Design & pre-construction
Books and taxes for structural engineering firms.
A fixed fee for calculations and a stamped set, a pay-when-paid clause that ties your invoice to the architect's own collection, a plan check revision, and a PE license to keep current. 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 $24,300. The Brannon Tower fee finally cleared, three months after you submitted the stamped drawings, since it was tied to the architect getting paid first.
- Brannon Tower structural feeSubconsultant fees
- Ridgeview design feeDirect project fees
- RISA software renewalEngineering software
- PE license renewalLicense and dues
- Errors and omissions premiumProfessional liability insurance
Why your books are different
A structural engineering firm's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees invoices sent and money received. Your business gets paid on a pay-when-paid clause tied to someone else's client, revises a plan set after a building department comment with no extra fee, and carries a stamp that makes every job a liability question. When the books do not know that, a slow quarter looks like lost work instead of a collection lag.
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1
Pay-when-paid clauses hide as late payment
You submit stamped calculations in March under a subconsultant agreement that only pays you once the architect collects from the property owner. That can run months past your own invoice date, and read alone it looks like the architect is simply slow.
What we doFlags fees tied to a pay-when-paid clause so a long gap reads as the contract structure, not a client who forgot to pay. -
2
Plan check revisions get done for free without anyone noticing
A building department comes back with comments and you revise the calculations and drawings at no extra charge, since most contracts assume some rework. Done enough times across enough jobs, that unpaid work quietly eats your margin.
What we doTracks how much revision work is happening against paid fees, so you can see if plan check rework is running heavier than usual. -
3
A stamped drawing job and a review-only job look the same
Stamping and sealing a full calculation package carries very different liability, and should carry a different fee, than a quick peer review of someone else's engineering. Lumped into one project fee category, you cannot see which type of work is actually worth taking.
What we doKeeps stamped project fees separate from review and consulting fees, so you know which work is paying best. -
4
Software and license costs land unevenly
An annual RISA or Enercalc renewal and a PE license renewal both tend to land once a year, in one lump, and can make an otherwise steady month look like a bad one.
What we doFlags annual software and license renewals when they hit, so a normal yearly cost does not read as a spending problem.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a structural engineering firm.
Set up once for how you get hired and how you get paid. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Subconsultant feesFees paid by a prime architect or general contractor for structural work on their project.
- Direct project feesFees billed straight to a property owner or developer without an architect in between.
- Plan review and peer review feesReviewing another engineer's calculations, without stamping new drawings.
- Forensic and inspection feesSite visits and reports on existing structural conditions.
- Deferred submittal feesLater-phase items like stairs or trusses billed separately from the main package.
Money out
- Engineering softwareRISA, ETABS, Enercalc, or similar calculation software.
- License and duesPE license renewal and NSPE or ACEC membership.
- Professional liability insuranceErrors and omissions coverage, often the largest fixed cost in the business.
- Contract drafter payFreelance CAD support for producing stamped drawing sets.
- Continuing educationCourses required to keep the PE license current.
- Office and site visit costsMileage, parking, and site inspection equipment.
- Printing and plan submittal feesPlots and copies required for building department submittal.
What we watch for you
- Collection lag
Average time from invoice to payment, especially on pay-when-paid subconsultant work.
- Stamped versus review fee mix
How much income comes from full stamped packages versus lower-liability review work.
- Revision cost
How much unpaid plan check rework is happening across jobs this quarter.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things structural engineers 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, that was a pay-when-paid contract, so it was waiting on the architect's own payment from the owner. I flagged it as expected timing, not a loss.
Some of it usually is built into the fee. I am tracking how much revision work is happening across your jobs so you and the accountant can see if it is running heavier than it should.
If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I am keeping that list as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of a structural engineering firm.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing on subconsultant payments and keeping liability-heavy stamped work visible on its own. Getting that right changes how clean the year-end number is.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of qualified business income off their taxable income. Engineering firms are generally treated more favorably than many service businesses at higher income, though the accountant confirms it against your full return.
- Contractor 1099sA contract drafter or reviewing engineer paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Equipment write-offsA calculation workstation, large monitors, or a site inspection vehicle can often be written off the year you buy them, under Section 179 or bonus depreciation.
- Self-employment taxA sole owner pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the $184,500 wage base. An S corp structure can change how much of your pay is hit with it.
Deductions structural engineers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- RISA or Enercalc license
- ETABS or similar analysis software
- PE license renewal fee
- NSPE or ACEC membership dues
- Errors and omissions premium
- Continuing education courses
- Site inspection equipment
- Plotting and printing costs
- Contract drafter pay
- Site visit mileage
- Reference codes and standards
- Home office expenses
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 structural engineering year, kept every month.
Public project fiscal deadlines and a spring wave of new residential permits both shape your year. Your team keeps you ahead of the calendar and the taxes 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, the contractor 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 while spring residential permit submittals pick up.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether pay-when-paid delays are running longer than usual this year.
- October
Before year end
Gus looks at software renewals and equipment worth buying before December and flags any subconsultant fees still outstanding.
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 structural engineers. 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 structural engineers ask first.
My contracts are pay-when-paid through the architect. Can Gus track that?
Yes. Gus flags fees tied to a pay-when-paid clause so a long gap between your invoice and the payment reads as the contract structure, not a slow client.
Do I need to separate stamped project fees from review-only work?
It helps you see which type of work is actually paying best, and Gus keeps them apart automatically once he sees the pattern in your deposits.
How does Gus handle a big annual software renewal like RISA?
He flags it as an annual cost the month it hits, so a normal yearly renewal does not read as a sudden spending problem.
I sometimes get paid directly by a homeowner instead of through an architect. Does that change anything?
No. Gus sorts direct project fees and subconsultant fees into their own categories either way, so you can see both sides of how the firm gets paid.
My books are behind by several months. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have and Gus starts sorting from there, with an accountant checking the work as it comes in.
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