What financial reports should an electrician review?
The job profitability report matters most. It shows revenue minus costs for each project, telling you which jobs made money and which ones didn’t. Without this report, you’re guessing at whether a bid was profitable until you add everything up at year end. By then it’s too late to adjust pricing or stop taking work that loses money.
Look at actual costs versus estimated costs on each job. If you bid 80 labor hours and it took 100, you need to know that before you bid the next similar job. Material costs that came in higher than estimated should show up clearly so you can update your pricing or find better suppliers. Most electrical contractors underestimate how much profitability varies from job to job until they start tracking it.
The profit and loss statement shows overall company performance. Gross profit tells you what’s left after direct job costs. If gross margin is 25% but you expected 35%, either jobs are running over budget or you’re underbidding. Net profit shows what remains after overhead. Many electricians run profitable jobs but lose money overall because vehicle costs, insurance, office expenses, and owner draws eat up the gross profit.
Accounts receivable aging is critical for electrical contractors. You’re buying wire, panels, and fixtures before you get paid. A job that was profitable on paper becomes a cash drain when the GC takes 60 days to pay. Review AR weekly and follow up on anything past 30 days. The aging report shows who owes what and how long it’s been outstanding.
Cash flow gets complicated when you have materials on credit, payroll due weekly, and customers paying monthly. For day-to-day decisions, a simple cash position report showing current bank balance, expected receipts in the next 30 days, and expected bills due works better than the formal cash flow statement.
If you run larger commercial or new construction jobs, a work in progress report shows where you stand on open projects. It reveals whether you’ve billed ahead of work completed or completed work you haven’t billed yet. This matters for understanding your true financial position and for tax planning at year end.
Review job profitability after each job closes. Review P&L and AR aging monthly at minimum. Check cash position weekly. Most electricians don’t lack the ability to read these reports. They lack the time to generate them or the bookkeeping setup that produces accurate numbers. A small business bookkeeper in American Fork who understands construction can get your system producing useful reports so you actually know where you stand.
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More Questions
Why do I keep getting surprised by expenses?
Expense surprises usually happen because irregular costs aren't planned for, committed costs aren't tracked, or you're only looking at your bank balance instead of your full financial picture.
Read answerHow do I handle retainage in my bookkeeping?
Track retainage separately from regular receivables using a dedicated retainage receivable account. Record the full revenue when you bill but split the receivable between what you can collect now and what's being held back.
Read answerWhat is catch-up bookkeeping and how does it work?
Catch-up bookkeeping is the process of bringing your books current when they've fallen behind by months or years. It involves gathering financial records, reconciling accounts, categorizing transactions, and producing accurate financial statements.
Read answerHow do I separate business and personal expenses?
Open a dedicated business bank account and credit card. Run all business transactions through these accounts and keep personal purchases separate. This creates a clean audit trail and makes bookkeeping straightforward.
Read answerWhat accounting method should a contractor use?
Most contractors under $30 million in gross receipts use the cash method for tax simplicity and timing flexibility. But accurate job costing often requires tracking revenue and costs on an accrual basis internally.
Read answerHow do I track job profitability in real time?
Capture costs within a day or two of when they happen and review budget versus actual weekly. The key is disciplined data entry for labor hours, material purchases, and subcontractor commitments, not fancy software.
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