Jobs that quietly lose money
Without real job costing and a WIP schedule, a contractor can look profitable while individual jobs bleed — the loss only shows up after the job (and the cash) is gone.
California · Construction Accounting
California construction accounting that knows which job made money.
California contractors don’t fail on revenue — they fail on jobs that quietly lost money while the books looked fine. We set up real job costing, WIP, AIA billing, and retainage, handle California prevailing-wage and certified payroll, keep books CSLB-aware, and sort subcontractor 1099s under AB5 — by a named Certified ProAdvisor. We deliver the books; your CPA files.
Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor team · Independent · not Intuit · Fixed-fee · written scope in 3 days
§The short version
TechBrot delivers Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor construction accounting for California contractors — job costing, WIP schedules, AIA billing, retainage, California prevailing-wage and certified payroll, and subcontractor 1099/AB5 tracking, set up in your own QuickBooks file. The full California construction summary is below.
Reviewed by the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor team at TechBrot Inc. California construction facts (prevailing wage / certified payroll under the DIR; CSLB licensing; AB5) reflect rules current as of the review date; TechBrot does not file California taxes or submit certified payroll.
§In one paragraph
California construction accounting, plainly.
TechBrot provides construction accounting for California contractors — general contractors, subs, and specialty trades — in your own QuickBooks file by a named Certified ProAdvisor. The job is to show which jobs make money and keep California’s payroll and licensing requirements clean.
California adds real weight. Public-works jobs require prevailing wage and certified payroll under the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR), with electronic reporting to the DLSE. Contractors must keep books CSLB-aware for licensing and bonding, and a sub-heavy roster runs straight into AB5 on subcontractor classification. We set up job costing, WIP, AIA billing, and retainage, and keep the California payroll and sub records clean — CPA-ready. We keep the books; we don’t submit certified payroll on your behalf. Independent firm — not affiliated with Intuit Inc.; we deliver the books, your CPA files.
§Quick answers
California construction accounting, in five questions.
What is California construction accounting?
Real job costing, WIP schedules, AIA billing, and retainage, plus California prevailing-wage and certified payroll, CSLB-aware books, and subcontractor 1099/AB5 tracking — so contractors see which jobs make money and stay compliant. A named Certified ProAdvisor does the books; your CPA files.
How does California prevailing wage and certified payroll work?
Public-works projects require paying prevailing wage and submitting certified payroll to the DIR/DLSE (electronic eCPR). We keep the payroll records and job coding clean so certified payroll can be produced accurately; the submission and compliance are yours or your payroll provider’s — we keep the books behind it right.
How do you handle job costing and WIP?
We tie labor, materials, subs, and equipment to each job and maintain a WIP schedule (costs vs billings) so over- and under-billings are visible and you know real job margin before the job closes — not after.
How does AB5 affect subcontractors?
California’s ABC test can reclassify subs doing core work as employees. We keep 1099 sub records clean and surface the exposure; the classification call and any audit are your CPA’s or employment attorney’s — see AB5 worker classification.
Do you file California taxes or submit certified payroll?
No — we keep the books CPA-ready and the payroll records clean; your CPA files taxes and you or your payroll provider submit certified payroll. We’re independent and don’t represent clients before the DIR, CSLB, or FTB.
§Why California contractor books break
Three places California contractors lose the numbers.
Profitable-looking contractors go under when these go unmanaged. Knowing which one you’re in tells us where to start.
Prevailing wage & certified payroll
Public-works jobs require prevailing wage and certified payroll under the DIR. Books that aren’t set up for it turn certified payroll into a scramble and a compliance risk.
Subcontractors as exposure
A sub-heavy roster doing core work is exactly what AB5’s Prong B reclassifies — and what 1099 records hide until the EDD or a workers’-comp audit looks.
§What TechBrot handles
California construction accounting, done by an expert.
Every engagement is scoped to your jobs and crew, delivered in your own QuickBooks file by a named Certified ProAdvisor.
Real job costing
Labor, materials, subs, and equipment tied to each job so true job margin is visible, not a blended number.
QuickBooks accountant →WIP schedules
Costs vs billings tracked per job so over- and under-billings and real margin are visible before the job closes.
Monthly bookkeeping →AIA billing & retainage
Progress billing (AIA G702/G703) and retainage receivable/payable tracked so cash and billings stay straight.
QuickBooks accountant →Prevailing-wage payroll records
Payroll and job coding kept clean for certified payroll under the DIR — you (or your provider) submit; we keep the records right.
Payroll →Subcontractor 1099 & AB5
Sub records and 1099s kept clean with AB5 exposure surfaced for your advisors.
AB5 classification →CSLB-aware, CPA-ready books
Books kept clean for CSLB licensing and bonding and ready for your CPA to file from.
Financial statements →§Tools we work alongside
Connected to how you build.
- Procore, Buildertrend, and construction-management platforms
- Knowify and job-costing tools
- Certified-payroll / prevailing-wage tools (eCPR)
- Gusto, ADP, and construction payroll providers
- Bill.com for subcontractor and vendor AP
- QuickBooks Online or hosted Desktop — your file
We reconcile alongside the project-management and payroll tools you already run — the books read from how you build.
§How engagements work
From guesswork to job-level profit.
Every California construction engagement follows the same rhythm — books accurate first, job-profit visibility second, advisory third.
Free job & payroll review
A Certified ProAdvisor reviews your jobs, WIP, and California payroll requirements — at no cost.
Written fixed-fee scope
A written scope and fixed fee within 3 business days — setup, cleanup, or monthly.
Build job costing & WIP
Job costing and a WIP schedule set up, AIA billing and retainage tracked, payroll records cleaned.
Monthly job profit
A monthly close showing job-level profit and WIP, CPA-ready and bonding-ready.
§Beyond the books
Accurate job costs are the start. Winning the right bids is the point.
When job costs are accurate and WIP is visible, the decisions get real: which work to bid, which crews and job types make money, whether to take the bonded public-works job — answered from numbers that tie.
That’s where fractional-CFO advisory picks up, in coordination with your CPA and bonding agent. We keep the books; your CPA files; the strategy rests on both being right.
§Page review & standards
Maintained by the TechBrot Certified ProAdvisor team.
This page reflects how TechBrot handles California construction engagements. It is maintained by the Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor team at TechBrot Inc., a Delaware-incorporated independent ProAdvisor firm, and reviewed for technical accuracy on job costing, WIP, retainage, California prevailing-wage / certified payroll, and AB5 against California DIR and CSLB guidance current as of the date below. TechBrot delivers the books and coordinates with your CPA, who files; we do not submit certified payroll or represent clients before tax or labor authorities.
Reviewer
TechBrot Certified ProAdvisor team · credentials verified in Intuit’s public ProAdvisor directory
Standards
Verified vs the CA DIR, CSLB & FTB · No tax-filing, certified-payroll-submission, or representation claims (out of scope) · Reviewed periodically · No fabricated data
Independence
Independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm · Not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
§FAQ
California construction accounting questions.
What does California construction accounting include?
Real job costing, WIP schedules (costs vs billings), AIA progress billing and retainage, California prevailing-wage and certified-payroll record-keeping, subcontractor 1099 and AB5 tracking, and CSLB-aware, CPA-ready books — in your own QuickBooks file. We deliver the books; your CPA files.
How does California prevailing wage and certified payroll work?
Public-works (government-funded) projects in California require paying prevailing wage and submitting certified payroll records electronically (eCPR) to the Department of Industrial Relations / DLSE. We keep the payroll records and job coding clean so accurate certified payroll can be produced; the submission and labor-compliance obligations are yours or your payroll provider’s. We keep the books behind it right; we don’t submit certified payroll or represent you before the DIR.
How do job costing and WIP schedules work?
We tie labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment to each job and maintain a WIP schedule comparing costs incurred to amounts billed. That surfaces over- and under-billings and shows real job margin before the job closes — so a job that’s bleeding gets caught while you can still do something about it, not at year-end.
How does AB5 affect my subcontractors?
California’s ABC test can reclassify subcontractors doing core work as employees, with payroll-tax and workers’-comp exposure. We keep 1099 sub records clean and surface the exposure in the books so your advisors can act. The classification determination and any EDD or workers’-comp audit are handled by your CPA or employment attorney; see our AB5 page.
Do you keep books CSLB-ready for licensing and bonding?
Yes — we keep clean, organized financials that support CSLB licensing requirements and the financial statements your bonding agent needs. The license and bond are yours to maintain; we make sure the books behind them are accurate and current so renewals and bonding aren’t a scramble.
Do you work in my own QuickBooks file?
Yes — your file, your data, in QuickBooks Online or hosted Desktop, with a named ProAdvisor on the same file every month, connected to your construction-management and payroll tools rather than proprietary software.
Do you file my California taxes?
No. TechBrot is an independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm — we keep the books CPA-ready and coordinate with your CPA or EA, who files. We don’t submit certified payroll or represent clients before the DIR, CSLB, or FTB, and we are not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
Do you work with subcontractors and specialty trades, not just GCs?
Yes — subs and specialty trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete) share the construction challenges: job costing, retainage, prevailing wage on public work, and AB5 on their own subs and labor. We handle the same job-cost discipline whether you’re the GC or the sub.
§Around the engagement
Before you engage anyone.
California AB5 worker classification
The subcontractor-classification detail behind your construction books — books-only, educational.
California monthly bookkeeping
Keep job costing and WIP current with a recurring monthly close.
California QuickBooks setup
Starting fresh? Set up job costing and California payroll right from day one.
Construction accounting (national)
Our global construction industry overview for the broader playbook.
California contractors start here
See which California jobs actually make you money.
Book a free discovery call. We’ll review your jobs, your California payroll requirements, and where the books are breaking, flag any prevailing-wage or AB5 exposure, and send a written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days. No pitch. TechBrot does not file CA taxes; coordinates with your CPA.