Bookkeeping for solar installers
A solar install involves equipment bought ahead, permits, crews, and sometimes a financing partner that pays you in stages. Mispar assigns costs to each project, tracks milestone payments and financier payouts, reconciles crew payroll and subcontractors, and prepares monthly books in your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Plans start at $229/mo.
Best for: Residential and commercial solar installers and small solar contractors with crews or subcontractors.
By project
Job costs
Tracked
Milestone payments
Categorized
Equipment
Visible
Permits
Where solar installer books usually go wrong
- Panels, inverters and racking bought without job coding.
- Incentives and financing payouts recorded as plain sales.
- Permit and interconnection costs left out of job totals.
- Deposits and milestone payments booked early.
How Mispar keeps your solar company books clean
Industry-specific accounts and categorization, with the reporting scope agreed before work starts.
Project job costing
Assign panels, inverters, racking, labor, permits and equipment rental to each project, so each install can be compared with its quote.
Milestone billing and financier payouts
Track deposits, milestone invoices and payments from financing partners separately from customer payments, so you can see what is still owed per project.
Equipment and supplier accounts
Match supplier invoices and statements to your records so returns, credits and storage of unused equipment are not lost.
Permits, inspections and fees
Keep permit, interconnection and inspection costs on the project they belong to.
Crew payroll and subcontractors
Reconcile crew wages and employer costs to payroll reports, and keep subcontractor payments organized by person.
Incentives and rebates
Record any incentive or rebate payments you actually receive on their own line. Tax credit eligibility is a question for the customer and their tax advisor, and we do not advise on it.
Reports a solar installer can use
- Job profit with equipment, labor and permits.
- Financing payouts by customer.
- Open milestones and balances.
- Equipment on order versus installed.
A simple, predictable process
From kickoff to your first clean close, here is exactly what happens.
Review how you quote and get paid
We look at quotes, milestones and each financing or payment source.
Set up projects and cost categories
Projects and cost categories are set up in your QuickBooks Online or Xero file.
Reconcile each month
Payments, supplier statements, payroll and card activity are reconciled to the bank.
Deliver monthly statements
Monthly statements arrive ready for your CPA, with a list of projects needing input.
Illustrative example
A financing partner pays an install in two stages after inspection milestones. Recording each stage against the project keeps the open balance accurate and prevents the second payment from looking like new work. This is an illustration of the method, not a customer case or a guarantee.
Solar Installers bookkeeping — your questions
Can you track profit per solar project?
Yes, when costs can be tied to projects. We set up project tracking and point out where unassigned purchases limit accuracy.
How do you record financier payouts?
Separately from customer payments, against the project, so you can see what each partner still owes.
Do you advise on tax credits?
No. Tax credit questions belong with the customer and their tax advisor. We keep the project records organized.
What about equipment bought in bulk?
We record purchases and agree with you how unused stock is tracked, rather than expensing everything to one project.
Can you track financing payouts?
Yes. Payouts are matched to the customer job they fund.
Can you add project tracking without disturbing our past records?
Yes. We add project tracking to your own QuickBooks Online or Xero file from an agreed start date, so earlier history stays exactly as it is.
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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.