How it runs for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and landscaping companies
Gusto, ADP or QuickBooks Payroll runs the payroll after you approve it, and we post the journal entries by department and truck so labor cost lands where the revenue did.
What is payroll processing outsourcing?
Payroll processing outsourcing means a remote team prepares each pay run inside your payroll software: reconciling hours, entering changes, checking deductions and producing the run for the employer to approve. The employer keeps the payroll account, the bank authority and the legal responsibility. The provider posts the payroll journal and reconciles it, so payroll and the books agree.
What we handle for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and landscaping companies
- Hours from ServiceTitan, Jobber or a time clock checked against dispatched jobs
- Commission and spiff worksheet prepared from the sold-revenue report each period
- Prevailing-wage rates and certified-payroll data prepared for public-works jobs
- Seasonal crew onboarding and layoff dates tracked for unemployment reporting
- Payroll journal posted by department and truck, with employer taxes and benefits
The KPI that matters here
Payroll inputs are delivered to your provider at least one business day before the run.
Field services compliance notes
Sales tax on services by state
Taxability of labor, parts and maintenance agreements is set state by state, and some states also tax at the city or county level. We map your service items to the right tax codes in QuickBooks Online and reconcile the tax collected against the liability each period. Filing stays with you or your tax preparer; we supply the reconciled workings.
Job costing
Materials, technician hours, subcontractor bills and permit fees are coded to the job they belong to, so a large install can be reviewed against its estimate. Progress payments on installs are held as customer deposits until the work is complete, which keeps revenue in the month it was earned.
Technician commissions
Commission plans based on sold revenue, gross margin or spiffs are documented once and calculated the same way every pay period. We accrue the commission in the month of the sale and reverse it when payroll runs, so the P&L does not spike on payday.
Inventory on trucks
Van stock is an asset until it is used, and unrecorded stock is a common reason field-service margins look wrong. We record a monthly count per truck, post the adjustment, and flag trucks whose usage is far above the fleet average for the owner to look into.
Field services software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- Gusto
- ServiceTitan
- Jobber
- Housecall Pro
- All 50 platforms
More for HVAC, plumbing, electrical and landscaping companies
Other services for field services
Frequently asked questions
Do you run our payroll or just prepare it?
We prepare and post; your payroll provider runs it after you approve. The accountant collects hours, calculates commissions from the plan you set, and enters the inputs into Gusto, ADP or QuickBooks Payroll. You review and approve the run, the provider pays your team and files the taxes, and we post the journal entries to the books.
Can you handle prevailing wage and certified payroll?
Yes, at the data-preparation level. For public-works jobs we record the prevailing-wage classification and rate per worker, track hours by job, and prepare the certified-payroll data your provider or reporting software submits. The rates come from the wage determination on your contract. Compliance questions go to our Compliance Desk for a written answer within two business days.
How do seasonal landscaping crews affect payroll bookkeeping?
Hire and layoff dates need to be recorded for state unemployment reporting, and seasonal wages should be coded by crew so spring and summer margins are measured correctly. If you use H-2B workers, housing and transport deductions must be tracked per person. We keep those records with the payroll journal, so year-end questions have answers.
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