Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for wallpaper installers.
A designer referral fee, a skim coat before the paper goes up, a customer-supplied grasscloth roll, and the extra ordered for pattern repeat. 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
October came in at $10,000. Two jobs came through a designer referral this month, so I kept her commission split out to see what that partnership is worth.
- Client payment, Harlow dining roomLabor-only install jobs
- Client payment, Ferris jobMaterial and install jobs
- Designer referral commissionReferral commissions paid
- Skim coat and prep suppliesWall prep materials
- Wallpaper paste and toolsInstallation supplies
Why your books are different
Wallpaper installer books go wrong when material and labor get billed two different ways.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Some of your clients buy their own wallpaper and just pay you for labor, others want you to supply it too, and a good chunk of your work comes through interior designer referrals. When the books do not track which is which, you cannot see what actually pays.
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1
Labor-only jobs and material-plus-install jobs look the same on paper
A job where the client already bought their own rolls pays you only for skill and time, while a job where you supply the paper includes a material markup on top. If both land in the same revenue line, you cannot tell which pricing model is actually more profitable.
What we doSplits labor-only jobs from material-plus-install jobs, so you can compare which pricing model earns more for your time. -
2
Designer referral commissions get lost in general costs
Paying a referral fee to an interior designer who sends you work is a real cost of doing business, but if it blends into general expenses, you cannot see what that single relationship is actually worth against the jobs it brings in.
What we doTracks referral commissions against the jobs they generated, so you know exactly what a designer relationship is worth. -
3
Wall prep and skim coating disappear into the wallpaper bill
Getting a wall ready for paper, especially over old texture or damaged drywall, is its own step with its own cost and time, and if it is not billed and tracked separately, a heavy-prep job looks like a normal install that just took longer for no clear reason.
What we doKeeps wall prep work in its own line, so you can see when heavy prep, not slow installing, is behind a longer job. -
4
Pattern repeat waste gets mistaken for overbuying
A large pattern repeat or a grasscloth that shows seams easily needs extra rolls ordered beyond the base measurement, and if that overage is not tracked against the pattern, it looks like poor estimating instead of a normal part of a specialty install.
What we doTies material overage to the job's pattern repeat, so expected waste does not look like a mistake.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a wallpaper installation 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
- Labor-only install jobsClients who supply their own wallpaper and pay only for install.
- Material and install jobsJobs where you supply and mark up the wallpaper as well as install it.
- Wall prep and repair billingSkim coating or drywall repair billed as its own line item.
- Designer referral jobsWork that came through an interior designer partnership.
Money out
- Wall prep materialsSkim coat, primer, and repair supplies.
- Installation suppliesPaste, seam rollers, smoothers, and blades.
- Wallpaper stockRolls you purchase and mark up on material-plus-install jobs.
- Referral commissions paidWhat you pay designers who send you work, tracked against the jobs they brought.
- Truck and fuelThe vehicle that carries tools and materials to each job.
What we watch for you
- Job margin by billing type
Whether labor-only or material-plus-install jobs are actually earning more per hour of work.
- Designer referral value
What commissions paid to a designer are costing against what those jobs bring in.
- Prep time share
How often heavy wall prep, not the install itself, is what's stretching a job's timeline.
- Material waste rate
Whether pattern repeat overage is running in line with what each wallpaper actually needs.
Ask Gus
Things wallpaper 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 tracked her commission against those two jobs, and after the fee you still cleared more than your typical labor-only job. Worth keeping that relationship going.
I kept it in your wall prep line, separate from the install itself, so you can see that job ran long because of prep, not slow hanging.
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 wallpaper installation business.
Most of what trips up this business is separating labor from material and tracking who you pay for referrals or help.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Helper and referral paymentsAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, including a designer referral commission or an occasional helper, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
- Employee or subcontractorA helper 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.
- Material markup and salesWhen you supply and mark up wallpaper on a job, that markup is part of your income, tracked separately from the labor-only jobs where a client buys their own.
- 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 the books track labor and material correctly all year.
Deductions wallpaper installers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Seam rollers and smoothing tools
- Wallpaper paste and adhesive
- Skim coat and prep supplies
- Blades and cutting tools
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Liability insurance
- Continuing education and certifications
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Mileage between jobs
- Sample books and swatches
- Drop cloths and protective covering
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 wallpaper installation year, kept every month.
Designer referrals and direct jobs come in at their own pace 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 designer referrals are carrying more of the year than direct jobs.
- October
Before the holiday push
Homeowners want rooms refreshed before hosting. Gus looks at any tools worth buying before December 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 wallpaper 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 wallpaper installers ask first.
Can Gus track what I pay a designer for referrals against what those jobs bring in?
Yes. Referral commissions are tracked against the jobs they generated, so you can see exactly what a designer relationship is worth to the business.
Some clients buy their own wallpaper, others want me to supply it. Can Gus keep that straight?
Yes. Labor-only jobs and material-plus-install jobs get their own categories, so you can compare which pricing model actually earns more.
A job needed a lot of skim coating before I could hang paper. Does that mess up my books?
No. Gus keeps wall prep work in its own line, so a heavy-prep job shows up as exactly that instead of looking like a slow install.
I order extra rolls for pattern repeat. Will that look like I overbought?
No. Gus ties overage to the job's pattern repeat, so expected waste on a large-pattern or grasscloth job does not look like a mistake.
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.
Do I write off my seam rollers and 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.
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