Commercial & custom builders
Books and taxes for shipping container home builders.
Used containers bought off a shipping yard at a price that moves with the freight market, structural cuts stamped by an engineer, corrosion treatment and insulation, and a permit office that has never seen a build like yours. 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
March made $14,000. The Ferris build's containers arrived from the shipping yard, so I logged the purchase against that job instead of general materials.
- Ferris build depositDeposits
- Container purchase, Gulf Coast YardContainer sourcing
- Structural engineer stamp feeEngineering
- Certified welder, day rateWelding labor
- Spray foam insulation subInsulation
Why your books are different
Container home builder books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist bookkeeper sees a supplier bill and a construction check. Your business buys used steel off a shipping yard at a price that swings with the freight market, pays for stamped engineering before a single cut is made, and deals with permit offices that treat every build like the first one they have ever seen. When the books do not track any of that, one container home's true cost gets lost.
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1
Container prices move before you even buy
A 40-foot high cube container that cost $3,200 last quarter runs $4,600 this quarter because ocean freight rates shifted. If container purchases get lumped into general materials, you cannot see how much of a job's cost swing came from the steel itself.
What we doTracks container purchases as their own line by job, so a price swing shows up as exactly that instead of a mystery in the materials category. -
2
Engineering fees look like a design expense
Cutting window and door openings into a structural steel container requires a stamped engineering review before the permit office will sign off, and that fee often gets billed weeks before construction even starts.
What we doCodes engineering and permit fees to the specific build, so the full cost of getting a container job approved is visible from the start. -
3
Welding labor is priced differently than framing labor
A certified welder cutting and reinforcing steel gets paid a different rate than a framing crew doing interior work, and mixing the two into one labor line hides which part of the build actually costs more per hour.
What we doKeeps welding labor separate from interior framing and finish labor, so you know where the real cost of a build comes from. -
4
Insurance and financing quotes come in all over the map
One lender or insurer treats a container home like a standard build, another wants extra documentation because they have never underwritten one before, and the difference can change what a buyer actually pays at closing.
What we doKeeps the paperwork and costs tied to a job so you have clean numbers ready whenever a lender or insurer asks a question.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a shipping container home builder.
Set up once for container sourcing, welding, and engineering costs, and an accountant checks it every month.
Money in
- DepositsMoney collected upfront to source containers and start engineering review.
- Progress billingDraws paid as container assembly, welding, and finish stages complete.
- Final paymentThe balance collected once the home is finished and delivered.
- Design and consultation feesFees for custom layout work before a build contract is signed.
- Change order billingExtra openings, add-on containers, or upgrades billed apart from the base contract.
Money out
- Container purchasesUsed or new shipping containers bought from a yard or broker.
- Structural engineeringStamped drawings and reviews for cuts and openings in the steel.
- Welding laborCertified welders cutting, reinforcing, and joining containers.
- Interior finish subcontractorsFraming, electrical, plumbing, and finish trades inside the containers.
- Corrosion treatment and insulationRust treatment, coatings, and spray foam insulation.
- Equipment rentalCranes to set and stack containers on site.
- Permits and inspectionsBuilding permit fees and extra review time for non-standard construction.
What we watch for you
- Build margin
Profit once containers, welding, and finish labor are all in against the contract price.
- Container cost per unit
What each container actually cost, since freight-driven prices move often.
- Engineering and permit cost share
How much of a build goes to approvals before construction even starts.
- Deposits outstanding
Builds paid for but not yet delivered, so a quiet month is not really behind.
Ask Gus
Things container 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.
Yes. I track container purchases as their own line on every job, so you can see exactly what the steel cost this time against what it cost last time.
It does, and I coded it to that specific build, so the full cost of getting the job approved shows up from day one, not just once the cutting starts.
Not a problem, just a different line. I keep welding labor separate from framing and finish labor, so you can see exactly where the real cost of a build comes from.
The tax side
The tax side of a shipping container home building business.
Most of what goes wrong here is keeping steel, engineering, and labor in their own lines instead of one blended materials category.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Deposits are not income yetA customer deposit to start sourcing containers and engineering review is usually not fully earned income until the build is actually underway. Gus flags deposits so the accountant times the income correctly.
- Equipment write-offsWelding equipment and any cranes or tools 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 welder, electrician, 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.
- Worker classificationA welder or crew that works your schedule, uses your equipment, and takes direction on every job usually looks like an employee, not a subcontractor, no matter what the invoice says. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it early.
Deductions shipping container home builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Welding equipment and supplies
- Crane rental for container placement
- Small tools and hand tools
- Safety gear and PPE
- General liability insurance
- Engineering and permit fees
- Corrosion treatment materials
- Continuing education
- Uniforms with your logo
- Phone and tablet for the jobsite
- Truck and fleet fuel
- Advertising and lead generation
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 shipping container home builder's year, kept every month.
Container prices and permit timelines move on their own schedule, but the tax calendar does not. 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 how container prices moved.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand on every build in progress, and whether this year's container costs are running ahead of or behind what you budgeted.
- October
Before year end
A look at equipment worth buying and any moves worth making before December closes the books on the year.
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 shipping container 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 container home builders ask first.
Do you track container purchases separately from other materials?
Yes. Containers are kept in their own line by job, so a price swing in the freight market shows up as exactly that, not a mystery inside a general materials category.
Engineering and permit fees came in before we started cutting steel. Does that count against the job now?
Yes. Those fees get coded to the specific build, so the full cost of getting a container home approved is visible from the start, not just once construction begins.
Our welder is paid a different rate than the framing crew. Does that get tracked differently?
Yes. Welding labor stays in its own line, separate from framing and finish labor, so you can see exactly where a build's real cost comes from.
Lenders and insurers keep asking for extra documentation since they have not underwritten a container home before. Can Gus help with that?
Gus keeps clean job records and cost history ready whenever a lender or insurer has questions, though preparing or submitting their paperwork is not part of the subscription.
Our books are behind from sourcing containers for several builds at once. Can you catch them up?
Yes. Send the bank statements and job records you have. Gus sorts income and cost by build, 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.
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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