Specialty subcontractors
Books and taxes for scaffolding contractors.
Scaffold rental billing, erect and dismantle labor, extended rental fees, and gear that goes missing on site. 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 came in at $13,000. The missing planks from the downtown job got logged as a lost equipment cost, so you can decide whether to back-charge the GC for it.
- Scaffold rental invoiceScaffold rental billing
- Erect and dismantle crewErect and dismantle labor
- Frame and plank orderScaffold fleet purchases
- Yard storage rentYard and storage rent
- Fleet fuel, delivery trucksTrucks and fuel
Why your books are different
A scaffolding contractor's books go wrong in a few specific spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is rental income that keeps earning as long as scaffold sits on a job, labor that does not, and a fleet that grows or shrinks with every job site. Blend those together and you cannot see what actually holds the business up.
-
1
Rental income and labor income blur together
Billing a general contractor for both the scaffold rental and the crew that erects and dismantles it looks like one lump sum, but they behave very differently, since rental keeps earning every extra week the job runs long and labor does not.
What we doKeeps rental billing and erect and dismantle labor in separate income lines. -
2
Lost and damaged equipment looks like a mystery loss
A job site loses ties and boards, or another trade damages a stack of planks, and if it is not tracked, it just looks like the fleet is shrinking for no reason.
What we doKeeps damaged and lost equipment costs visible, so you can see what should be back-charged to the GC. -
3
Extended rental time goes unbilled
A general contractor keeps your scaffold up two extra weeks past the agreed date, and if nobody is watching for it, that extra rental time never gets billed.
What we doFlags jobs where scaffold is likely still up past the original rental period. -
4
Retainage on larger contracts disappears
A general contractor holds back 10 percent on a large scaffolding package and does not release it until the job closes out, sometimes months after the scaffold comes down.
What we doKeeps retainage on its own line by job, so you can see what is still owed and roughly when it should land. -
5
A fleet buy looks like a supply expense
A large purchase of frames and planks to grow the rental fleet can run into real money, and filed as supplies it just muddies the month and the deduction gets missed.
What we doFlags big equipment buys the day they show up and logs them as equipment, not supplies.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a scaffolding business.
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
- Scaffold rental billingDay, week, or month rate billed to the general contractor.
- Erect and dismantle laborCrew time to put up and take down, billed separate from rental.
- Extended rental feesExtra time billed when a job keeps scaffold past the agreed date.
- Retainage releasesHeld-back money on larger contracts, paid out at closeout.
- Equipment back-chargesBilled to the GC when a job site loses or damages fleet pieces.
Money out
- Field crew wagesErectors and dismantlers, including certified payroll on public jobs.
- Scaffold fleet purchasesFrames, planks, ties, and tags.
- Inspection tags and signageSafety tagging required at every job site.
- Trucks and fuelHauling scaffold components between job sites.
- Yard and storage rentKeeping the fleet between jobs.
- Bonding and insurancePerformance bonds and liability coverage for larger jobs.
- Equipment replacementLost or damaged pieces replaced before any back-charge is recovered.
What we watch for you
- Job margin
What each job actually made after rental, labor, and lost gear.
- Fleet utilization
How much of your scaffold inventory is out earning rent versus sitting in the yard.
- Retainage owed
Money general contractors are holding on larger contracts right now.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things scaffolding contractors 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 flagged it. The rental period on that job ran past the original end date, so extended rental fees are worth billing before it closes out.
No. I logged it as a lost equipment cost against that job, so you can see it and decide whether to back-charge the GC for it.
If they work your schedule and use your equipment, they usually should be on payroll rather than paid like contractors. I flag that pattern early so the accountant can weigh in.
The tax side
The tax side of a scaffolding business.
Most of what goes wrong here is labels and timing. Fleet purchases filed as supplies, extended rentals never billed, 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-offsScaffold frames, planks, and delivery trucks can often be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025. Heavier trucks carry a separate cap.
- Sub-subcontractor 1099sAny outside erector or hauling crew not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Employee or contractorAn erector who works your schedule, uses your equipment, and takes direction from your foreman is usually an employee. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus asks before it becomes a habit.
- 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 scaffolding contractors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Scaffold frames and planks
- Ties and safety tags
- Safety harnesses and PPE
- Continuing education
- Bonding premiums
- Liability insurance
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Yard and storage rent
- Permit and inspection fees
- Job costing software
- Uniforms with your logo
- Equipment replacement parts
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 scaffolding year, kept every month.
Bid season, fleet upkeep, and tax season each run on their own clock. Your team keeps you ahead of all three. 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 and the 1099 list for outside crews is ready. Construction bidding is picking up, so your monthly set-aside gets planned before the season fills in.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed while spring scaffolding demand ramps up. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been building since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a large scaffolding package changed the number.
- October
Before year end
As outdoor erection work slows into winter, Gus looks at fleet equipment worth buying and anything else worth doing before the year ends.
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 scaffolding contractors. 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 scaffolding contractors ask first.
Can Gus track rental income separate from erect and dismantle labor?
Yes. Rental billing and labor billing sit in separate income lines, so you can see how much of a job's revenue comes from equipment sitting on site versus the crew that put it up.
We lost some planks on a job site. Does that mess up our numbers?
No. Gus logs the loss as a cost against that specific job, so you can see it clearly and decide whether it is worth back-charging the general contractor.
Do I write off a new batch of scaffold frames 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.
A GC kept our scaffold up longer than planned. Does Gus catch that?
He flags jobs where scaffold looks like it is still up past the original rental period, so you notice the extra billing opportunity before the job closes out.
Our books are behind after a big job. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know exactly 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 specialty subcontractors
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Acoustical ceiling contractors
- Architectural millwork & woodworking
- Commercial glaziers & storefront glass
- Commercial kitchen equipment installers
- Concrete cutting & coring
- Crane services
- Elevator installation & service
- Fire sprinkler contractors
- Parking lot striping & maintenance
- Sheet metal contractors
- Waterproofing & caulking contractors
- Commercial flooring contractors
- Commercial painting contractors
- Drywall & framing subcontractors
- Fire alarm & suppression contractors
- Insulation subcontractors
- Masonry contractors
- Welding & metal fabrication shops
- Commercial electricians
- Barndominium builders
- Church & religious facility builders
- Log home builders
- Shipping container home builders
- Timber frame builders
- Tiny home builders
- Directional boring contractors
- Erosion control contractors
- Hydro excavation
- Land surveying firms
- Pond & lake construction
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