Contractors in Rialto, by the numbers
San Bernardino County, home to Rialto, has 2,708 specialty trade contractors (plumbers, electricians, roofers and other trades) with employees (Census Bureau, 2023).
That's 16% more than in 2018 (2,339).
Another 8,841 are run by one person with no employees, mostly self-employed owners.
Across California there are 53,832 with employees, so about 5% are in San Bernardino County.
Every one of them has books to keep: sales to match to the bank, costs to sort and tax to work out.
Why contractors need different books
Supply-house runs on the business card, subcontractors paid by e-transfer or cheque, deposits that come in before the job starts, a truck that's partly business and receipts that live in the cup holder. That's what makes a contractor's books messy, and it's what a good bookkeeper spends most of the month on.
What a bookkeeper for contractors in Rialto keeps track of
- Materials as the cost of each job, so you see what's left after them
- Subcontractors paid, for slips at year end
- Customer deposits and progress bills
- Holdbacks customers keep back until the job is done
- Your truck, tools and equipment
- Sales tax or GST/HST on what you bill
Taxes for contractors in California
Whether construction services are taxed depends on the state, and many states don't tax them. Check California's rules; anything you sell as a product is usually taxed at 7.25% plus local tax.
- Subcontractors you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 need a 1099-NEC by January 31, so collect a W-9 before you pay them.
- In many states contractors pay sales tax on materials when they buy them instead of charging it on the job. The rules vary by state and by the kind of job.
- Tools and equipment can usually be written off in the year you buy them, or over several years.
What SumSwift does for contractors and trades, for $79 a month
- Materials sorted as the cost of the job, with job costing to see what each job made
- Subcontractor lists for 1099s or T4A and T5018 slips, with who you still need a W-9 or business number from
- Progress bills and holdbacks tracked until they're released
- Cheques written and printed in SumSwift, and "CHEQUE 104" on a statement asked about once
- Big purchases get one question, "Is this equipment?", so they're written off over the right years
- A mileage log (a CRA logbook in Canada) and the business share of your vehicle worked out for taxes
- Receipts snapped with your phone or forwarded by email are read and matched to the charge
Up to 3 accounts included. Prices in USD. Your accountant still files your tax return, with clean books and free access.