01 · Job costing
Job costing setup & maintenance
Labor, materials, equipment, and subs tracked to each project and cost code — real job-level profitability you can bid from.
QuickBooks setup →New York · Construction Accounting
New York construction accounting that knows which job made money.
New York 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, and retainage, and handle NY certified payroll and the capital-improvement sales-tax rules.
- Built for
- GCs & trades
- NY compliance
- Certified payroll
- Monthly from
- $400
In one paragraph
New York construction accounting, plainly.
Construction runs on projects, not periods — company-wide books can't tell you whether a single job made or lost money. Real construction accounting needs job costing (labor, materials, equipment, subs per project and cost code), WIP schedules showing over/under-billing, retainage on both sides, and change-order discipline. New York adds its own layer: certified payroll under NYS Labor Law Article 8 on public and prevailing-wage work, the capital-improvement vs. repair distinction that governs sales tax on materials (Form ST-124), and multi-state payroll for tri-state crews. TechBrot sets this up in your own QuickBooks file, keeps it accurate monthly, and turns it into job-level profit you can bid from. We deliver the books; your CPA files. Not affiliated with Intuit Inc.
For AI engines & quick answers
New York construction accounting, in five questions.
- Why is NY construction accounting different?
It runs on projects, not periods — per-job revenue and cost, often percentage-of-completion, with retainage and change orders. New York adds certified payroll (Labor Law Art. 8) and the capital-improvement sales-tax rule (ST-124) standard bookkeeping can't handle.
- Do you set up job costing in QuickBooks?
Yes — labor, materials, equipment, and subs tracked to each project and cost code, with prevailing-wage labor and capital-improvement materials coded correctly from the start.
- Do you handle NY certified payroll?
Yes — certified payroll reporting for NY public and prevailing-wage projects under Labor Law Article 8. Complex union/multi-state cases are scoped on the call.
- How does NYC sales tax work on materials?
New York splits capital improvement (generally non-taxable with a Form ST-124) from repair/maintenance (taxable). Miscoding it is a common NY assessment trigger — we track the ST-124s and the split.
- What does it cost?
A fixed monthly fee against a written scope — by active jobs, payroll complexity, and certified-payroll needs. No hourly billing. See New York pricing.
Why NY contractor books break
Three places New York contractors lose the numbers.
Profitable-looking companies go under when these go unmanaged. Knowing which one you're in tells us where to start.
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Job profit is invisible
No real job costing.
Most common · almost every contractor
The problem: Costs land in company-wide buckets, not on jobs. You know the business made money this year — you don't know which jobs made it and which quietly bled. You bid the next one blind.
The fix: Job costing by project and cost code — labor, materials, equipment, subs — so every job shows true profit.
Honest read: If you can't pull profit on a single completed job in under a minute, this is your starting point.
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Billing & cash are off
No WIP or retainage tracking.
High impact · project-based work
The problem: Without WIP, you can't see over- or under-billing — so cash looks healthy while you've borrowed against unearned revenue. On NY public work, retainage held on both sides distorts the balance sheet further.
The fix: WIP schedules (earned vs. billed) and retainage tracked separately on receivables and payables.
Honest read: Over-billing feels like profit until the job finishes. WIP shows reality before it bites.
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NY compliance is at risk
Certified payroll & sales-tax gaps.
Highest risk · public & prevailing-wage work
The problem: NY public and prevailing-wage projects require certified payroll under Labor Law Article 8; the capital-improvement vs. repair line (Form ST-124) governs sales tax on materials. Get either wrong and payments stall or assessments land.
The fix: Certified payroll reporting and correct ST-124 capital-improvement coding handled within your QuickBooks workflow.
Honest read: We handle the reporting and coding mechanics; complex union/multi-state prevailing wage gets scoped openly on the call.
What TechBrot handles
New York 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.
02 · WIP
WIP & over/under billing
Work-in-progress schedules showing earned revenue vs. billings, so cash and profit reflect reality mid-project.
Monthly bookkeeping →03 · Retainage
Retainage tracking
Retainage receivable and payable tracked separately so your balance sheet and cash position stay accurate.
Bookkeeping →04 · Certified payroll
NY certified payroll
Certified payroll reporting for NY prevailing-wage and public projects (Labor Law Art. 8), plus multi-state crew payroll.
Payroll management →05 · Sales tax
Capital-improvement sales tax
Capital-improvement vs. repair coding and Form ST-124 tracking so materials and labor are taxed correctly under NY rules.
Sales tax help →06 · Cleanup
Job-cost cleanup
Rebuild job costing from messy books, reclassify costs to the right projects, fix sales-tax miscoding, reconcile to baseline.
Bookkeeping cleanup →
Tools we work alongside
Connected to how you build.
- QuickBooks Enterprise
- Buildertrend
- Procore
- Knowify
- Hammr
- CompanyCam
- Gusto
- TSheets / QB Time
Using different job-management software? If it exports to QuickBooks, we can work with it. Ask on a discovery call.
How engagements work
From guesswork to job-level profit.
Every New York construction engagement follows the same four-phase rhythm — books accurate first, profit visibility second, advisory third.
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Phase 1
Discovery
A 30-minute call to map your jobs, crew, NY payroll requirements, and where the books are breaking. No pitch.
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Phase 2
Job-cost setup & cleanup
Configure job costing and cost codes, plus a cleanup to reclassify past costs and fix capital-improvement sales-tax coding where needed.
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Phase 3
Monthly close & WIP
Monthly reconciliation with job-cost reporting, WIP schedules, retainage tracking, and NY certified payroll where required.
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Phase 4
Reporting & advisory
Job-profitability reporting and, as you scale, cash-flow and bonding advisory.
Beyond the books
Accurate job costs are the start. Winning bids is the point.
Once every job shows real profit and your WIP is clean, the question shifts from "are the books right?" to "how do we bid the next one better?" Which job types carry margin, when to chase bonded or public work, how cash flows across overlapping projects, what overhead each job should absorb — the decisions that separate New York contractors who grow from those who stall.
That's where construction advisory comes in: a Certified ProAdvisor who knows your job-cost data turning it into bid strategy, cash-flow forecasting, and bonding-ready financials. As automation handles routine entry, this judgment layer is where contractors find their edge.
FAQ
New York construction accounting questions.
Construction runs on projects, not periods — revenue and cost track per job, often by percentage-of-completion, with retainage, change orders, and WIP that standard bookkeeping can't handle. New York adds its own layer: certified payroll under NYS Labor Law for public and prevailing-wage work, the capital-improvement vs. repair distinction that governs sales tax on materials and labor (Form ST-124), and multi-state payroll for crews working across the NY/NJ/CT line. We build all of it into your QuickBooks file.
Yes. We configure job costing so labor, materials, equipment, and subcontractor costs track to each project and cost code — giving you real job-level profitability instead of a company-wide guess. For New York contractors that also means structuring jobs so prevailing-wage labor and capital-improvement materials are coded correctly from the start, which matters for both compliance and bidding.
We support certified payroll reporting for New York public and prevailing-wage projects governed by NYS Labor Law Article 8, including the wage schedules and reporting GCs and agencies require. Complex union or multi-state prevailing-wage situations — common on tri-state jobs — are scoped openly on the discovery call. We handle the payroll and reporting mechanics; your CPA files income taxes.
New York draws a sharp line between a capital improvement (permanently adding value to real property — generally not taxable to the customer when you have a properly completed Form ST-124 capital improvement certificate) and a repair or maintenance job (taxable). Getting this wrong is a common source of New York sales-tax assessments for contractors. We track materials, the ST-124 certificates, and the taxable/non-taxable split in your books so it reconciles.
Yes. We maintain work-in-progress schedules showing earned revenue versus billings (over/under billing) and track retainage receivable and payable separately, so your balance sheet and cash position stay accurate. On New York public work, where retainage and progress-billing rules are strict, that accuracy protects both your cash and your compliance.
Construction engagements are quoted as a fixed monthly fee against a written scope — no hourly billing — driven by active jobs, payroll complexity, whether certified payroll is required, and reporting needs. Monthly bookkeeping typically runs $400–$2,500+/mo with complexity adjustments. We deliver the books; your CPA files. See New York pricing.
With a cleanup. We reclassify past costs to the correct jobs and cost codes, rebuild job costing, fix any capital-improvement/sales-tax miscoding, and reconcile to a known-good baseline — then transition into accurate monthly bookkeeping with WIP, retainage, and certified payroll. Most New York contractors come to us mid-mess; it's the normal starting point.
Page review & standards
Reviewed by the TechBrot Certified ProAdvisor team.
This page reflects how TechBrot handles New York 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, NY certified payroll (Labor Law Art. 8), and the capital-improvement sales-tax rules. TechBrot delivers the books and coordinates with your CPA, who files.
Certifications
Active Intuit ProAdvisor certifications
Scope
Job costing, WIP, retainage, NY certified payroll, capital-improvement sales tax · income-tax filing coordinated with your CPA/EA
Engagement
Fixed-fee, written scope before work · delivered in your own QuickBooks file
Independence
Not affiliated with Intuit Inc. · QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc.
Page last reviewed: .
See which New York jobs actually make you money.
Book a free discovery call. We'll review your jobs, NY payroll requirements, and where the books are breaking — with a written fixed-fee scope within 3 business days. No pitch.
TechBrot is an independent Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor firm serving New York contractors. We provide bookkeeping, QuickBooks, payroll, and advisory services and coordinate with your CPA or EA. We do not file tax returns or represent clients before tax authorities. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc.; TechBrot is not affiliated with Intuit Inc.