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an outdoor kitchen builder.
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
- Job depositsThe third to half collected at contract signing, tracked against the job it belongs to.
- Progress drawsPayments collected at masonry and appliance install milestones.
- Final paymentsWalkthrough payment once the kitchen is complete and tested.
- Financed jobsThe full job amount, with the lender's cut from GreenSky or Hearth booked as a fee.
- Change ordersAdded pizza ovens, bars, or lighting billed separately from the base contract.
Money out
- Appliance packagesGrills, refrigerators, and side burners from Lynx or a similar brand.
- Masonry materialsBlock, stone veneer, and countertop materials.
- Gas and electrical subsLicensed plumbers and electricians for gas lines and outlets.
- Crew wagesMasonry and build crew pay, kept apart from subcontractor costs.
- Equipment rentalMixers, saws, and lifts for block and stone work.
- Lead fees and marketingHouzz, Angi, and Google local services ads.
- Financing and card feesWhat the lender or Square kept before you got paid.
What we watch for you
- Appliance cost share
Appliance packages against money in, so pricing keeps up with grill and refrigeration costs.
- Sub cost share
Gas and electrical sub pay against money in, tracked apart from masonry labor.
- Jobs in progress
Deposits collected for kitchens not yet built, so a big deposit month does not look like profit that is not there yet.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things outdoor kitchen 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.
No. I booked it as a change order on the same job, so the added scope and what it cost are both visible.
The Lynx package for the Foster job landed this month. I tagged it to that job, so it is not really a loss, it is a job still in progress.
If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running.
The tax side
The tax side of an outdoor kitchen business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A deposit counted too early, an appliance package filed like block and stone, 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.
- Equipment write-offsA mixer, saw, or lift bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a plumber or electrician sub, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Self-employment taxAn owner not on payroll pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on profit, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- 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 outdoor kitchen builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Mixer and saw rental
- Stone and countertop samples
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Houzz and Angi lead fees
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tools that live on the truck
- Phone and tablet for job sites
- Trade licenses and bonding
- Card and financing fees
- Job photo software
- Showroom appliance display
- Truck wraps and yard signs
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
An outdoor kitchen year, kept every month.
Deposits start landing in spring and crews stay busy through fall. Your taxes come on a schedule either way. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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 before spring deposits start coming in for the season ahead.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how appliance and masonry costs compared to what you priced.
- October
Before the season slows
A look at any equipment worth buying before winter, 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 outdoor kitchen 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 outdoor kitchen builders ask first.
Can Gus handle jobs paid through financing companies?
Yes. He books the full job as money in and the lender's fee as a cost, so your sales are not understated and the fee still counts against your taxes.
I run estimates in Buildertrend. Do I have to change how I work?
No. Keep running jobs the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement, and when a deposit or payout is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
Do I write off a grill and refrigeration package all at once?
Often, yes, if it is treated as equipment rather than part of the customer's invoice. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are behind from last season. 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 inside a week.
How does Gus keep gas line and electrical costs visible?
He tags subcontractor payments to the job, separate from your crew's wages, so you can see how much of a build's cost is licensed trade work.
Do you handle sales tax on the appliances and materials I buy?
No. Sales tax on materials and contracts varies by state and Gus does not file it. He keeps your books clean so whoever files your sales tax has accurate numbers to work from.
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