Roofing & exterior
Books and taxes for soft washing and roof cleaning companies.
Low-pressure chemical treatments for algae streaks, HOA compliance jobs, repeat customers on a two or three year cycle, and specialty cleaning blends that cost more than a garden-variety detergent. Gus sorts it all, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April cleared $14,400. The Ridgemont HOA sent six houses this month for algae streak cleaning, so I kept that batch of jobs together under the HOA contract.
- Ridgemont HOA batch paymentHOA and property manager jobs
- Homeowner roof cleaningRoof cleaning jobs
- Sodium hypochlorite blend orderCleaning chemicals
- Low-pressure rig maintenanceEquipment upkeep
- Truck fuelFuel
Why your books are different
Soft washing books go wrong around chemicals and repeat cycles, not labor.
A generalist bookkeeper treats this like ordinary pressure washing. Your cleaning blend costs more than a standard detergent, your customers come back every two to three years instead of every job, and HOA and property manager work often arrives in batches. The books need to track all of that.
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1
Chemical cost per job gets lost in general supplies
The sodium hypochlorite blends and surfactants used for a roof algae treatment cost more than what a driveway pressure washing job uses, and if they're lumped into one supplies category, you can't tell whether roof jobs are actually priced to cover it.
What we doKeeps roof cleaning chemicals in their own category so you can see that cost against what roof jobs are actually bringing in. -
2
An HOA batch of houses looks like one job
When a homeowners association sends six or ten houses for algae streak cleaning in the same week, it's tempting to book the whole batch as one deposit, which hides what each house actually cost to clean.
What we doKeeps HOA and property manager batches tracked as the group of individual jobs they are, so per-house cost stays visible. -
3
A repeat customer on a two or three year cycle looks like a stranger
Unlike weekly or monthly service work, your repeat customers might not call back for two or three years. Without a record connecting them to a past job, you lose the chance to see how much of your business is return customers.
What we doFlags returning customers even years apart, so you can see how much of the business comes back on its own over time. -
4
A specialty rig upgrade looks like a routine chemical order
A low-pressure application rig or a specialized nozzle setup for roof work is an equipment investment, not a consumable, and mixing the two hides how much you've actually put into the business's equipment.
What we doSeparates equipment purchases from routine chemical restocking, so the two don't get confused on the books.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a soft washing company.
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
- Roof cleaning jobsAlgae and streak removal treatments on individual homes.
- House and siding washingLow-pressure exterior cleaning apart from the roof itself.
- HOA and property manager jobsBatches of houses sent by an association or management company.
- Repeat customer jobsCustomers returning on a multi-year cycle, flagged as returning business.
Money out
- Cleaning chemicalsSodium hypochlorite blends and surfactants for roof and siding treatments.
- Equipment upkeepRoutine maintenance on low-pressure rigs and application tools.
- Equipment purchasesRigs, tanks, and specialty nozzles, kept apart from routine chemical costs.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
- Lead generationAngi, Google local services ads, and HOA outreach.
- Insurance and licensingLiability coverage and contractor license renewals.
What we watch for you
- Chemical cost per job
Whether roof cleaning jobs are priced to cover the specialty blend they use.
- HOA and contract share
How much of the business comes from batch work versus individual homeowner calls.
- Repeat customer rate
How much of the business is customers returning on their multi-year cycle.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so a busy season doesn't turn into a surprise bill.
Ask Gus
Things soft washing owners 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 keep it as six individual jobs under the HOA batch, so you can still see what each house actually cost to clean.
Yes, I flag returning customers even years apart, so you can see over time how much of the business comes back on its own.
That depends on your state and how the service is billed, so it's above my pay grade to say for sure. I flagged it for the accountant to confirm for your setup.
The tax side
The tax side of a soft washing business.
Most of what goes wrong here is separating specialty chemical costs from equipment purchases, and keeping HOA batches and repeat customers visible.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Rigs and application equipmentA low-pressure rig, tank, or specialty nozzle setup bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- 1099s for occasional helpAnyone not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Employee or contractorA helper who runs your equipment on your schedule usually looks like an employee, not a subcontractor. Gus flags it 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 chemical costs and job types are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions soft washing and roof cleaning companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Sodium hypochlorite and surfactant blends
- Low-pressure rig maintenance
- Specialty nozzles and tank upgrades
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Protective gear for chemical handling
- Angi and Google local services ads
- HOA outreach and proposal costs
- License and bonding fees
- Uniforms with your logo
- Phone for scheduling calls
- Card processing fees
- Chemical storage and containment
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 soft washing year, kept every month.
Algae season and HOA contracts drive the calendar, but taxes come on their own schedule. 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, any occasional help 1099s are finalized, and the monthly set-aside is planned before spring HOA contracts come in.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, with no surprise bill because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand heading into peak algae season, and whether HOA batch work is pulling its weight this year.
- October
Before the slowdown
A look at equipment bought during the busy months and any moves worth making before the season quiets 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 soft washing and roof cleaning companies. 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 soft washing owners ask first.
How is soft washing different from pressure washing in the books?
The chemicals used for roof algae treatments cost more than standard pressure washing detergent, so Gus keeps them in their own category to see if roof jobs are priced to cover it.
How does Gus handle a batch of houses from an HOA?
He keeps the batch as the group of individual jobs it actually is, so you can still see what each house cost to clean, not just the total check from the association.
My customers only come back every two or three years. Can Gus still track that?
Yes. He flags returning customers even years apart, so you can see how much of your business comes back on its own over that longer cycle.
Do I charge sales tax on a roof cleaning service?
That depends on your state and how the service is billed, so it's not something Gus can answer on his own. He flags it for the accountant to confirm for your setup.
I bought a new low-pressure rig this year. How does that get tracked?
Gus separates it from routine chemical restocking so it shows up as an equipment purchase, which usually gets treated differently on the return.
My books have never separated chemicals from other supplies. Can Gus fix that going forward?
Yes. Send your recent bank statements and Gus starts sorting chemical costs into their own category from there, and the accountant checks the result.
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