Construction Bookkeeping for General Contractors, Specialty Trades, and Builders
Managing construction finances without the right accounting expertise is like building without plans: costly, stressful, and risky. REA provides specialized construction bookkeeping powered by accurate job costing, WIP reporting, and subcontractor financial management, giving you numbers you can finally trust.
Whether you're a general contractor managing a large project, a specialty trade contractor in HVAC, plumbing, or electrical, or a custom home builder, our services are tailored to your unique financial needs.
With REA as your accounting partner, you get clarity, accuracy, and visibility on every project, so you can make smarter decisions, protect margins, and scale with confidence.
We work inside the platforms you already run, including Procore, Buildertrend, Premier Construction Software, Sage, Northspyre, and QuickBooks.
6Construction Platforms
230+Property Accountants
GAAPAligned WIP Schedules
We work with the software & tools you already use
Why Choose REA to Handle Your Construction Accounting?
Specialists, Because Construction Is Not General Bookkeeping
You need accountants who understand construction, not generalists.
Construction accounting isn't traditional bookkeeping. From job costing and retainage to WIP schedules and draw tracking, our team specializes exclusively in real estate and construction-based financials, ensuring your reporting matches how projects actually run.
You need books that are clean, timely, and decision-ready, without micromanaging.
You shouldn't have to chase your bookkeeper, correct coding, or explain how draw schedules work. We take full ownership of the accounting workflow so your financials stay accurate, organized, and on-time, every single month.
You need responsive support and pricing that scales with your project pipeline.
Whether you're managing multiple active builds or scaling into new developments, you'll get fast communication, proactive guidance, and pricing that aligns with project complexity, not bloated retainers or surprise invoices.
Construction Bookkeeping from REA
Job-Level Accounting, Not Generic Ledger Work
Job Costing & Work-in-Progress
Track true project profitability with accurate job cost allocations, cost-to-complete reporting, and GAAP-aligned WIP schedules so you always know where your margins stand.
Corporate & Project-Level Bookkeeping
We manage both company financials and project-specific ledgers, including AP, AR, retainage, cost codes, vendor billing, and project cash flow, so your books reflect real construction activity, not generic accounting data.
Bank & Project Funding Reconciliations
From draws and progress payments to escrow and construction loan tracking, we reconcile every source of project funding to contract budgets with detail-level accuracy.
See how it worksFinancial Cleanup & Rebuilds
Whether your books are behind, mis-coded, or overly complex, REA performs forensic cleanup, rebuilds job cost structures, and implements best-practice reporting that lenders and CPAs prefer.
See how it worksCompliance, Retainage & Contracts
We support lien waiver tracking, insurance & license expirations, subcontractor compliance, progress documentation, and retainage accounting to reduce legal and financial exposure.
The Full Scope
- Catch-Up & Cleanup
- Bank, Credit, & Funding Reconciliations
- Job Costing & Cost-to-Complete Tracking
- Corporate & Project-Level Bookkeeping
- Accounts Payable & Subcontractor Management
- + 4 more below
Construction Accounting Services Offered
- Catch-Up & Cleanup
- Bank, Credit, & Funding Reconciliations
- Job Costing & Cost-to-Complete Tracking
- Corporate & Project-Level Bookkeeping
- Accounts Payable & Subcontractor Management
- Accurate Financial Statements & KPI Reporting
- Monthly WIP & Reporting Packages
- Fixed Asset, Equipment & Depreciation Support
- Construction Loan & Draw Management
Also available on its own
- Trust AccountingTenant, owner, and security deposit money kept separate, tied out, and ready for a state audit at any time.
- Accounts Payable & ReceivableVendor invoices coded and paid, tenant receipts applied, management fees taken, and owner distributions cut on time.
- CAM ReconciliationCommon area maintenance pools built from the lease terms, reconciled against actuals, and billed or credited with a defensible tenant statement.
WIP Is Where Contractors Find Out the Truth
Why Construction Revenue Is an Estimate Until It Isn't
Construction recognises revenue as work is performed, which means your income statement is built on an estimate: how complete each job is. Get the cost-to-complete wrong and you have not made a bookkeeping error, you have reported profit that does not exist, or hidden profit you already earned.
What makes it different
Job-level truth, available monthly
When cost codes are disciplined and the WIP schedule is maintained, you can see margin by job, by phase, and by trade, in the month it happens rather than at the end of the build. That is the difference between correcting a bid and discovering a loss at closeout.
Where it goes wrong
Overbilling and underbilling both look like cash
A contractor billing ahead of cost feels flush and is not. One billing behind looks unprofitable and is not. Add retainage that is neither receivable nor invoiced, change orders performed before they are approved, and equipment expensed rather than capitalised, and the P&L drifts a long way from reality while the bank balance says everything is fine.
How we work it
GAAP-aligned WIP, maintained monthly
We maintain the WIP schedule with real cost-to-complete input rather than a percentage someone guessed, treat retainage as a distinct balance, and reconcile draw funding to the contract budget. Bonding companies, lenders and CPAs all read the same schedule, so it is worth getting right the first time.
Construction Accounting, Platform by Platform
Pick the Software You Actually Run
The accounting problem changes with the platform underneath it. Each page below is the specific version of construction bookkeeping for that system.
- AppFolioJob cost and WIP live outside the ledger
- BuildiumWIP and rental trust cash share one ledger
- EntrataJob costing gets forced into work order screens
- QuickBooksQuickBooks builds no work in progress schedule
- Rent ManagerJob costing forced onto a leasing data model
- YardiWIP calculations get built outside the ledger
- MRIWhere construction-in-progress stops and the asset starts
- RealPageJob costing bolted onto a property ledger
Our Construction Bookkeeping Process
Review the Cost Structure, Then Own the Workflow
- 1
We perform a full review of your current books and project accounting setup.
We start by reviewing your chart of accounts, cost code structure, job cost allocation methods, WIP reporting, draw activity, and prior period transactions. From there, we identify cleanup needs, workflow gaps, and opportunities to improve accuracy, reporting, and profitability visibility.
- 2
We take over your monthly construction bookkeeping operations.
We manage day-to-day project accounting including transaction coding, vendor invoice processing, retainage tracking, reconciliations, job costing, and documentation management. Our team ensures your books match your actual construction workflow, not generic accounting standards.
- 3
We deliver monthly reporting, visibility, and financial insights.
Each month you receive clean financial statements, job-level cost reporting, cash flow insights, and WIP progress metrics so you know exactly where every dollar is going. We can also support draw requests, owner distributions, and lender-ready financial packages.
What Each Construction Accounting Service Actually Covers
Every function below is something REA performs inside a construction engagement, and each one can be scoped on its own if that is all you need.
- Catch-Up & Cleanup
- If your books are behind, inaccurate, or coded incorrectly, we perform a detailed forensic cleanup, reorganizing cost codes, fixing misallocations, and rebuilding financial clarity so you can make confident job-level decisions.
- Bank, Credit, & Funding Reconciliations
- We reconcile bank accounts, credit cards, escrow, and draw-funding activity monthly to ensure every transaction is tied to the correct job, vendor, and cost category. No unexplained variances, ever.
- Job Costing & Cost-to-Complete Tracking
- We assign every cost to the correct job, phase, and cost code to help you monitor budget vs actuals, margin health, and cost-to-complete, giving you real-time profitability visibility.
- Corporate & Project-Level Bookkeeping
- We manage full bookkeeping operations for both your business and projects, including AP, AR, retainage, progress billing, subcontractor compliance, and reconciliations, built for construction workflows, not generic accounting.
- Accounts Payable & Subcontractor Management
- We process, code, and verify vendor invoices, match them to contracts and change orders, track lien releases & insurance expirations, and ensure accurate cutoff timing for month-end reporting. For general contractors, we ensure your subcontractor payments are managed seamlessly.
- Accurate Financial Statements & KPI Reporting
- Receive accurate income statements, balance sheets, job-level P&Ls, cash flow reporting, and operational metrics that lenders, investors, and partners trust, not generic templates.
- Monthly WIP & Reporting Packages
- We deliver construction-specific reporting including WIP schedules, cost-to-complete, labor & subcontractor cost analysis, and real-time cash utilization tracking, so your numbers actually mean something.
- Fixed Asset, Equipment & Depreciation Support
- We track equipment, fleet, and capitalized construction costs, manage depreciation schedules, and ensure assets are recorded accurately for tax and project valuation purposes.
- Construction Loan & Draw Management
- We prepare lender-ready draw packages with aligned cost documentation, invoices, proof of payment, and inspection-ready reporting to move funds without delays or rework.
You Get a Team With Names, Not a Ticket Queue
Who Actually Works On Your Construction Books
Outsourced accounting fails when nobody owns the account. At REA you are assigned a property accounting team and a client success lead who knows your portfolio, your owners, and your quirks. They stay on your account, so you are never re-explaining your chart of accounts to someone new.
Sharifa Giraldo, CPA
VP, Client Success
Residential Property Management
20+ years of property accounting, a CPA since 2015, and a specialist in third-party management and platform migrations.
Will Daege
VP, Client Success
Commercial Property Management
25+ years across retail, office, industrial, and multifamily, including Portfolio Controller for The Related Companies' New York development portfolio.
How we work together
- A named team, not a poolThe same property accountants close your books every month.
- Reachable the way you already workEmail, phone, video, or Slack. Urgent items get answered the same day.
- Inside your ConstructionWe take accountant access to your instance, exactly as you would grant an internal hire.
- 230+ property accountants behind themCoverage when someone is out, and a specialist to escalate to when a lease or a trust question gets strange.
Serving All Construction Trades
Residential, commercial and everything in between. The asset class changes what the books have to prove, and our teams are staffed accordingly.
- Home Builders
- General Contractors
- HVAC Contractors
- Plumbers
- Landscaping Companies
- Electricians
Check Out What Our Clients Have To Say About Us
Property Managers, Investors & Owner Operators
Came from a bookkeeper who did not know real estate
Following a series of erroneous financials from my previous bookkeeper, who lacked expertise in real estate, it's been truly remarkable to receive not only accurate financials on a consistent basis but also proactive advice without prompting. The REA team is a game-changer in real estate accounting!
Real-estate-only specialists
As REA exclusively specializes in Real Estate, I rest easy knowing my financials are precise every month while saving money at the same time, an invaluable benefit.
Handed over the whole accounting function
I highly recommend Real Estate Accounting (REA) services from this group. They truly are great and have helped us tremendously at a time we needed it the most. I felt very comfortable giving up all my accounting responsibilities to this team and I'm still glad I made the decision to work with this group. Nothing less than an amazing experience!
Day-to-day financial operations
REA and team have been nothing but excellent helping our firm with its day to day financial needs. Their expertise, professionalism, and timeliness have made our lives so much easier. We foresee a long relationship with REA and team.
Onboarding and responsiveness
Real Estate Accounting truly is a special company. They helped as if they were a part of our company, with the concern and caution as an employee would have, but even more. They quickly ascertained our needs and developed an effective team to help with our accounting needs. They were extremely responsive and always accurate. I would recommend their services to anyone who needs help with their property management accounting.
Smaller portfolio, still looked after
Adam the owner took a personal interest in my situation and was willing to work with me to see if his company was a good fit. I may be too small for them but I would highly recommend them to anyone considering a bookkeeper for their property management business.
230+
Property Accountants
30M+
Commercial Sq. Ft.
Up to 50%
Saved vs In-House
Every month
On-Time Close
We work with the software & tools you already use
Procore, Buildertrend, Premier, Sage and Northspyre
We Also Work With
Every Vertical Has Its Own Way of Breaking
- Property ManagementThird-party managers scaling past their bookkeeping
- Commercial Real EstateLease administration and CAM reconciliation
- Owner OperatorsBuying units without adding accounting headcount
- Assisted LivingResident billing alongside property accounting
- DevelopersDraws, capitalisation and job-level cost
- HOAsAssessments, reserves and board-ready reporting
- SyndicatorsWaterfalls, GP/LP splits and investor reporting
Frequently Asked Questions
What is construction accounting?
Construction accounting is a specialized form of financial management that addresses the unique needs of construction companies. It includes tracking job costs, managing contracts, handling payroll, and preparing financial statements specific to the construction industry.
What construction bookkeeping services do you offer?
Our bookkeeping service for construction includes job costing, expense tracking, payroll processing, accounts payable and receivable management, financial reporting, and tax preparation. We ensure accurate and timely financial records for your construction projects.
How do construction services differ from regular bookkeeping?
Construction services focus on tracking costs and revenues specific to construction projects, including labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment. This specialized bookkeeping ensures accurate project costing and financial reporting, essential for construction company accounting.
What makes your construction financial services stand out?
Our construction services are tailored to meet the unique needs of construction companies. We offer personalized solutions, leveraging industry-specific knowledge and advanced accounting tools to optimize financial performance and ensure compliance.
How do your construction accounting services help with construction finance management?
Our construction services include comprehensive financial management, such as budget planning, cash flow management, and financial reporting. We help construction companies monitor project costs, manage resources efficiently, and maintain healthy financial practices.
How can your construction accounting firm assist with tax preparation and compliance?
Our firm ensures that all financial records are accurate and up-to-date, identifies tax-saving opportunities, and ensures compliance with federal and state tax regulations.
Which construction accounting software do you use?
We work inside the platforms construction companies actually run, including Procore, Buildertrend, Premier Construction Software, Sage, Northspyre, and QuickBooks. We take accountant access to your own instance rather than moving you onto a system of ours.
How does construction bookkeeping differ from general bookkeeping?
Construction services focus on tracking costs and revenues specific to construction projects, including labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment.
How does construction accounting software benefit my business?
Construction software helps streamline financial management by providing tools for accurate job costing, expense tracking, payroll processing, and financial reporting. It enhances efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making for your construction projects.
Do you produce WIP schedules and cost-to-complete reporting?
Yes. GAAP-aligned WIP schedules and cost-to-complete tracking are part of the standard monthly package, alongside job-level P&Ls, retainage tracking, and the supporting detail that lenders, bonding companies, and CPAs expect.
What are the benefits of outsourcing construction accounting to your firm?
Outsourcing construction accounting to our firm allows you to focus on core business activities while we handle complex financial management.
Ready for Construction Books You Can Bid Against?
Schedule a call with our team to learn how REA handles job costing, WIP, retainage, and draw management so your margins are visible while you can still act on them.