A Guide to QuickBooks for Electrical Contractors

As an electrical contractor, keeping track of your income and expenses is critical. Without that information, it’s hard to tell which jobs are making you money, how your business is performing, or where you might be able to claim back expenses. 

QuickBooks is a popular accounting software for electrical contractors. In this guide, we break down the core features of QuickBooks, how it works, and what happens when you integrate it with job management software for tracking jobs like Tradify. 

Short on time? Skip ahead!

• 1. What is accounting or bookkeeping software?
• 2. QuickBooks for electricians — what is it, and how does it work?
• 3. What is electrical contractor software?
• 4. The benefits of bringing the two systems together
• 5. How to integrate QuickBooks and Tradify
• 6. Get your accounts in order

1. What is accounting or bookkeeping software?

Accounting software stores your business’s financial data so you can use it for various accounting and bookkeeping tasks. Most modern systems are available online, meaning your account information is stored securely in the cloud — and you can access it anywhere. 

Different software options offer additional features, but a good one should be able to help with the following:

• Invoicing
• Payroll
• Bill payments
• Accounting 
• Financial reporting

2. QuickBooks for electricians – what is it, and how does it work?

Many electrical contractors use online accounting software, and for good reason. It helps reduce the manual workload of admin tasks like reconciling expenses, payroll, and generating financial statements.

QuickBooks is an accounting software package created by Intuit to help small and growing businesses manage their finances. In the US, over 330,000 small businesses trust QuickBooks use it to run their finances.   

What’s the best QuickBooks version for your electrical business?

QuickBooks has several versions, making it compatible with most devices. The best option for your business depends on factors like job turnover, number of employees, and work or office locations. 

Here are some of the options:  

• If you constantly do admin work in your van and need to use your accounting software on the go, QuickBooks Online will give you access to job and customer information.
• On the other hand, QuickBooks Desktop offers different features and generally works best for more established electrical businesses with an office team.

What are some of QuickBook’s core features?

• Accounting - Manage cash going in and out of your business, access statements to see your company’s financial health, and scan and store receipts to claim business expenses. 

• Payments - Let customers pay how they want by offering invoice payment via credit or debit cards, ACH, and eCheck.

• Payroll - Pay your employees the correct amount on time, every time. The software will automatically calculate, file, and pay taxes on your behalf. You can also manage HR and employee benefits from your QuickBooks account. 

Pricing and plan options

QuickBooks offers plans depending on your budget and price requirements.

Once you sign up, you can choose the subscription with the features you need for your business. QuickBooks also has a free 30-day trial option, which lets you test-drive the software first, and determine if it’s the best tool for your electrical company. 

Here’s a quick rundown on each plan:

Simple Start – for electrical contractors just starting a business

The features you can access:

• Track income and expenses
• Send custom invoices and quotes
• Connect to your bank
• Track Sales Tax, GST VAT
• Insights and reports
• Capture and organise receipts
• Progress invoicing
• For one user, plus your accountant

Essentials – for electrical contractors who want to streamline their business 

You can access the same features as Simple, plus:

• Manage bills and payments 
• Track employee time
• Multi-currency
• For three users plus an accountant

Plus – for electrical contractors who want to grow their businesses

You can access the same features as Essentials, plus:

• Pay recurring transactions and bills 
• Track inventory
• Track project profitability 
• Manage budgets 
• For five users plus an accountant 

3. What is electrical contractor software?

We’re big fans of accounting software. But we also believe it’s not the only tool electrical contractors should be using. Tradify is the all-in-one electrician software trusted by thousands of electrical contractors and tradespeople to streamline and automate critical business tasks and processes. 

Here’s a snapshot of what our system can do: 

• Schedule and manage jobs on the go, all from the palm of your hand. 
• Create and send electrical safety certificates online.
• Access customizable templates, and upload price and material lists that make you stand out.
• Send quotes and invoices from anywhere and get paid faster.
• Schedule appointments with electrical contractors through our connections feature.
• Keep track of inquiries so you never miss a lead. Tradify will automatically turn them into quotes.
• Connect Tradify with Google Calendar to see who’s closest to a job for faster uptake.

4. The benefits of bringing the two systems together

Choosing the right digital tools is as important as using the right multimeter. But you don’t want a complex web of software and apps that don’t play well together. You’ll end up with a bigger mess than when you started. 

Tradify syncs with most major accounting software providers, including QuickBooks. That means you can use the best app for the job at the time and know with confidence that the information is synced to both. 

Here’s why electrical contractors choose to run their business with Tradify and sync their accounts with QuickBooks:

One source of truth. Tradify and QuickBooks share information, so you never have to input the same details into multiple systems. There’s less confusion and more time to focus on essential growth tasks.

For example, a developer asks you to do all the electrical work for its latest housing project. You create an estimate in Tradify, and all that financial information also syncs to your QuickBooks account.

Work faster, not harder. As a busy electrician, you don’t have time to double-handle data. Tradify and QuickBooks integration reduces or eliminates unnecessary steps by removing data entry and adding automation. That estimate you created? Automatically turn it into an invoice with all the correct information so that customers can pay you accurately and on time. 

Take control of your finances. Time is money. And instead of spending hours chasing wayward invoices and your accountant chasing you, you both get instant access to the same data with a single click. It means you can both get on with your respective jobs, file your taxes on time, and analyze the data to make informed business decisions. 

5. How to integrate QuickBooks and Tradify

Connecting Tradify with your QuickBooks couldn’t be easier:

• Head to Settings, select ‘Integrations’, and then ‘QuickBooks’.
• Select ‘Log in to QuickBooks’. You’ll be redirected to QuickBooks to log in and authorize Tradify.
• Enter your QuickBooks login credentials and select ‘Sign in’.
• Select ‘Authorise’ to allow sharing of data between Tradify and QuickBooks.
• Then, you’ll be redirected to Tradify and four new account fields.
• Select the appropriate account codes for labor, materials, your bank account, and purchases using the fields provided, and select OK.

6. Get your accounts in order

There was a time when a paper diary, Word, and Excel were an electrician’s best friends for quoting and invoicing. Those days are well and truly behind us! QuickBooks software helps you efficiently use your time and resources on your accounts. Job management software streamlines other business processes to help run your electrical business more easily. Together, they work as an end-to-end business management solution so that you can concentrate on your staff and your customers. 

Want to experience the benefits of an integrated business? Sign up for a 14-day free trial with Tradify. No credit card is required. No commitment. Or visit one of our live demo webinars to see Tradify in action.