{"id":12262,"date":"2018-12-12T11:22:10","date_gmt":"2018-12-12T16:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foundationsoft.com\/?p=12262"},"modified":"2025-05-15T13:23:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T17:23:49","slug":"what-is-a-construction-cpa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/what-is-a-construction-cpa\/","title":{"rendered":"What&#8217;s a Construction CPA: Why You Need One &#038; How to Find Yours"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p>Navigating the financial complexities of the construction industry requires specialized expertise, which is why <strong>CPA construction services have become an essential resource for contractors<\/strong> looking to maintain profitability and compliance in an increasingly regulated business environment.<\/p>\n<p>With <a href=\"\/learn\/contractors-new-revenue-recognition\/\">revenue recognition<\/a> and tax changes in play, contractors need a construction CPA firm that can help them. Not only can the rules vary by state and county, but they can also change from worker to worker.<\/p>\n<p>Add to this the challenge of keeping job costs and financial reporting precise through narrow profit margins. It\u2019s no wonder that numerous contractors turn to outside help to manage it.<\/p>\n<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/construction-accounting-software-ebook\/\" class=\"blog-cta-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2024-05-FSL-blog-post-ad-5-ways-ebook.png\" alt=\"eBook Download\" title=\"eBook Download\"><\/a>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Yet, despite the many capabilities of construction-specific CPAs, some contractors may not be sold on the full value of a CPA \u2014 and <strong>those contractors may be missing out<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__h2\" dir=\"ltr\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways_On_Finding_A_Construction_CPA\"><\/span>Key Takeaways On Finding A Construction CPA<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__ul\">\n<li class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__listItem\" value=\"1\"><strong>Construction CPAs offer specialized expertise beyond standard accounting services<\/strong>, providing valuable insights into industry-specific financial reporting and compliance requirements that can directly impact your bottom line.<\/li>\n<li class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__listItem\" value=\"2\">The right construction accountant will understand how to <strong>accurately calculate overhead rates<\/strong> and implement proper job costing structures, preventing the small financial errors that compound into major profitability issues.<\/li>\n<li class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__listItem\" value=\"3\"><strong>Working with a CPA who specializes in construction gives you a strategic partner<\/strong> who can monitor your company&#8217;s financial health and help you make data-driven decisions in an industry with notoriously tight profit margins.<\/li>\n<li class=\"PlaygroundEditorTheme__listItem\" value=\"4\">Finding <strong>the right CPA for your construction business<\/strong> requires researching professionals with industry certifications like CFMA and extensive experience working with contractors similar to your business.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_a_Construction_CPA\"><\/span>What Is a Construction CPA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>A construction-specific CPA is a certified public accountant with an experienced understanding of how construction businesses operate and handle <a href=\"\/learn\/construction-accounting-101\/#jobcosting\">job costing<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>However, construction CPAs can do much more beyond helping a company file federal, state and local tax returns or prepare financial statements.<\/p>\n<p>They also <strong>understand the specific business concerns construction companies face<\/strong> on a day-to-day basis, including financial reports like percent complete reports or <a href=\"\/learn\/wip-report-field-guide\/\">work-in-progress (WIP) reports<\/a>, as well as risk management and cost controls.<\/p>\n<p>Construction-specific CPAs have the experience to help contractors tailor their job cost structure and can also aid in the implementation of systems like <a href=\"\/software\/job-costing\/\">job cost accounting software<\/a> or ERP packages.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond that, they&#8217;re also able to act as a liaison between other industry professionals. They can <strong>help contractors establish relationships with banks<\/strong> and bonding agents.<\/p>\n<p>How can you tell if a CPA is construction-focused? A well-rounded construction CPA should have professional experience working with a wide range of contractors, they may also be certified by an industry association\u00a0like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cfma.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, they should have their finger on the pulse of the industry, so to speak. As such, they&#8217;re in a prime position to guide contractors into the best practices for their business, so they can make informed decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Which is part of what makes them so important.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_You_Need_a_Construction-Specific_CPA\"><\/span>Why Do You Need a Construction-Specific CPA?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You might think of a CPA as an industry-experienced business advisor. It\u2019s more than just taxes, financial analysis and high-level bookkeeping. They\u2019re knowledgeable in the practices and requirements that <strong>make construction businesses profitable and healthy<\/strong>, offering valuable insights that general accountants may not be able to.<\/p>\n<p>That includes those everyday improvements that can make the difference for a company.<\/p>\n<p>To start with, a construction-specific CPA can <strong>help a contractor be more precise in their cost accounting<\/strong>. When reporting for your construction business, small mistakes over time can hurt a company down the line.<\/p>\n<p>Take, for example, <a href=\"\/learn\/what-is-overhead-allocation\/\">overhead allocation<\/a>. If a contractor isn&#8217;t accurately calculating overhead rates and measuring how they impact each job, they&#8217;re likely not getting a clear picture of the real costs on each project.<\/p>\n<p>This, in turn, can lead to underestimates where they\u2019re eventually unable to cover the actual costs.<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p>Therefore, a <strong>construction accountant who knows your business can help determine <em>what<\/em> to allocate<\/strong> and <a href=\"\/learn\/overhead-allocation-methods\/\"><em>how<\/em> to do it<\/a> \u2014 because one size doesn\u2019t fit all, nor does it fit every situation.<\/p>\n<p>For example, a labor-intensive contractor may decide to allocate costs based on field hours or labor and burden costs. An excavator might choose to allocate based on their equipment hours. But it all depends on what makes sense for your company.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A construction CPA can help you make those calls.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>They can also review your books and give advice on future financial decisions based on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your company\u2019s operations<\/li>\n<li>Your past and current financials<\/li>\n<li>And industry changes like new tax laws, material price increases and more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Having<strong> an experienced expert to keep track of the financial health of your company is vital in an industry like construction<\/strong>, where precise budgeting is necessary to make better bids and win jobs. They can provide strategic guidance that keeps your construction projects profitable.<\/p>\n<p>So now that we know what a construction-specific CPA does, how can you find one?<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Find_a_Construction_CPA\"><\/span>How to Find a Construction CPA<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are a couple of different routes you can take when searching for a <strong>good construction-specific CPA<\/strong>. The first may be the easiest \u2014 ask around.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you belong to local or national construction organizations or just have friends in the business, chances are someone you know is working with a construction CPA or firm.<\/p>\n<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/learn\/#schedule-a-live-demo\" class=\"blog-cta-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/FSL-blog-post-ad-see-how.png\" alt=\"Get a Demo\" title=\"Get a Demo\"><\/a>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, if you don\u2019t know anyone using a construction CPA, you may be able to <strong>get some help from your construction accounting software provider<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Many construction-specific accounting software vendors are likely to have ties to construction CPAs. And even while they can\u2019t recommend specific names, they should be able to point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, you can search online CPA directories to find a CPA that meets your company\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<p>Can\u2019t wait to get started? <strong>Check out our own <a href=\"\/construction-cpa\/\">CPA directory<\/a>\u00a0now<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"gdlr-space\" style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a class=\"gdlr-button medium without-border\" href=\"\/construction-cpa\/\" target=\"_self\"  style=\"color:#ffffff; background-color:#000000; \"  >Find a construction CPA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With the challenge of keeping job costs and financial analysis precise through narrow profit margins, it\u2019s no wonder that numerous contractors turn to outside help to manage it. But who are these &#8220;CPA&#8221; people, and what do they have to do with you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":1683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-managing-your-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why You Need a Construction CPA and How to Find One<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find the perfect construction CPA who understands job costing, WIP reporting, and industry-specific tax strategies to maximize your profitability and ensure compliance.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foundationsoft.com\/learn\/what-is-a-construction-cpa\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What&#039;s a Construction CPA: Why You Need One &amp; How to Find Yours\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With the challenge of keeping job costs and financial analysis precise through narrow profit margins, it\u2019s no wonder that numerous contractors turn to outside help to manage it. 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