Bookkeeping for Construction Companies
Local Brisbane bookkeepers who understand job costing, subcontractor payroll, and progress claims.
Construction Bookkeeping Services Brisbane Businesses Rely On
Most bookkeepers can reconcile accounts but not all understand job cost tracking, retention amounts, progress claim cycles, and the PAYG obligations that come with a mix of employees and subcontractors. When you need bookkeeping for construction companies in Brisbane, that experience gap costs time and money.
Bookkeeping Brisbane matches you with a local construction bookkeeper who works directly for your business. Your bookkeeper uses the software you already have, whether that is MYOB (the preferred platform for job costing in construction), Xero, or QuickBooks and handles everything from weekly data entry to quarterly BAS lodgement at the same flat $75/hr rate.
See our full bookkeeping services Brisbane page for how construction bookkeeping fits into our wider range of local services.
On-Site or Remote Construction Bookkeeping Support
Construction businesses run from site offices, depots, and home offices. We match you with a bookkeeper who works the way you do whether it’s on-site at your premises or remotely via cloud software.
On-Site at Your Office or Site Office
Your bookkeeper works from your premises on a regular schedule. They sit inside the business, get to know your jobs and subcontractors, and access your files and software directly. On-site support works best for builders and contractors with high invoice volumes, active payroll, or complex job cost structures.
Remote Bookkeeping for Construction Companies
Your bookkeeper handles everything online using cloud accounting software and shared document access. You upload invoices and receipts; they process, reconcile, and report back on a schedule that suits your workflow. Remote construction bookkeeping suits businesses already using Xero or MYOB AccountRight with cloud access enabled.
The 30-Day Promise
If It’s Not the Right Fit, We Fix It
Every bookkeeper in the Bookkeeping Brisbane network is vetted for construction bookkeeping experience before they are matched with a client. Direct placement means you are working with someone who is accountable to you.
If your matched bookkeeper is not the right fit within the first 30 days for any reason, we find you a replacement at no cost. No placement fees, no admin fees, and no need to start the search from scratch yourself.
What Our Construction Bookkeepers Handle
A dedicated construction bookkeeper keeps your job costs accurate, your subcontractor payments on track, and your ATO obligations current.
Job Cost Tracking
Your bookkeeper sets up and maintains job cost codes against every active project so you always know what each job is actually costing versus what you quoted. Accurate job costing is the foundation of profitable construction showing you where your margin is going before it is too late to fix it. Works across MYOB, Xero, and QuickBooks.
Subcontractor Invoicing and Payments
Managing subbie invoices in a busy construction business is time-consuming and easy to get wrong. Your bookkeeper processes and reconciles subcontractor invoices, tracks retention amounts, and ensures payments align with progress claims reducing disputes and keeping your subbies paid on time.
Payroll for Construction Workers
Construction payroll involves allowances, overtime, shift loadings, PAYG withholding, and Super Guarantee obligations that all need to be handled correctly. Your bookkeeper processes weekly or fortnightly payroll runs, manages employee records, and keeps you compliant with Fair Work obligations. See our payroll services Brisbane page for more detail.
BAS and IAS Lodgement
Quarterly BAS lodgement is included in your bookkeeper’s regular duties. GST reconciliation, PAYG withholding reporting, and ATO lodgements are handled as part of the job at the same $75/hr rate. See our BAS lodgement Brisbane page for what’s covered.
Accounts Payable and Receivable
Your bookkeeper manages supplier invoices, progress claim receipts, and outstanding debtor balances. In construction, cash flow is often dictated by when clients pay progress claims. Having someone actively managing your receivables reduces the gap between invoicing and cash in your account.
How Construction Bookkeeping Works at Bookkeeping Brisbane
Construction bookkeeping involves requirements that go well beyond standard small business accounts. Understanding how we handle the specifics helps you choose the right support for your business.
Job Costing That Reflects Your Real Margins
Most construction businesses lose margin on jobs they thought were profitable. A dedicated construction bookkeeper sets up your job cost structure once, then maintains it consistently across every project. You get accurate work-in-progress reporting and actual versus estimated cost comparisons without chasing your accountant every quarter.
Subcontractor Compliance and TPAR
If your business pays subcontractors, you are required to lodge a Taxable Payments Annual Report with the ATO each year. This is one of the most commonly missed obligations in the construction industry. Your bookkeeper tracks subcontractor ABN details, payment totals, and GST amounts throughout the year so your TPAR is ready at reporting time.
Software That Suits the Way You Build
MYOB AccountRight is the most widely used platform in Australian construction because of its job costing depth. Xero suits a variety of builders and trades businesses that want cloud access and third-party integrations. QuickBooks suits owner-operators who want a simple, low-cost setup. Your matched bookkeeper is already proficient in the platform your business uses.
Payroll and Subbie Management Under One Roof
Construction businesses often run a mix of employees and subcontractors simultaneously, with different payroll and payment obligations for each. Employees are processed through Single Touch Payroll, subcontractors tracked for TPAR reporting, and all payment records maintained in case of an ATO audit. See our payroll services page for more on how we handle construction payroll.
Why Brisbane Construction Businesses Choose Bookkeeping Brisbane
No Agency Fees Ever
You are not paying a margin to an agency sitting between you and your bookkeeper. Every dollar you spend goes to the bookkeeper doing the work. At $75/hr with no placement fee, you know exactly what you are paying from day one.
30-Day Fit Guarantee
If your bookkeeper is not the right match within the first 30 days, we find you a replacement at no cost. No questions, no admin fees. Find the right person for your business without the risk of being locked in.
100% Brisbane Based
Every bookkeeper in our network is 100% Brisbane based. Your specialist is in your time zone, understands the Australian tax environment, and is reachable when something time-sensitive arises around a BAS deadline or ATO query.
Experienced Construction Bookkeepers
Every bookkeeper we match brings a minimum of 10 years hands-on bookkeeping experience, including job costing, TPAR preparation, construction payroll, and progress claim management across MYOB, Xero, and QuickBooks.
Construction Bookkeeping for Every Type of Build
Different construction businesses have different bookkeeping requirements. Our bookkeepers have experience across the full range of build types in Brisbane.
Residential Builders
Residential builders deal with high volumes of subcontractor invoices, staged progress claims from clients, and fluctuating labour requirements across multiple active sites. A dedicated bookkeeper keeps your job costs separated by lot number, tracks retentions, and ensures your quarterly BAS reflects actual project income and expenses.
This is where proper construction bookkeeping services make the biggest difference to cash flow visibility. See our bookkeeping services Brisbane page for the full range of support available.
Commercial Builders and Project Managers
Commercial builds involve complex cost structures, head contractor reporting obligations, and payroll across large crews. Your bookkeeper maintains separate job codes per project and ensures your accounts are audit-ready for both the ATO and your principal contractor.
Trade Contractors – Plumbers, Electricians, Carpenters
Trades businesses are often run by the owner and a small team, with bookkeeping treated as an afterthought. A bookkeeper who understands trades-specific allowances, tools of trade deductions, and vehicle costs keeps your records accurate. See our bookkeeping for tradies Brisbane page.
Civil Contractors and Fitout Companies
Civil works involve long project timelines, milestone-based billing, and subcontractor chains that can span dozens of suppliers. Fitout businesses work to tight margins and faster turnaround times. In both cases, accurate job costing and active debtor management is the difference between a profitable project and one that quietly loses money.
Client Testimonials
“The bookkeeper that Bookkeeping Brisbane placed with us now comes in two days a week … and has it done in four hours … Absolute game changer for a busy CBD bar!”
“We looked at a few outsourced bookkeeping services but didn’t like the idea … Bookkeeping Brisbane found us a permanent remote bookkeeper … She logs in every day … never missed a deadline.”
“Within four weeks of the bookkeeper starting … we had clean books, proper job costing, and monthly reports we actually understand … Best business decision we made this year.”
Get a Construction Bookkeeper in Brisbane This Week
Most construction businesses wait too long before sorting their books out.
By the time the ATO flags a missing TPAR or the job costings are a mess, the catch-up work is significant. Enquire today and we will match you with a local construction bookkeeper within 7 business days.