Job costing by shop & install
Labor and materials split so you see true margin per job type.
Fabricators · Seattle & Tacoma
Shop-vs-install job costing for metal, stone, and cabinet fabricators
Fabrication shops win or lose on material cost, shop hours, and install time — three cost pools that behave completely differently and need to be tracked separately per job. Blend them together and you never know whether it's the shop, the install crew, or the vendor pricing eating your margin. We keep each job costed properly so you know which work is worth quoting again.
Why fabricators accounting is different
Fabrication is manufacturing plus construction. There's a shop cost (labor, machine time, scrap) that behaves like a factory, and an install cost (crew, travel, on-site fixes) that behaves like a contractor's job cost. Most bookkeepers treat the whole business as one or the other and end up with a P&L that hides where the real margin is. We split the cost accounting so shop rate and install rate are each measurable — and priceable — on their own.
What we hear from fabricators
- "Material overages hitting margin without warning"
- "Shop labor vs. install labor blended in one bucket"
- "Deposits taken but not tied to open jobs"
- "Scrap and remakes not tracked as a real cost"
What we handle for fabricators
Fluent in QuickBooks Online, shop-management add-ons.
Material & vendor tracking
Vendor invoices coded to jobs so overages show up while you can still act.
Deposit & progress billing
Customer deposits held as liabilities until the job earns them.
Monthly job P&Ls
Job-level reports so quoting future work is based on data, not gut feel.
Numbers we track for fabricators
Every monthly report includes the metrics that actually drive decisions in your business:
- Gross margin per job (target vs. actual)
- Shop hours vs. estimated shop hours per job
- Material cost as % of quoted job value
- Scrap and remake cost as % of production
- Install labor cost per job vs. estimate
Washington-specific for fabricators
Washington fabricators who install their own product owe retail sales tax on labor and materials when the install is residential, and wholesaling B&O when they fabricate for a general contractor. Same shop, two different tax treatments depending on who's buying. We keep the sales categorization tight so the excise return is right the first time and the B&O rate is defensible if audited.
Common bookkeeping mistakes in fabricators
We see these on almost every set of books we clean up. Fixing them is usually step one of onboarding.
- Charging all fabrication labor to a single COGS line — makes shop vs. install margin invisible
- Not accruing for scrap and remakes — every job looks profitable until year-end wipes it out
- Applying the wrong WA excise category (retailing vs. wholesaling) based on customer type
Fabricators accounting — frequently asked questions
What Our Clients Say
74 five-star reviews from construction and real estate businesses across Washington
"Ruvim and his team have been great to work with. They're reliable, responsive, and provide accurate bookkeeping and payroll support. We appreciate their attention to detail and the outstanding work they do!"
"I worked with Ruvim and Ready Accounting for over two years and had a great experience. Ruvim is extremely responsible, reliable, and always on top of things. He built a great system that made reconciling all of our company accounts simple and organized, kept our filings on time, and helped us manage ACH payments to our trade partners smoothly. Ruvim is knowledgeable, responsive, and someone you can trust with the financial side of your business. Highly recommend Ready Accounting to any company looking for dependable and professional accounting support."
"Working with Ready Accounting has been smooth and stress-free. Ruvim is knowledgeable, responsive, and truly cares about your success. Highly recommend!"
"Ruvim is the best bookkeeper there is period. We have used several bookkeepers in the past but no one matched his level. I highly recommend using him."
"We have been with ready accounting for about half a year or so and let me say it's been amazing! Upon opening a business and hiring employees, there was so much things needed to be done where I had absolutely no clue how to do! A friend of mine recommended ready accounting and honestly never looked back! He does an amazing job and best of all, I don't have to do a thing! Thanks ready accounting for being trustworthy and amazing!"
"Ruvim is very organized, thorough and knowledgeable. Excellent communication skills, timely and cares about his clients and their business operations. Highly recommend!"
"Ruvim is an incredibly knowledgeable individual who consistently demonstrates responsiveness and helpfulness. Whenever I have questions, he promptly provides accurate answers, making him an invaluable resource for my business. His understanding of my business accounting needs is unparalleled, and he consistently delivers exceptional results. I wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone seeking reliable expertise and support."
5.0 rating from 74 Google reviews
Want the story behind the stars? Read real client case studies — including a Bellevue remodeler and a Tacoma developer.
Book a call with Ruvim
Tell us about your fabricators business — we'll follow up to schedule a call, usually the same day.
Prefer to reach out directly? We answer most inquiries within a few hours during business days.
Email us
Info@readyaccounting.coCall us
(253) 367-3672