Contractor bookkeeping
Start with the same jobs, reporting date and job-to-date period in your spreadsheet and supporting reports. Use the checks below to identify differences before reviewing the schedule with your accountant or bond agent.
Use job name, contract value, cost to date, estimated total cost and billed to date, in that order. Contract values should include approved changes. Estimated total cost includes costs already incurred. In the WIP check, expand Paste jobs from a spreadsheet, paste the tab-separated cells and select Check pasted jobs. Review the preview before replacing existing jobs.
A year-to-date cost report can omit costs from earlier years on an active job. Select the same jobs and cutoff date when comparing the schedule with source reports. Include a report name and cutoff note so a reviewer can identify the comparison.
Enter cost-to-date and billed-to-date control totals from the matching job-ledger reports. BondSBA shows schedule minus report, including cents. A zero difference means only that these entered totals match. It does not prove that all jobs are present, costs are allocated correctly, or financial statements are reconciled.
The simplified cost-to-cost calculation requires positive contract value and estimated total cost. If incurred costs exceed the total estimate, update the estimate before relying on the result. An estimated loss needs review with your accountant; a warning is not a journal entry or a loss-recognition determination.
For a fictional job with a $400,000 contract, $180,000 cost to date and $320,000 estimated total cost, completion is 56.25% and earned revenue is $225,000. If billings are $200,000, the simplified underbilling is $25,000. That difference is not automatically collectible cash. Review billing milestones, disputes and receipt timing separately.
Export WIP CSV for job inputs, calculated results and warnings. Save or download a JSON backup to preserve the report totals and reference. The printed Review packet also includes those controls. Keep the supporting reports separately; this workspace does not upload or independently verify them.
Reviewed September 10, 2026. Prepared by BondSBA. Examples are illustrative; professional review may be needed.
Read a related guide or open the tool for your next task.
Yes. Copy five tab-separated columns, with an optional header, for up to 100 jobs. US dollar signs and grouped commas are supported. Enter 0 where appropriate instead of leaving amount cells blank. The input template contains columns, not spreadsheet formulas.
No. It checks two entered totals only. Review completeness, estimates, allocations, accounting adjustments and supporting records with your accountant.
No. It accepts pasted job rows and manual figures. Calculations run in your browser, and a saved plan stays in that browser profile.