Roofing & exterior
Books and taxes for window and door replacement companies.
Custom-sized units ordered weeks before install, deposits that sit on the books until the order arrives, promotional financing, and permit fees for egress work. 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
October cleared $46,600. The Andersen order placed back in August finally installed this month, so that job's deposit and final payment landed together the way it should.
- Homeowner final paymentCompleted installs
- Synchrony promo financing payoutFinanced jobs
- Pella dealer orderWindow and door units
- Install crew payoutSubcontracted crews
- City permit feePermits and inspections
Why your books are different
Window and door books go wrong because the order and the install don't happen in the same month.
A generalist bookkeeper counts a deposit as income the day it lands. Your business orders custom units that take weeks to manufacture, so the deposit, the material cost, and the final payment can all fall in different months unless the books hold them together.
-
1
A deposit gets counted before the units even ship
A customer pays a deposit in August for windows that won't install until October, once Andersen or Pella builds them to size. Counted as income right away, that month looks better than the job has actually earned.
What we doHolds the deposit against the specific job until install and final payment, so the job's real profit shows up together, not split across two months. -
2
Promotional financing fees eat into the invoice quietly
Zero percent financing deals through a company like Synchrony or GreenSky often come with a dealer fee that reduces what you actually collect, even though the customer's invoice shows the full price.
What we doBooks the full job as your sale and the financing dealer fee as a separate cost, so your real price and your real margin both stay visible. -
3
Egress and permit costs get lost in the install
A bedroom window replacement that requires an egress-code opening often means a permit and inspection fee that's easy to forget once it's folded into the total job cost.
What we doTracks permit and inspection fees in their own line so you can see what code compliance is adding to each job. -
4
A custom order canceled mid-build is hard to unwind
When a customer cancels after a custom door or window is already built to size, the deposit, restocking fee, and any refund all need to net out correctly, or the books show a phantom loss or gain.
What we doNets the deposit, restocking fee, and refund against that job so a cancellation shows up as what it really was. -
5
Showroom and sample costs blur into overhead
Window and door samples, finish swatches, and showroom displays are a real cost of selling, but if they're lumped into general supplies, you lose sight of what it costs to run the sales side of the business.
What we doKeeps showroom and sample costs in their own category so you can see the true cost of the sales process.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a window and door 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
- Completed installsFinal payments once units are installed and signed off.
- Deposits heldMoney collected before ordering custom units, held against the specific job.
- Financed jobsPayouts from promotional financing, with the dealer fee booked as a cost.
- Repair and service callsSmaller jobs fixing seals, hardware, or glass.
Money out
- Window and door unitsCustom orders from a dealer network like Andersen, Pella, or Marvin.
- Subcontracted crewsInstall crews paid by the job, kept apart from payroll.
- Permits and inspectionsEgress and code compliance fees tied to specific jobs.
- Showroom and samplesDisplay units, finish swatches, and showroom upkeep.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
- Lead generationAngi, Google local services ads, and home show costs.
- Insurance and licensingLiability coverage and contractor license renewals.
What we watch for you
- Job margin
What each install actually cleared once units, crew pay, and permits are counted.
- Financing cost
What promotional financing dealer fees are costing you, worth knowing before offering it on every quote.
- Order-to-install lag
How long deposits sit before the job installs, since that affects when the real profit shows up.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so a big order season doesn't turn into a surprise bill.
Ask Gus
Things window and door 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.
I held it against that job. Once install and final payment happen, the whole job's profit will show up together instead of splitting across two months.
That was the dealer fee on the promo financing. I booked the full job as your sale and their fee as a cost, so your real price still shows correctly.
I net the deposit, the restocking fee, and any refund against that job, so it shows up as what actually happened instead of looking like a random loss.
The tax side
The tax side of a window and door business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing between when a deposit lands and when the custom order actually installs.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Trucks and toolsEquipment and trucks 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 install crewsAny crew 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 crew that installs on your schedule using your tools and trucks 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 deposits and installs are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions window and door replacement companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Showroom samples and swatches
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Caulk, foam, and flashing tape
- Permit and inspection fees
- Angi and Google local services ads
- Home show booth costs
- Manufacturer certification classes
- License and bonding fees
- Measuring and estimating tools
- Uniforms with your logo
- 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 window and door year, kept every month.
Custom orders take weeks to arrive, 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, the crew 1099 list is finalized, and the monthly set-aside is planned around this year's order backlog.
- 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 at the peak of install season, and whether this year's financing mix changed what you'll owe.
- October
Before the slowdown
A look at showroom and equipment costs from the busy season and any moves worth making before winter.
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 window and door replacement 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 window and door owners ask first.
How does Gus handle a deposit for a custom order that takes months to arrive?
He holds it against that specific job until install and final payment land, so the job's real profit shows up together instead of splitting across the order and install months.
Does offering 0 percent financing change how the books work?
No, but it does mean a dealer fee usually comes out before you get paid. Gus books the full sale and that fee as a separate cost so your real numbers stay honest.
What happens to the books if a custom order gets canceled?
Gus nets the deposit, any restocking fee, and the refund against that job, so it shows up as what actually happened rather than looking like an unexplained loss.
I sell through a dealer network like Pella or Andersen. Does that change anything?
No. Gus works from your bank statement regardless of which manufacturer's network you sell through, and tracks the order cost against the job it belongs to.
Do egress permit fees need their own category?
Yes, Gus keeps permit and inspection costs separate so you can see what code compliance is adding to a job, rather than burying it in general materials.
My books are behind from a busy order season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them by job as best the records allow, 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