Bookkeeping for architecture and engineering firms
An architecture or engineering firm bills by phase, pays staff before clients pay, and hires outside consultants on each project. Mispar tracks billings by project and phase, reconciles consultant costs, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Small architecture practices, civil, structural and mechanical engineering firms and design-build consultants.
By project
Phase billings
Tracked
Consultants
Separated
Retainers
Listed
Unbilled work
Where architecture and engineering firm books usually go wrong
- Project fees recorded when billed, so work done but not yet billed is invisible.
- Staff time not tracked by project, so profit per project is unknown.
- Reimbursable expenses mixed with firm overhead.
- Retainers and milestone payments booked as income too early.
How Mispar keeps your architecture and engineering firms books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Phase and milestone billings
Record each invoice against the project phase so billed and remaining fees are clear.
Outside consultants
Track structural, civil and survey consultants by project, including amounts billed through to the client.
Retainers and advance payments
Hold retainers as owed work until earned, using a treatment agreed with your CPA.
Unbilled work
List work done but not yet invoiced so cash that is owed to the firm is not forgotten.
Software and plotting costs
Categorize design software, plotting and reimbursable expenses apart from labor.
Licensing and professional insurance
Keep licenses, renewals and professional liability premiums on separate lines.
Stamp, seal and permit expediting fees
Record fees paid on behalf of clients separately from your own costs.
Utilization and overhead
Separate billable staff time from administration so overhead is visible.
Reports an architecture or engineering firm can use
- Project profit with fees, labor and consultants.
- Work in progress and unbilled time at month end.
- Reimbursable expenses billed versus incurred.
- Accounts receivable aging by client.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Map projects and phases
We list how projects are phased, billed and which consultants are used.
Set up project tracking
Each project gets a tag so fees, consultants and costs line up.
Reconcile each month
Client payments, consultant bills, payroll and card spending are matched to the bank and to each project.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA with an open-items list.
Illustrative example
A firm completes schematic design in March but invoices in April. Listing the unbilled fee at month end shows the March work was done and the cash is still to be asked for. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Architecture and Engineering Firms bookkeeping — your questions
Can you track profit by project? (architecture and engineering firms)
When fees, consultant bills and time can be tied to a project, yes.
How do you handle reimbursable expenses?
They are tracked by project and billed as your contract states.
What do you need each month to keep architecture and engineering firm books?
Invoice and payment exports, consultant bills, payroll reports, card statements and access to your bank feeds.
Can you track unbilled work?
Yes. We list it from your project records so invoices go out on time.
Do you work with our time-tracking tool?
We work from its reports, in your accounting file.
Can you track billing by phase?
Yes. Each invoice is tied to a phase, so remaining fee is clear.
Can you track profit by project?
Yes. Fees, staff time and consultant costs are tied to each project.
How do you handle fees paid on behalf of a client?
They are tracked by project and billed as your contract states.
Explore other industries
Restaurants
Prime cost, tip pools, POS reconciliation, and food/beverage COGS — booked the way a restaurant actually runs.
Learn more →E-commerce
Multi-channel reconciliation, FIFO/weighted-average inventory, COGS at ship date, and sales-tax nexus done right.
Learn more →Retail
POS reconciliation, COGS, shrinkage, vendor payables, and sales-tax remittance — clean end to end.
Learn more →Customers slow to pay?
Our in-house collections team calls and emails customers who owe your company money, so you can stay focused on the work.