Bookkeeping for builders and tradies, from people who know the industry.
Construction and trades businesses have their own financial challenges. Subcontractor payments, job costing, progress claims, retentions, and a mixed workforce all need someone who understands how building businesses work.
Construction has been part of East Coast Bookkeeping & Business Solutions from the start. Melissa Thorpe, our Founder & CEO, has a background in her family’s building and construction business. That experience shapes how our whole team works with builders and tradies. We understand project-based income, subcontractor arrangements, and the pressure of waiting on clients to pay.
Whether you’re a sole trader electrician, a growing building company, or a trades business taking on bigger jobs, we speak your language.
What we do
Job costing and project tracking
We set up and maintain job costing in your accounting software, so you can see where each project stands. Track labour, materials, and subcontractor costs by job, and see your margins as you go, not at the end of the year.
Subcontractor payments and TPAR
We manage subcontractor payments and prepare your Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR), which the ATO requires from most businesses that pay contractors for building and construction work. We also handle PAYG withholding where it applies, such as when a subcontractor doesn’t quote an ABN.
Some contractors paid mainly for their labour are also entitled to super. We’ll help you work out who’s covered, so you don’t get caught out.
Payroll for construction businesses
We handle payroll for employees and mixed workforces, including award rates, allowances, and entitlements under the relevant construction awards. Whether your team is two people or twenty, we keep pay runs on track and super paid every payday under the Payday Super rules. See our payroll and HR services.
BAS preparation and lodgement
As registered BAS agents, we prepare and lodge your BAS. Lodging through us usually gives you about four extra weeks to lodge and pay most quarterly BAS. That’s more breathing room when cash is tied up in jobs.
Progress claims, retentions, and accounts receivable
We help you time your progress claims, track retentions, and follow up on outstanding payments, so cash keeps moving as projects progress.
Cash flow management for project-based businesses
Project income is lumpy by nature. We help you understand your cash position between jobs, plan for quieter periods, and avoid being flat out on site but short of cash. See our cash flow forecasts and budgeting services.
Software setup for construction
We set up Xero or MYOB for construction businesses, including job tracking, subcontractor management, and reports that reflect how you work. We can also connect job management apps like Buildxact or ServiceM8.
Who this is for
- Builders, contractors, and construction companies of all sizes
- Sole trader tradies, including electricians, plumbers, carpenters, concreters, landscapers, and painters
- Project-based businesses with uneven income and complex payment cycles
- Construction businesses moving from spreadsheets to cloud accounting
- Builders and tradies in the Shoalhaven, Illawarra, Southern Highlands, South Coast, and beyond
Why choose East Coast Bookkeeping & Business Solutions
- Melissa’s background in her family’s building and construction business means we understand the industry from the inside
- A team of bookkeepers, accountants, and registered BAS agents in one place
- Hands-on experience with TPAR, retentions, progress claims, and mixed-workforce payroll
- We work with your job management app, not around it
- A local office in South Nowra, with support available online Australia-wide
Talk to a bookkeeper who knows construction
Book a free 30-minute consultation by phone, online, or in person. We’ll look at how your business runs now and what support would help. Obligation free.
Contact us to book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with sole trader tradies as well as larger construction companies?
Yes. We work with construction and trades businesses of all sizes, from sole trader electricians and plumbers to multi-crew building companies. We’ll match the level of support to what your business needs.
We use a job management app like BuildXact or ServiceM8 — can you work with it?
In most cases, yes. Many of our construction clients use job management software alongside Xero or MYOB. We can advise on the best way to connect them, so your financial records stay accurate and up to date.
Do I need to lodge a TPAR, and do I withhold tax from subcontractors?
If your business provides building and construction services and pays contractors for that work, you’ll usually need to lodge a TPAR each year by 28 August. PAYG withholding generally only applies if a subcontractor doesn’t give you their ABN, or you have a voluntary withholding agreement. As registered BAS agents, we’ll work out what applies to you and keep you compliant.
Our business is based outside Nowra. Can you still support us?
Yes. We’re based in South Nowra with an office opening in the Illawarra in early 2027, but we work with clients across the Shoalhaven, Illawarra, and Australia-wide. We do most of our work through cloud accounting software, so distance isn’t a barrier.
We have fallen behind on our books. Can you help us get back on track?
Yes, and you wouldn’t be the first tradie to come to us in that situation. We start with a [link: bookkeeping health check], work out what needs fixing, and get your records up to date. Then we set up a regular process, so it doesn’t happen again.
How hard is it to switch bookkeepers?
Easier than most people expect. We bring across your existing records and get you set up, even partway through the year.
