Bookkeeping for cabinet makers and millwork shops
A cabinet shop prices kitchens and built-ins by the project, buys sheet goods and hardware ahead of the build, and takes deposits long before delivery. Mispar ties materials and shop labor to each project, tracks deposits and progress payments, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Custom cabinet makers, architectural millwork shops, closet and built-in shops and small woodshops.
By job
Project costs
Held
Deposits
Matched
Materials
Tagged
Shop labor
Where cabinet maker and millwork shop books usually go wrong
- Lumber and hardware bought without job coding.
- Shop labor not tied to each job.
- Deposits booked as income before work.
How Mispar keeps your cabinet makers and millwork shops books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Sheet goods and lumber
Match plywood, lumber and veneer invoices to the project that used them, with offcuts noted where practical.
Hardware and finishes
Keep hinges, slides, pulls and finishing supplies as their own material lines by project.
Deposits and progress payments
Record deposits as customer money held, then apply them as the project is delivered and installed.
Shop labor
Reconcile bench and install labor to payroll records and tag it to the project.
Machinery and tooling
Track saw, CNC and edgebander payments and maintenance apart from project materials.
Delivery and installation
Keep delivery, install and site visit costs in their own accounts by project.
Design fees
Keep design and drafting fees in their own income line apart from build income.
Subcontracted finishing
Record spray shop and finishing subs by project with the paperwork your CPA needs.
Reports a cabinet or millwork shop can use
- Job profit with material and labor.
- Work in progress at month end.
- Open deposits.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Map projects and billing
We list your project stages and how customers pay.
Set up project tracking
Projects get tags so materials and labor line up with billings.
Reconcile each month
Deposits, progress payments, supplier invoices and payroll are reconciled against the bank statement and tagged to each project.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA with an open-items list.
Illustrative example
A kitchen project takes a deposit at signing, a payment at delivery and a final check after install. Each payment is matched to the project, and the sheet goods, hardware and bench hours sit beside it, so the margin is clear before the doors go on. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Cabinet Makers and Millwork Shops bookkeeping — your questions
Can you track profit by project? (cabinet makers and millwork shops)
When materials and labor can be tied to a project, yes. Shared shop items are split on a rule we agree with you.
How do deposits work with cabinet projects?
Deposits stay on the books as customer money until the project is delivered and invoiced.
What do you need each month to keep cabinet shop books?
Invoice and payment records, supplier invoices, payroll reports and access to your bank feeds.
Can you track CNC or machinery costs separately?
Yes, by machine, when payments and maintenance identify it.
Do you give tax advice? (cabinet makers and millwork shops)
No. We keep the books and hand them to your CPA.
Can you track jobs that run several months?
Yes. Deposits, materials and labor are tagged to the project so each month shows what belongs to it.
Can you track shop labor by job?
Yes. Hours are tied to each job.
Do you work from our estimating software?
Yes. We work from its exports and proposal records, matched to your bank.
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Our in-house collections team calls and emails customers who owe your company money, so you can stay focused on the work.