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Chart of accounts templates by trade, guides written by a controller, and the posts people actually find us by. Download, read, import.

Chart of accounts templates

A chart of accounts built for your trade, ready to import.

Numbered accounts with types and subtypes in the columns QuickBooks Online and Xero expect, and a one-line reason each account exists. Each comes with a guide that walks the structure.

HVAC

49 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Plumbing

58 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Electrical

57 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Roofing

57 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Pest control

54 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Landscaping

61 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Garage door

54 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Pool service

53 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

General contractor

64 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Restoration

60 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Solar installer

68 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Cleaning

62 accounts · CSV

DownloadRead the guide

Free Guides & Templates

Practical resources to improve your bookkeeping

Small Business Bookkeeping Setup Guide

Step-by-step guide to setting up bookkeeping for your new business.

Free Guide
View Guide →

Expense Categorization Cheat Sheet

Quick reference for properly categorizing common business expenses.

Free Cheat Sheet
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Monthly Bookkeeping Checklist

Never miss important bookkeeping tasks with this monthly checklist.

Free Checklist
View Guide →

Year-End Closing Procedures

Complete guide to closing your books at the end of the fiscal year.

Free Guide
View Guide →

From the Blog

Articles on AI bookkeeping, small business finance, and more

Trades12 min read

Cleaning Company Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a residential or commercial cleaning company: recurring work apart from one-time cleans, drive time as its own labor line, tips held for cleaners instead of counted as revenue, and prepaid packages as a liability. Free 62-account template.

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Trades13 min read

Solar Installer Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a residential solar installer: sales split by who pays you, dealer fees and commissions in COGS, milestone and holdback receivables, panel inventory, and the workmanship warranty reserve most installers never book. Free 68-account template.

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Trades13 min read

General Contractor Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a general contractor or remodeler: contract revenue apart from change orders, subs and labor burden in COGS, and the retainage, over/under billing, and accrued job cost accounts a WIP schedule needs. Free 64-account template.

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Trades12 min read

Restoration Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a water, fire, and mold restoration company: mitigation apart from rebuild, carrier reductions you can see, receivables split by who owes you, and the unbilled work account most restoration shops are missing. Free 60-account template.

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Bookkeeping11 min read

How to Close Your Books in Five Business Days (and Why Most Small Businesses Take Three Weeks)

A month-end close that lands by day five is not about working faster. It is about a checklist with due dates, evidence for each task, and a reconciliation that ties to one figure. Here is the schedule, task by task, and where the three weeks usually go.

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Trades10 min read

Garage Door Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a garage door company: install revenue split from service, openers, and new construction; doors and openers as inventory until installed; install labor apart from service labor; and the deposit and lead-cost accounts most operators are missing. Free 54-account template.

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Trades12 min read

Landscaping Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a landscaping company: maintenance revenue split from softscape, hardscape, irrigation, and snow; crew labor separated by route versus project; equipment fuel and repairs apart from trucks; and the prepaid-season and deposit accounts most operators are missing. Free 61-account template.

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Comparisons9 min read

Mercury Books vs QuickBooks (and Poof): An Honest Comparison

Mercury launched Books on September 16, 2026: free for Mercury customers through year end, then $35/mo. How it compares with QuickBooks Online at $38 to $140/mo, where Poof fits, and which one fits your business.

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Trades11 min read

Pest Control Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a pest control company: recurring revenue split from one-time and termite work, prepaid plans and termite warranties held as deferred revenue, chemicals and tech labor in COGS by the route, and the retreatment reserve most operators are missing. Free 54-account template.

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Trades10 min read

Pool Service Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for a pool service company: route revenue split from repairs, equipment installs, and renovations; routine chemicals apart from billed treatments; route labor apart from repair labor; and the prepaid-service and deposit accounts most operators are missing. Free 53-account template.

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Bookkeeping10 min read

QuickBooks Bank Rules Post Without Asking. Here Is What That Costs You.

A QuickBooks bank rule that is wrong stays wrong until somebody notices, and it posts every matching transaction in the meantime. Here is how the damage compounds, how to audit your rules this week, and what a rule that stops itself looks like.

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Trades12 min read

Roofing Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template for Contractors

A working chart of accounts for a roofing company: income split by replacement, repair, insurance, and supplements; COGS built around materials by the square, sub crews, and haul-off; and the deposit and retainage accounts most roofers are missing. Free 57-account template.

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AI & Automation9 min read

Should AI Post to Your Books Without Asking? Four Gates Before You Say Yes

Every bookkeeping tool now offers to categorize and post on its own. Whether you should let it depends on four things the software has to check by code, not by the model's own confidence. Here they are, and what a rule that stops itself looks like.

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Trades10 min read

The Calls You Miss After 5pm Are Costing You More Than You Think

Missed after-hours calls don't show up anywhere in your books — which is exactly why they're easy to ignore. Here's how to size the loss, and an honest comparison of voicemail, answering services, and AI receptionists.

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Trades9 min read

Dealer Financing Is Hiding Your Real Install Margin

When a customer finances an install, the dealer fee comes out of your money — but most shops never cost it to the job. Here's how to record it so financed work stops looking more profitable than it is.

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Trades12 min read

Electrical Contractor Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template

A working chart of accounts for an electrical contractor — every income, COGS, expense, and asset account, why each exists, and the mistakes to avoid. Free template.

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Trades14 min read

Electrical Contractor Bookkeeping: The Complete Guide for Shop Owners

How electrical contractor bookkeeping actually works — the chart of accounts a shop needs, job costing across service and construction, prevailing wage, subcontractor 1099s, and what each option costs.

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Comparisons9 min read

QuickBooks Raised Prices Again in August 2026: What Your Bill Looks Like Now

Intuit raised QuickBooks Online prices on August 1, 2026 — Plus jumped 22% and Advanced 24%, with no new features attached. Here's the new pricing, what it costs you annually, and the four options worth considering.

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Trades12 min read

Plumbing Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template for Shops

A working chart of accounts for a plumbing shop — every income, COGS, expense, and asset account, why each exists, and the mistakes to avoid. Free template.

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Trades12 min read

HVAC Chart of Accounts: Free CSV Template for Shops

A working chart of accounts for an HVAC shop — every income, COGS, expense, and asset account, why each exists, and the setup mistakes to avoid. Free template.

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Trades14 min read

Plumbing Bookkeeping: The Complete Guide for Shop Owners

How plumbing bookkeeping actually works — job costing when your average ticket is $340, tracking callbacks and warranty work, and what each option costs.

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Trades13 min read

HVAC Bookkeeping: The Complete Guide for Shop Owners

How HVAC bookkeeping actually works — the chart of accounts a shop needs, job costing that shows which installs made money, and what each option costs.

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Trades13 min read

How HVAC Shops Should Track Per-Job Profitability

Most HVAC owners know last month's revenue but not which jobs made money. How to set up per-job costing: what to capture, how to allocate overhead.

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Ecommerce9 min read

Ecommerce Bookkeeping: How to Handle Stripe, Shopify, and Marketplace Fees

Payment processor and marketplace fees quietly distort your ecommerce books if you record them wrong. Here is how to track gross revenue, fees, refunds, and payouts cleanly — so your profit numbers actually reflect reality.

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Taxes13 min read

Bookkeeping Cleanup Checklist: Fix Messy Books Before Tax Season

A step-by-step bookkeeping cleanup checklist to catch up messy books before you file: reconcile accounts, fix categorization, issue 1099s under the new $2,000 threshold, and get tax-ready reports.

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Comparisons9 min read

Best QuickBooks Alternatives for Small Business in 2026

QuickBooks isn't the only option for small business bookkeeping. Here's an honest comparison of Wave, Xero, FreshBooks, and Poof — with pricing, features, and who each one is best for.

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AI & Automation9 min read

Do I Need a Bookkeeper, an Accountant, or Can AI Do It?

Compare the real costs and capabilities of DIY spreadsheets, AI bookkeeping, hiring a bookkeeper, and working with an accountant. A practical framework for deciding what your business actually needs.

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Guides8 min read

How to Automate Your Small Business Bookkeeping (Step by Step)

A practical guide to automating bank feeds, transaction categorization, receipt scanning, invoicing, reconciliation, and reporting — so your books stay current without the manual work.

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Guides10 min read

How to Set Up Bookkeeping for a New LLC: A Complete Guide

Starting a new LLC? Here's everything you need to set up your bookkeeping correctly from day one — from opening a business bank account to preparing for your first quarterly taxes.

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Comparisons8 min read

Why Is QuickBooks So Expensive? 5 Ways to Pay Less in 2026

QuickBooks too expensive? Intuit raised prices on August 1, 2026 — Plus is now $140/mo, up 22%. Why your bill keeps climbing, and five ways to cut it, from downgrading your plan to switching.

Read article →
AI & Automation8 min read

AI Bookkeeping for Small Business: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters

AI bookkeeping automates transaction categorization, receipt scanning, and financial reporting — saving small business owners hours every week. Learn how it works and what to look for.

Read article →

Learn More About Poof

Explore our product pages for detailed information

Poof for shops

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The close

Seventeen tasks with due dates, thirteen ticked by the books themselves, and a five-day guarantee.

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Autopilot with limits

AI that posts to your books on its own, inside a ceiling and a history check, and stops itself when it is wrong.

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Poof vs QuickBooks

Against QuickBooks Plus at $140, and what a bank rule costs you.

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