TradeAtlas
Learn/QuickBooks Mastery Path
beginnertrade contractor owner or office admin·8–12 hours

QuickBooks Mastery Path

Learn to manage the financial operations of a trade contracting business in QuickBooks Online, from chart of accounts setup through job costing, payroll, and tax-ready reporting. Covers the workflows that matter most for contractors: WIP, change orders, and subcontractor payments.

01

QuickBooks Online Setup for Contractors

Configure your chart of accounts for a contracting business, set up classes or locations for job tracking, and connect your bank accounts for automatic transaction import.

02

Customers, Estimates, and Invoicing

Create customer and job records, build estimates, and convert them to invoices when work is complete. Set up invoice templates that look professional and include your contractor license information.

03

Vendor Bills, Subcontractors, and Purchase Orders

Enter and pay vendor bills, manage subcontractor payments, and issue 1099s at year-end. Use purchase orders tied to specific jobs to keep material costs tracked by project.

04

Job Costing and Project Profitability

Assign income and expenses to specific jobs to see real-time profitability per project. Run the Projects report to compare estimated vs. actual costs and identify where margin is lost.

05

Payroll and Time Tracking

Set up QuickBooks Payroll, process weekly payroll for employees, and capture job-specific time from the mobile app. Understand prevailing wage and certified payroll requirements for public work.

06

Financial Reports and Tax Preparation

Generate and interpret P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow statements. Prepare year-end reports for your accountant and understand quarterly estimated tax payments for contractors.