Monthly bookkeeping & close
Accurate categorization of labor, equipment costs, fuel, debris disposal, and revenue. Full monthly close with P&L and balance sheet — with equipment depreciation correctly separated from operating expenses.
Bookkeeping for tree service companies
Bookkeeping built for tree service.
Heavy equipment depreciation, climber and groundcrew payroll with correct workers' comp, subcontractor 1099s, job costing per job, and a live dashboard — clean books for a high-cost, high-risk operation that most bookkeepers don't understand.
Ricky West — Founder, TurnkeyCFO
We work with tree service companies on equipment cost management, workers' comp classification, job costing, and the monthly close that shows you whether your operation is actually profitable after the trucks, chippers, and crew costs are accounted for. We coordinate with your CPA on tax filings.
Solo–20+crew operations
100%client retention
Fastresponse times
QuickBooks Online · Gusto · Ramp — professional liability insured — month-to-month, 30-day notice
Book your 15-minute intro call.
Pick a time right here — no prep required.
Generic bookkeepers miss the complexity of tree service accounting.
Tree service is one of the most equipment-intensive and workers' comp-complex businesses in the trades. Wrong comp classification costs thousands per year. Equipment expensed instead of depreciated distorts your books. Most bookkeepers don't know the difference — and you pay for it at policy renewal and tax time.
What changes with TurnkeyCFO
What TurnkeyCFO handles
- Chipper, bucket truck, and crane depreciation tracked as fixed assets — not expensed at purchase
- Climbers, groundcrew, and operators classified at the correct workers' comp code — each carries different rates
- Job costing per job: crew hours, equipment time, debris disposal, and haul-off allocated per estimate
- Subcontractor crews: W-9 at first job, 1099-NEC filed by January 31
- Live dashboard: revenue per job type, margin per crew, equipment costs, and cash flow
What most bookkeepers miss
- Chipper and bucket truck expensed at purchase — overstates costs, ignores asset value
- All crew members under one workers' comp class — significantly overpays premiums
- No job-level costing — impossible to tell if large removals or maintenance trimming is more profitable
- Sub crews paid without W-9s — 1099s missed
- Debris disposal and dump fees lumped into general expenses — no cost per job
Everything your tree service needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Job costing per job
Crew hours, equipment time, fuel, debris disposal, and dump fees allocated per job. Large tree removals, storm cleanup, trimming, and stump grinding tracked separately so you know which job types are worth bidding and at what margin.
Heavy equipment depreciation
Chippers, bucket trucks, cranes, and stump grinders are major fixed assets with multi-year depreciation schedules. Section 179 and bonus depreciation accelerate deductions in the purchase year — your CPA decides the strategy, we keep the books in the format that supports every deduction.
Crew payroll by classification
Payroll for climbers, groundcrew, equipment operators, and office staff — each coded to the correct workers' comp classification. Tree climbers (Class 0106 in most states) carry among the highest comp rates of any trade. Correct classification, maintained through each payroll run and reconciled at policy renewal.
Subcontractor 1099 tracking
Sub crews and specialty contractors tracked from first payment. W-9 before first job, 1099-NEC by January 31 — even for single-job storm cleanup subs brought on for one event.
Bill pay & AP
Equipment financing, fuel, disposal fees, and supplier invoices tracked and paid on schedule — so your AP is current and your job costs are accurate.
Live financial dashboard
Revenue by job type, margin per crew, equipment cost vs budget, job pipeline, and cash flow forecast — updated monthly.
Tax filings and legal matters — coordinated with your CPA or attorney. TurnkeyCFO is a bookkeeping firm; we don't provide tax or legal advice.
Deep working knowledge of tree service finances.
Workers' comp for tree crews
Climbers carry among the highest workers' comp rates in any trade.
Tree climbers (typically Class 0106) carry premium rates reflecting the high injury risk. Groundcrew, operators, and office staff all carry different codes. Miscoding everyone under one class overpays premiums by a significant amount and creates audit exposure at renewal. We set up correct classification from first payroll and reconcile at each annual renewal.
Heavy equipment depreciation
Chippers and bucket trucks are 5-7 year assets, not expenses.
A $120,000 bucket truck expensed at purchase overstates costs by $120,000 in year one and understates the true asset value of your fleet. Correct depreciation — or strategic Section 179 / bonus depreciation with your CPA — gives you accurate books and a defensible tax position.
Job costing for tree work
Large removals and storm work have completely different cost profiles.
A 100-foot oak removal requires a crane crew, bucket truck, chipper, and multiple dump runs — cost per hour is very high. Routine trimming runs a small crew efficiently. Without job-level cost tracking, you can't tell if your bidding on large removals is accurate, or if storm work is profitable after equipment time and disposal.
Debris disposal as job COGS
Dump fees belong on the job, not in general overhead.
Debris disposal and haul-off are direct costs specific to each job. Lumping them into general overhead distorts your gross margin and makes it impossible to bid correctly — especially on large jobs where disposal is a significant cost driver. We track disposal per job from the first receipt.
Subcontractor crew compliance
Storm cleanup crews are the most common 1099 miss.
Tree companies often bring in additional sub crews for storm cleanup events. Each sub paid $600+ needs a W-9 at first job and a 1099-NEC by January 31. Single-event subs are the most common source of missed 1099s in this industry.
Equipment financing & cash flow
Major equipment purchases require cash flow planning.
Bucket trucks, cranes, and chippers are six-figure purchases — often financed. Equipment loan payments, insurance on major equipment, and maintenance reserves need to be modeled against your revenue so you know whether a new equipment purchase is supportable before you sign the loan, not after.
Onboarding takes days, not months.
15-min intro call
We learn your business — crew size, equipment fleet, job types, current software, and where the books need work.
Books & access review
We connect to QuickBooks, clean historical data, and set up job costing and asset tracking around your operation.
Live visibility
Monthly close, job profitability dashboard, equipment cost tracking, and compliance workflows — running clean every month.
Questions tree service companies ask us first
Do you replace our CPA?
No — we work alongside your CPA. We keep books clean and filing-ready year-round. If you need a CPA who understands contractors, we can refer one.
Can you help us reduce our workers' comp premiums?
Correct workers' comp classification by role is the main lever. Climbers, groundcrew, and equipment operators all carry different codes. Getting classification right from day one — and documenting it for your auditor at renewal — reduces overpayment and audit exposure. We set it up correctly and maintain it through every payroll run.
How do you handle heavy equipment depreciation?
Every piece of major equipment is tracked as a fixed asset with its purchase date, cost, and depreciation schedule. We coordinate with your CPA on whether Section 179 or bonus depreciation makes sense for each purchase — and we keep the documentation to support it.
Can you track sub crews we bring in for storm work?
Yes. Every sub tracked from first payment, even single-event storm cleanup crews. W-9 before first job, payments tracked, 1099-NEC by January 31. Storm subs are the most common source of missed 1099s in this industry.
Can we cancel?
Month-to-month, 30-day notice. No multi-year contracts.
How much does this cost?
Our instant estimate takes about 60 seconds and gives you a real price range. Tap any "Instant Estimate" button on the page.
Ready to see your real margin after equipment costs?
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