Does this work with QuickBooks Desktop?
No. It is built for QuickBooks Online and uses its built-in chart-of-accounts import. It is not for QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Self-Employed.
QuickBooks Chart of Accounts · For construction & trade contractors
Contractor Chart of Accounts for QuickBooks Online
A job-costing account structure, ready to import into QuickBooks Online.
$49 · one-time
QuickBooks Online import CSV + setup guide (PDF)
Sold and fulfilled by Gumroad, Inc. as merchant/seller of record. Content authored by ExpertEngine LLC d/b/a ProAxis Templates — built by the licensed CPAs at ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services.
What it is
Most contractors start QuickBooks with the generic default accounts, then spend the next two years fighting a chart of accounts that was never built for construction. This template replaces that guesswork. It is a job-costing account structure — cost of goods sold broken out by labor, materials, subcontractors, and equipment — built around how contractor books actually report, packaged as a one-click CSV import for QuickBooks Online.
The structure is designed by a licensed CPA firm (NJ + NY) around the way a contractor return and a work-in-progress schedule need the numbers to flow. Import it into a fresh QBO file in about ten minutes. No retyping a hundred accounts by hand, and no starting from a template built for a retail store.
What's included
- QBO-ready import CSV with a full construction chart of accounts
- Job-costing COGS breakout: labor, materials, subs, equipment
- Step-by-step import setup guide (PDF)
- Notes on detail-type selection where QBO versions differ
Who it's for
- Contractors and trade businesses setting up (or cleaning up) QuickBooks Online
- Bookkeepers who want a construction-ready starting point
- Owners who want books that hand off cleanly at tax time
How you get it
After checkout you receive an instant digital download — quickbooks online import csv + setup guide (pdf). There is no physical item and nothing ships. You can start using the file the same day.
Setting it up
Getting this chart of accounts into QuickBooks Online takes about ten minutes and does not require any accounting background. The file is a CSV formatted for QuickBooks Online's built-in chart-of-accounts import, so there is no manual retyping of a hundred-plus accounts. The included setup guide (PDF) walks through every step with screenshots.
- Open a fresh QuickBooks Online company file (recommended) or an existing file you want to restructure.
- Use QuickBooks Online's built-in import tool to upload the CSV. The accounts, types, and detail types come in together.
- Follow the guide to confirm the handful of detail-type labels that vary between QBO versions — the guide flags each one and shows the one-click fix.
- Adjust or add accounts so the structure matches how your business actually operates.
Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus each cap the total number of accounts, and this template is sized to fit comfortably in a new file. It is built for QuickBooks Online, not QuickBooks Desktop.
Why buy a template built by a CPA firm
Most bookkeeping templates sold online are built by spreadsheet marketers to look good in a listing. This one was built by the licensed CPAs at ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services (New Jersey and New York) around how the return actually reads. That difference does not show up in a screenshot, but it shows up the first time you reconcile: the accounts are grouped the way your situation reports, the categories line up with the tax form, and the structure holds when the numbers get real.
Every product is reviewed by a licensed CPA before it is published, and any figure it references is cited to a primary IRS or state source and dated inside the file. The goal is an honest, professional starting point — not an optimistic one. If you later decide you would rather hand the work to a CPA than do it yourself, ProAxis does bookkeeping setup, cleanup, and ongoing accounting for businesses across NJ, NY, and PA. The template makes that conversation shorter; it does not depend on it.
Related resources
More QuickBooks chart of accounts templates
- Trucking & Owner-Operator Chart of Accounts for QuickBooks Online → An owner-operator account structure with IFTA and cost-per-mile in mind.
- Restaurant & Food Service Chart of Accounts for QuickBooks Online → Food-cost and prime-cost structure, ready to import into QuickBooks Online.
- Salon, Spa & Barbershop Chart of Accounts for QuickBooks Online → Booth-rent and commission structure, ready to import into QuickBooks Online.
Frequently asked questions
Will it fit my QuickBooks Online plan?
Yes. It is sized to fit within the account limits of Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus when imported into a new company file.
Do I need job-costing experience to use it?
No. The job-costing structure is already built in; the setup guide explains how to record costs so job profitability falls out cleanly.
Important — please read before buying
Educational template — not advice. This is a do-it-yourself template. It is general educational material, not tax, accounting, or legal advice, and is not written tax advice under Treasury Circular 230. Your purchase does not create a CPA-client, engagement, or advisory relationship. Figures reflect the law as of the date shown for the tax year noted and are not updated after purchase — verify at the primary source before acting. Consult a professional you separately engage about your specific situation. Results vary; no specific tax, refund, deduction, or compliance outcome is promised.
Refunds: Digital products are delivered instantly and are non-refundable once downloaded. We will refund or replace any file that is corrupt, materially not as described, or not delivered, within 30 days of purchase.
Purchases are governed by the Digital Product License & Terms of Sale. Sold and fulfilled by Gumroad, Inc. as merchant/seller of record. Content authored by ExpertEngine LLC d/b/a ProAxis Templates — built by the licensed CPAs at ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services.
Want a CPA to set up your books, not just a template?
ProAxis Tax & Accounting Services does bookkeeping setup, cleanup, and ongoing accounting for NJ, NY, and PA businesses. Book a free consultation to talk through your situation.