CONTRACTORS & TRADES

Accounting for the work, the crew, and the cash behind it.

Solo tradespeople and small crews need a clean view of customer payments, materials, subcontractors, tools, vehicles, payroll, and the cash left to run the business.

Carpentry tools on a wooden workbench

THE BUHO VIEW

What the owner actually needs to understand.

Solo tradespeople and small crews need more than a list of deposits and purchases. The numbers should connect customer payments with materials, subcontractors, tools, vehicles, payroll, insurance, and cash reserved for obligations.

WHAT WE ACTUALLY TRACK

The details that build the picture.

  • Customer deposits and payments
  • Subcontractors and 1099 records
  • Tools and equipment
  • Vehicles and mileage
  • Materials
  • Payroll reconciliation
  • Insurance and tax-reserve inputs

Reporting and tracking depth depend on the package, available data, and agreed engagement scope.

COMMON MONEY LEAKS

Where clarity gets lost.

  • 01Subcontractor information collected in January
  • 02Materials bought on personal cards
  • 03Customer deposits treated as immediately spendable cash
  • 04Tool and vehicle costs scattered across accounts
  • 05Payroll reports not reconciled to the books

YOUR MONTH WITH BUHO

A routine that turns activity into information.

  1. 01Activity
  2. 02Organize
  3. 03Reconcile
  4. 04Resolve
  5. 05Report
  6. 06Discuss

Meeting cadence and reporting depth vary by package. Not every client receives Advisory-level service.

KEY CONCEPT

Subcontractors should not become a January problem.

A monthly record of who was paid, how much, and for what keeps year-end work from becoming a search through texts, checks, and payment apps. Worker classification remains a legal question for qualified counsel.

  1. Customer payments
  2. Materials
  3. Subcontractors
  4. Payroll + vehicles
  5. Operating cash

INDUSTRY DASHBOARD PREVIEW

See the moving parts together.

An illustrative view of the categories an owner may want visibility into.

Contractors & TradesMONTHLY VIEW
Customer payments$—
Materials$—
Subcontractors$—
Vehicle / equipment$—
Operating cash$—

Illustrative example — available reporting depends on engagement scope and data.

READINESS SCORECARD

How organized is your foundation?

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0 / 6
01Customer deposits and final payments are distinguishable.
02Subcontractor names and payment records are current.
03Materials are assigned consistently.
04Business vehicles and tools are tracked.
05Payroll reports reconcile to the books.
06Business and personal spending use separate accounts.

BRING THIS TO YOUR CONSULTATION

Useful context. Nothing sensitive.

  • Type of trade and crew size
  • Approximate monthly transaction volume
  • Number of subcontractors and employees
  • Bank, card, loan, and payment accounts
  • Payroll provider and accounting software
  • Largest bookkeeping or tax pain point

SCOPE TRANSPARENCY

When Buho may not be the right fit.

If an engagement is outside Buho’s normal scope, we will discuss the limits and next steps before you engage us.

  • Enterprise-scale accounting or a large outsourced accounting department
  • Complex assurance, financial-statement audit, review, compilation, or attest needs
  • Large multistate sales-tax programs or specialized systems outside Buho’s scope
  • CFO or advisory workload materially beyond the agreed package
  • Legal worker-classification advice or labor-law services

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BUHO TOOLS

Contractor Cash & Expense Snapshot

Explore a free educational tool before your consultation.

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