Quickbooks for Contractors - Page 3 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

**Double-A** · 01-20-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mseneker

Anyone got any ideas how to capture your overhead so the profit is not over-stated in the contractor job reports?

What about left-over materials on the job. Any idea how to off-set that per job? For that matter, what about inventory taken to jobs when you are short?

Um, Which report are you referring to?

As for how you handle your material, why would you worry about left over material? Return for credit or quit buying too much. Or, just trash it. In the long run, it can cost you more to deal with it than just to trash it, but follow your conscience. As far as offsetting that from a job, why would you? You still have material handle charges for getting the junk out there and then dealing with it. That costs something.

As for material that is shorted on the job, you can start using the billing feature in quickbooks and just do a credit (under enter bills) for the credited materials.

NorthstarNC · 01-20-2008, 05:01 PM

Not to thread jack, but I just bought Quickbooks Premier, Contractor 2008, and am looking for a good print manual for it, anyone recommend one? All I have seen (including the official guide) is for the "Pro" versions, didn't know if there was one tailored for the Premier contractor version? Thanks!

NorthstarNC · 01-20-2008, 05:03 PM

Also, maybe there can be a sticky thread, where people can ask a QB question, and others answer. Making it much easier to search for a previously answered question.

Ivinni · 01-20-2008, 05:04 PM

I have a question:

If I want my field guys to report their daily;
hours,
production units (including job codes for insurance purposes),
expenses,
per job name,
and I created an Excell spreadsheet to do this,
could that info be imported to QB with the flip of a switch, without having to manually transfer the info?

We are a commercial specialty firm and perform work in different comp codes for a specific client, ie;

Exterior Caulk
Interior caulk
Curtainwall Insulation
Perimeter Joint Firestop
Louver/Sunshade Installaltions
Interior Wall Protection (Healthcare)

So, in order not to be classifies at the highest rate, as a glazier, we must track these codes on a daily basis. I am trying to find a way to leesen the buurden on my field manager and the bookeeper.

Whew, that was a mouthful. Thanks in advance.

**Double-A** · 01-20-2008, 05:27 PM

Might be a tad early for the 2008 specific guides to be out. I think next month is when they usually get on the shelves.

Kathy Irwin's guides are always good, but bear in mind that the most important thing to learn in quickbooks is how to set up and use your chart of accounts and to change and customize reports and save those. Once you have those, you have an amazing amount of reporting power at your finger tips.

http://forums.quickbooksusers.com/ is just about the best QB users group around. Try starting there for more general questions and post your more contractor specific questions here in the business forum for now.

I've asked Nathan to consider a new Business Accounting and Software forum so we can pile this stuff in there and make it easier to search.

Sarah9910 · 01-21-2008, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zerolando

I use Quickbooks Pro Contractor Edition. I was always interested in Foundation from Maxwell systems. anyone tried it before?
good day

Maxwell Systems doesn't own Foundation, Foundation is owned by Fred Ode in Ohio. Maxwell Systems owns MMS, American Contractor, Street Smarts and Colonial, Estimation and Quest.

I am a trainer for American Contractor and I teach classes via my website on QuickBooks. Go to www.successif.biz for info on those classes and free workshops.

As to the recent comment on this list, personally I think the most important thing to get set up right in QuickBooks from the git-go are the items and the preferences. in my 12 hour class, we spend 50% of the time on setup and understanding accounting, 25% is on analyzing reports, only 25% learning how to do the entries. It's all about the setup, if that's done right, it all should work well.

**Double-A** · 01-21-2008, 10:17 PM

Thanks Sarah, I thought we had a QB pro adviser lurking in the background someplace.

ChainsawCharlie · 01-21-2008, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthstarNC

Not to thread jack, but I just bought Quickbooks Premier, Contractor 2008, and am looking for a good print manual for it, anyone recommend one? All I have seen (including the official guide) is for the "Pro" versions, didn't know if there was one tailored for the Premier contractor version? Thanks!

I use Contractor 2007. I bought The Complete Guide for and Quickbooks 2007 For Dummies. I also bought a book on accounting.

The dummiis book covered the basics for QB in general and The Complete Guide took care of everything else. I probably could have got by with either book along with the accounting book, though.

I have an account look over everything quarterly, and she's found very few errors on my part. I credit the books for that.

The Dummies website has the 2008 book listed.

I'd post link but apparently I'm not allowed (post count too low).

ChainsawCharlie · 01-21-2008, 11:54 PM

I mis spoke. I bought Running QuickBooks 2007 Premier Editions along with the dummies book. I got the Complete Guide as a free download when I bought my edition of QB.

Amazon has it. Excellent book.

And my experience with accounting/bookkeeping and Quickbooks was absolute zero until I bought them, burned my employee badge and uniform and set out on my own.

And if I can learn, ANYONE can.

te12c02w · 01-22-2008, 09:15 AM

We have been using QB Pro for several years now. Mostly satisfied with it. I got it because it had an inventory program. I don't know what the Contractor's edition has that this doesn't so I am hesitant to upgrade. We never went to Vista and judging from what I hear I am glad. Still running XP. I just got the 2008 version at Sam's for $190.

Bone Saw · 01-23-2008, 03:25 PM

well I've had qb 07 contractor laying around here since like early 07, never bothered to use it, always too busy and don't want to buck my accounting half way through the year. so since we're into the third week of the year and I don't have a helluva lot of buisness transactions ytd yet to manually enter, I figured now's as good a time as any to start using it, I'll be asking lots of questions, so far I've just set up my buis checking, and credit cards in the chart of accounts, what else should I do to start this off on the right foot

NorthstarNC · 01-23-2008, 09:39 PM

I just scheduled an appointment with a quickbooks "pro advisor" to come to the house and give a tutorial, I'll post any decent tips I pick up. I just hope to learn how to turn the computer on......

NorthstarNC · 01-25-2008, 04:18 PM

Real quick: does anyone know where you enter "Project" name when doing an estimate in QB Contractor 2008, it shows up when printed, and on print preview, but I can't find where you would enter the text?

**Double-A** · 01-26-2008, 01:57 AM

This data is entered in the customer center and is the "Job Name".

To get it to appear on your estimate entry screen, try the following.

Note: I haven't upgraded to any QB2008 version, but in the 2006 version, your would go to your estimate entry screen.

Now look in the top right corner, above "Estimate Number" field.

You should see "Template" and the "Customize" button next to it. Change your template in the drop down box to "Custom Estimate" and click on the "Customize" button.

This will open a new window with three buttons on the right side.

Select the "Edit" button.

This will open a new window. This one will have tabs along the top.

Select "Fields"

Look for "Project/Job" under the "Fields" tab.

There are two check boxes next to the word "Project". One is for printing the project name, the other is for showing it on-screen. Is the on-screen name grayed out? It is in my version. If its not grayed out in your version, then you can check it and see it on your screen when you use the Custom Estimate template.

NorthstarNC · 01-27-2008, 07:17 PM

Thank you for the reply DoubleA, I just saw your post. I will try your instructions tonight. Thanks again!

Sarah9910 · 01-28-2008, 02:10 PM

If you are using the home page in QuickBooks, and click on the elongated tab on the left side of the customer center section of the home page, it will open up the customer center, you can also click on the "customer center" icon. When you are in the customer center, with your mouse on the customer name, click on Add, new, job to add a job.. The templates in the system should print the job on the invoice, experiment with the different templates available in the invoice screen. Don't forget, just because you don't see it on the screen doesn't mean it doesn't print on the invoice.

Upgrading to a newer version of QuickBooks mid year shouldn't affect your data at all, of course you can't go to a lower version (like going to pro from premier) but you can definitely go to a better version anytime. Don't wait too long (2-3 years) to upgrade, Intuit makes it difficult if you wait too long.

QB for Contractors (Premier Edition) has more reports, Subcontract control including expiration dates and more. Accountant Edition has everything all the editions have and you can toggle between editions with it, anybody can buy it, not just accountants. Email me if you want a free 60 day trial of Premier and I'll send it out to you.

I just added my banner to this site, click on my banner, view my site and check out my blog. I try to be relevant to what companies need and have worked in construction all my working life...and that's a long time!

a1propertyclean · 01-28-2008, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah9910

I just added my banner to this site, click on my banner, view my site and check out my blog. I try to be relevant to what companies need and have worked in construction all my working life...and that's a long time!

Sarah, how cool. Where's your banner located? I wanted to take a look at it.

Linda

Sarah9910 · 01-31-2008, 01:51 PM

At the top of the page, you may have to refresh a few times to see it. It's blue. Or go to my site at www.successif.biz.

Sarah9910 · 02-03-2008, 08:59 PM

If you are going to buy one of the Premier Editions ie: Contractor, you may as well buy the Accountants edition. It does everything all the other editions so and more and you can toggle from one Edition to another, and it's the same price as contractors edition.

If you need help once you purchase it, check out my on line class, 12 hours will do you right, get you set up and ready to go. Plus it includes one hour one-on-one alone with you after the class. www.successif.biz

KCGuy · 08-12-2009, 02:28 AM

I have looked at Quickbooks, Quickbooks Pro, and Quickbooks Pro with Payroll add-on for up to 3 employees. Right now I use only contract labor but I can see that I might have part time or maybe full time employees as I develop my business more. Can anyone that uses Quickbook or Pro or other program for a PP company give me an insight into which they would purchase now having used some software for a while? Thanks in advance.