Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for shower door and glass installers.
A measure visit, a custom glass panel that cracks in transport, a frameless upgrade that costs more but sells for more, and referral work from a bathroom remodeler. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, 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 $12,000. A frameless panel cracked loading the van for the Whitcomb job, so I logged that loss against the job instead of letting it blend into your glass orders.
- Client payment, Whitcomb jobDirect homeowner jobs
- Referral payout, Coastal Bath RemodelingRemodeler referral jobs
- Glass fabricator orderGlass and panel orders
- Hinge and handle hardwareHardware
- Broken panel replacementBreakage losses
Why your books are different
Shower door books go wrong the moment glass breaks.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your product is measured to the fraction of an inch, fabricated to order, fragile in transport, and sold at very different margins depending on whether it is framed or frameless. When the books do not track that, a single cracked panel can quietly wipe out a job's profit without you noticing.
-
1
A cracked panel disappears into the regular glass order
Glass breaks in transport or on install more often than most trades' materials, and if a replacement panel just gets bought and logged like any other glass order, you never see how much breakage is actually costing the business over a year.
What we doFlags breakage as its own loss tied to the job it happened on, so you can see the real cost instead of a blurry material number. -
2
Frameless and framed doors get priced the same way in the books
A frameless enclosure costs significantly more in glass and hardware than a framed door, and if both land in the same revenue and material lines, you cannot tell whether frameless jobs are actually worth their higher price or just cost more to deliver.
What we doSplits frameless and framed jobs, so you can see which option is actually the better margin for your business. -
3
Remodeler referral jobs get paid differently than direct customers
Work that comes through a bathroom remodeler as a sub often gets paid on the remodeler's schedule instead of the moment your install is done, and if that is not tracked apart from direct sales, a slow-paying referral relationship looks like lost income instead of a receivable running late.
What we doKeeps remodeler referral jobs in their own category and tracks what is still owed, so a payment lag does not read as lost money. -
4
Hardware upgrades hide inside the glass price
Upgraded hinges, handles, and hardware finishes are often chosen by the homeowner on the spot, and if that upsell blends into the base glass cost, you cannot see how much hardware choices are really adding to a job's margin.
What we doKeeps hardware in its own line, separate from glass, so upgrades show up as the extra margin they are.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a shower door and glass business.
Set up once for how your jobs get paid and what they cost. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Direct homeowner jobsJobs sold and paid directly to you, without a remodeler in between.
- Remodeler referral jobsWork that came as a sub through a bathroom remodeling company.
- Frameless upgradesHigher-margin frameless enclosures, tracked apart from standard framed doors.
- Mirror and glass repair jobsStandalone mirror or glass work outside a full shower door install.
Money out
- Glass and panel ordersCustom-fabricated glass ordered for each job.
- HardwareHinges, handles, and finish hardware, kept apart from glass.
- Breakage lossesCracked or damaged panels, tied to the job they happened on.
- Truck and equipmentThe vehicle and tools that transport and install glass safely.
- Lead feesAngi, Houzz Pro, and paid leads that turn into signed jobs.
What we watch for you
- Breakage cost
What cracked or damaged glass is actually costing the business, not buried in material costs.
- Frameless margin
Whether frameless jobs are actually worth their higher price after the extra glass and hardware cost.
- Referral receivables
How much remodeler referral work currently owes you and how long it has been outstanding.
- Job margin
What each install actually cleared after glass, hardware, and any breakage.
Ask Gus
Things shower door installers 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 that as a breakage loss on the Whitcomb job, so you can see the real cost instead of it hiding inside your regular glass orders.
No, it is tracked as an open receivable from that referral job. It is running behind their usual payment schedule, but it is not lost from your books.
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I have been keeping that list all year so it is ready.
The tax side
The tax side of a shower door and glass business.
Most of what trips up this business is tracking breakage and referral payments correctly, and knowing who works for you.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Installer 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a part-time installer for bigger jobs, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
- Employee or subcontractorAn installer who works your schedule and uses your tools usually looks like an employee, not a sub, no matter what the invoice says. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Tools and equipmentGlass handling tools and the vehicle that transports panels can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right only when breakage and referral income are booked correctly all year.
Deductions shower door and glass installers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Glass handling and suction tools
- Hinge and handle hardware stock
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Angi and Houzz Pro lead fees
- Liability insurance
- Small tool replacement
- Continuing education and certifications
- Branded uniforms
- Phone and tablet for measuring visits
- Mileage between jobs and the fabricator
- Sample hardware finishes
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 shower door and glass installation year, kept every month.
Remodeler referrals and direct jobs run on different schedules all year. Gus keeps taxes on a schedule of their own. 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. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether frameless or standard doors are carrying the year's margin.
- October
Before year-end
Gus looks at whether new tools or equipment before December make sense, and where the year is landing.
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 shower door and glass installers. 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 shower door installers ask first.
Can Gus track how much glass breakage is costing me?
Yes. Breakage gets flagged as its own loss tied to the job it happened on, so you can see the real cost instead of it hiding in your general glass orders.
I do jobs both directly for homeowners and as a sub for a remodeler. Can Gus keep those separate?
Yes. Direct homeowner jobs and remodeler referral jobs get their own categories, including tracking what a remodeler still owes you.
Are frameless and framed doors tracked differently?
Yes, and that helps. Keeping them apart shows you whether frameless jobs are actually worth the higher price after the extra glass and hardware cost.
Do I write off glass handling tools all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are a few months behind. 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 within a week.
Should hardware upgrades be tracked apart from the glass price?
Yes, and Gus does it for you. Hardware stays in its own line, so upgrades show up as the extra margin they are, not blended into the glass cost.
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 remodeling & interiors
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Custom built-ins & trim carpenters
- Historic home restoration contractors
- Popcorn ceiling removal
- Stair & railing contractors
- Wallpaper installers
- Aging-in-place remodelers
- Blinds, shutters & window treatments
- Cabinet refacing & cabinet painting
- Closet & garage organization systems
- Countertop fabricators (granite, quartz)
- Drywall repair specialists
- Hardwood floor refinishing
- Home elevator & stairlift installers
- Tile installers
- Basement finishing
- Custom home builders
- Flooring installers
- Handyman services
- Home addition contractors
- Interior painters
- Walk-in tub & accessible bath installers
- Bathroom remodelers
- Garage door installation & repair
- Kitchen remodelers
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
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