Accurate, detailed and personable; three of many qualities that Diane brings to the table every single day. There is no one I would trust more than Diane with my bookkeeping.
Call (417) 323-2629 or have me call you.
Remodelers, roofers, concrete crews, custom home builders, small developers with three projects going at once: underneath, you all need the same things. You need every cost tagged to the right job, deposits kept out of income until you’ve earned them, and your subs tracked before January. I’m Diane Jones, a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and I’ve kept books for more than 30 years. I work from the Springfield, Missouri area, with contractors and construction companies anywhere in the U.S. over Zoom and phone, and in person around Springfield when that helps.
Job costing that shows which jobs made money
QuickBooks Online does more job costing than most contractors give it credit for. I use Projects and classes to tag labor, materials, subs, and equipment to the right job as the transactions come in, while the receipt is still fresh.
At month end you see each job’s costs against what you billed. The driveway job that felt busy and the addition that felt slow both show their real numbers. Developers get the same setup per project: land, holding costs, construction draws, and the eventual sale all sit under one Project, so you can see what each one returned. I wrote up job costing basics for contractors if you want it in plain English.
Subs and 1099s
January is a lot calmer when the W-9s are already in the file. So we get in the habit of collecting a W-9 before a sub’s first check, instead of chasing paper after the holidays. I track what each sub was paid through the year, then prepare and e-file your 1099-NECs in January. For payments made in 2026, a sub gets one at $2,000 or more instead of $600, and my 1099 guide for 2026 has the dates. 1099 prep and e-filing is an added fee, billed per form. It isn’t part of the monthly work. You don’t have to touch any of it.
Your crew on payroll works a different way. Your payroll provider runs payroll. I record and reconcile every payroll transaction in your books, so wages and payroll taxes land on the right jobs and the payroll draft ties out to the bank.
Progress billing and deposits
A customer deposit feels like income the day it hits the bank. The work is still ahead of you, though, so it isn’t income yet. I record deposits as liabilities until they’re earned, and I track draws against the contract, so you know what’s been billed, what’s been collected, and what’s left on the job.
That keeps a big deposit month from reading like a big profit month. It matters when you’re deciding whether you can carry another crew or another truck payment.
Materials, equipment, and the truck
Contractor spending tangles fast. You’ve got a lumber run with three jobs on one receipt, a truck that hauls to job sites all week and to the lake on Saturday, and a trailer that might be an expense or might be an asset. I categorize the mixed-use purchases in plain words and flag the judgment calls for your CPA.
Your CPA files the return from a reconciled, tax-ready file. The year-end package comes to you, and I’ll send it to your CPA directly if that’s what you want. My year-end checklist for contractors lists what goes in it. If you don’t have a CPA, I work alongside several firms and I’ll introduce you. Monthly bookkeeping is a flat monthly fee, and a cleanup gets a fixed quote. Both come in writing after a free review of your file. The pricing page explains how I build the number.
Reviews
5 out of 5 stars
5 out of 5 stars
What people say about working with me
Accurate. Conscientious, honest and punctual, definitely takes great pride in her work.
Questions
Questions I hear a lot
Do you do certified payroll?
Your payroll provider produces certified payroll, whether that’s QuickBooks Payroll or another service built for prevailing-wage jobs. I record and reconcile every payroll transaction in your books, so labor lands on the right jobs and the totals tie out to the bank. Still choosing a provider? Tell me on the free call and we’ll talk it through.
Can you job-cost in QuickBooks Online without contractor software?
Yes. Projects and classes inside QuickBooks Online handle job costing for most small and mid-size contractors, with no add-on software. If your volume ever outgrows that setup, the reports will show it, and I’ll tell you before it turns into a problem.
My last three years are in a shoebox. Can you still help?
You wouldn’t be my first shoebox. That’s a file that is behind, and it’s what I do best. I rebuild the books period by period until you’re current and tax-ready. You’ll get a fixed quote in writing before I start, and a plan from me for how we’ll get there.
Do you work with contractors outside Missouri?
Yes. I work with contractors, builders, and developers anywhere in the United States, over Zoom and phone, in QuickBooks Online. All I need is read-only access to your bank and card accounts and accountant access to QuickBooks. The job site can be in any state. If you’re around Springfield, Missouri, we can meet in person when that helps.
A Form 990 on extension is due November 16, 2026. Your CPA needs reconciled, fund-level books to finish it, and that’s the part I do.
Filed an extension for 2025? Those returns are due October 15, 2026. Your CPA needs a reconciled 2025 file before then, and the sooner I see it the more room we both have.
1099s for your subs and vendors are due February 1, 2027, and they’re built from a full year of entered payments. If 2026 is behind, the last weeks of the year are the time to catch it up.
1099s for your subs and vendors are due February 1, 2027, the same day your payroll provider sends W-2s. If the 2026 books aren’t entered yet, that’s the first thing I’d fix.
S corporation and partnership returns are due March 15, 2027. Your CPA needs a reconciled 2026 file to file on time.
Individual returns are due April 15, 2027. A reconciled 2026 file is what your CPA needs to file, or to file the extension with real numbers.
Talk to me
Let’s find out which of your jobs actually made you money.
I’ll track your subs all year for the January 1099s and tie job costs back to the checkbook. It starts with a free call, and you’ll get the price in writing before I start.
A Form 990 on extension is due November 16, 2026. Your CPA needs reconciled, fund-level books to finish it, and that’s the part I do.
Filed an extension for 2025? Those returns are due October 15, 2026. Your CPA needs a reconciled 2025 file before then, and the sooner I see it the more room we both have.
1099s for your subs and vendors are due February 1, 2027, and they’re built from a full year of entered payments. If 2026 is behind, the last weeks of the year are the time to catch it up.
1099s for your subs and vendors are due February 1, 2027, the same day your payroll provider sends W-2s. If the 2026 books aren’t entered yet, that’s the first thing I’d fix.
S corporation and partnership returns are due March 15, 2027. Your CPA needs a reconciled 2026 file to file on time.
Individual returns are due April 15, 2027. A reconciled 2026 file is what your CPA needs to file, or to file the extension with real numbers.
I’ll call you back within 15 to 20 minutes during the day.