HVAC, insulation & chimney
Books and taxes for spray foam insulation contractors.
Chemical set inventory, net-30 builder contracts, retail retrofit jobs, and hazmat gear that is not optional. 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
March came in at $14,200. Two builder invoices from February cleared this month, so I matched that cash to the work they were for instead of counting it as new business.
- Check, Deacon Homes LLCNew construction contracts
- Square payouts, retail jobsRetrofit and retail jobs
- Foam chemical supplierChemical set inventory
- Hazmat gear supplierProtective equipment
- Diesel, spray rigRig and fuel
Why your books are different
Spray foam books go wrong around chemical costs and two kinds of customers.
A set of foam chemicals is one of the biggest line items you buy, you sell to builders on net-30 terms and homeowners on the spot, and the gear to spray it safely is not optional. When the books do not separate all three, margin disappears without an obvious reason.
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1
A chemical set is a job cost, not a supply run
A set of Part A and Part B foam chemicals can run into thousands of dollars and gets used across several jobs. Filed with everyday supplies, one big order makes a month look like a loss and hides what each job's material actually cost.
What we doTracks chemical sets separately and matches the cost to the jobs it was used on, so job margin is visible. -
2
Builder contracts and retail jobs pay on different clocks
A new construction contract with a builder often bills net 30 or ties payment to inspection milestones, while a homeowner crawl space job pays on the spot. Blended together, cash flow looks unpredictable when it is really just two different payment rhythms.
What we doKeeps builder contract income separate from retail job income, so each side of the business is visible on its own. -
3
Protective gear is a real cost of doing business, not overhead noise
Respirators, suits, and ventilation equipment required for safe spraying add up fast, and lumped into general supplies, that real cost of the job disappears into the background.
What we doKeeps protective equipment in its own category, so the true cost of running a crew is visible. -
4
A rig or sprayer purchase looks like a bad month
A proportioner or spray rig can cost as much as a truck, and filed as an ordinary expense, it can make one otherwise normal month look like a loss.
What we doFlags equipment purchases the day they happen and logs them as equipment, not supplies.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a spray foam contractor.
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
- New construction contractsBuilder jobs, billed net 30 or on inspection milestones.
- Retrofit and retail jobsHomeowner crawl space and attic jobs, paid on the spot.
- Commercial and agricultural jobsLarger structures kept apart from residential work.
- Financed retrofitsLarger homeowner jobs financed through a lender, with the lender's cut booked as a fee.
Money out
- Chemical set inventoryPart A and Part B foam, matched to the jobs it was used on.
- EquipmentProportioners and spray rigs, logged so they get written off right.
- Protective equipmentRespirators, suits, and ventilation gear.
- Rig and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the spray rig and trucks.
- Certification and trainingSpray foam manufacturer certification renewal.
- Licensing and insuranceContractor license and liability coverage.
What we watch for you
- Material cost per job
How much a chemical set is actually costing against what each job charges.
- Builder receivable aging
How long net-30 builder invoices are taking to get paid, so cash gets planned right.
- Retail versus builder share
Which side of the business is bringing in more, so you know where to focus.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things spray foam 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.
Because I track it separate from general supplies and match the cost to the jobs it gets used on, instead of dumping the whole thing into one month.
No, I keep builder income tracked against the work it came from, so a slow-paying invoice does not make the month the job happened look weak.
Yes, and I already do. Protective equipment stays in its own line, so you can see the real cost of running a crew safely.
The tax side
The tax side of a spray foam insulation business.
Most of what goes wrong here is a chemical set or a rig purchase filed wrong, and builder income booked on the wrong month.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Rigs and shop equipmentSpray rigs and proportioners bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA helper or subcontracted crew you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, outside of payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- Employee or contractorA crew member who drives your truck, works your schedule, and sprays on your jobs is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
- 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 spray foam insulation contractors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Foam chemical sets
- Proportioner and rig maintenance
- Respirators and hazmat suits
- Ventilation equipment
- Diesel and rig fuel
- Manufacturer certification classes
- Contractor license renewal
- Liability insurance
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tools that live on the rig
- Phone and tablet for job tracking
- Card and financing fees
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 spray foam year, kept every month.
New construction and retrofit work run on different schedules. Your team keeps you ahead of both and of the return. 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, right as new home construction starts picking up for the year.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring's builder contracts changed the number.
- October
Before the winter slowdown
New construction often slows in winter. Before it does, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 spray foam insulation 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 spray foam contractors ask first.
How does Gus track a big chemical set purchase without it wrecking the month?
It is tracked apart from general supplies and matched to the jobs it gets used on, so one large order does not make a normal month look like a loss.
My builder clients pay net 30. Does that mess up the monthly number?
No. Gus tracks that income against the job it came from, so a late-paying invoice does not make the month the work happened look weak.
Can Gus keep builder contracts separate from retail homeowner jobs?
Yes. They stay in different categories, so you can see which side of the business is bringing in more.
Do I write off a new spray rig 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.
My books are behind because builder invoices come in on their own timeline. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them by job, the accountant checks them, and most people know 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.
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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