Bookkeeping for pool builders
A pool builder takes a deposit, bills in stages as excavation, shell, plumbing and finish work complete, and pays subcontractors and suppliers across months. Mispar tracks each pool from deposit to final payment, matches subs and materials to it, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Inground pool builders, spa installers and small design-build pool companies.
By pool
Deposits
Tracked
Stage billing
By trade
Subcontractors
Matched
Materials
Where pool builder books usually go wrong
- Draws and milestone payments recorded as income before the stage is complete.
- Excavation, steel, plumbing and plaster costs not tied to the pool they were for.
- Permit and engineering costs left out of job totals.
- Change orders agreed verbally and never invoiced.
How Mispar keeps your pool builders books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Deposits and stage payments
Record each contract payment against the pool and hold deposits as owed until earned, using a treatment agreed with your CPA.
Excavation, steel and shell subs
Track each trade by pool with the paperwork your CPA needs at year end.
Gunite, tile and equipment
Match material and equipment invoices to the pool they were ordered for.
Change orders and upgrades
Record upgrades as separate billing lines so the final contract total matches approvals.
Permits and inspections
Record permit and inspection fees as costs of the specific pool.
Warranty callbacks
Tag post-completion fixes so their cost is visible apart from new builds.
Financing proceeds
Match lender payments to the pool they funded so financed jobs are tracked like cash jobs.
Service and maintenance arm
Keep any service division income and costs apart from construction.
Reports a pool builder can use
- Cost to date versus budget for each pool.
- Draw schedule showing what is billed and what is due.
- Subcontractor payments by job.
- Cash outlook for upcoming stages.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Map pools and trades
We list each pool, its trades and how owners pay.
Set up pool tracking
Each pool gets a tag for subs, materials and billings.
Reconcile each month
Owner and lender payments, sub payments and supplier bills are matched to the bank and to the pool.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA with an open-items list.
Illustrative example
A family adds a spa mid-build for $14,000. The change order is billed as its own line, and the extra shell and equipment bills are tagged to the same pool, so the finished job shows its true margin. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Pool Builders bookkeeping — your questions
How are deposits recorded?
As owed until earned, using a treatment agreed with your CPA.
Can you track profit per pool?
When bills and pay can be tied to a pool by invoice or tag, yes.
What do you need each month to keep pool builder books?
Invoice and payment exports, sub and supplier bills, payroll records and access to your bank feeds.
Can you track open builds?
Yes. Each pool shows billed, received and remaining at month end.
Do you give tax advice? (pool builders)
No. We keep the books and hand them to your CPA.
Can you handle change orders on builds?
Yes. Each change order is billed as its own line on the pool with amount and date.
Can you handle milestone billing?
Yes. Each milestone is tracked against the job and the work it represents.
Can you handle several builds at once?
Yes. Each pool is its own tag, and monthly statements show every open build.
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.