# QuickBooks for contractors: the right version, real job costing and a sync that keeps the books matched to the jobs

Most small contractors should run QuickBooks Online Plus: it adds projects and class tracking for job costing, and Intuit stopped selling Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus to new US buyers in 2024. BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks, so every job's billing lands in your books without retyping.

## Key takeaways

- QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced is where job costing starts: projects and classes aren't in Simple Start or Essentials.
- New US buyers can't purchase QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus or Premier Plus; Desktop Enterprise is still sold.
- Most sync problems come from two systems writing the same records. Decide which tool owns customers, invoices and payments.
- BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks, and handles the calls, follow-up and quoting that QuickBooks doesn't.

## What does the BRIX QuickBooks integration do?

The BRIX QuickBooks integration syncs three things: **customers**, **invoices** and **payments**. When BRIX books a new customer, invoices a finished job and records the payment, those records show up in QuickBooks so your accounts receivable, revenue and bank deposits line up with the work your crews did. Your bookkeeper reconciles; nobody retypes.

**What lives where**

| Record | Where it starts | In QuickBooks? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Calls, leads, follow-ups | BRIX (AI receptionist, sales automation) | No. QuickBooks isn't a CRM |
| Customers | BRIX customer record | Yes, synced |
| Quotes and estimates | BRIX, built on site | Stay in BRIX until won and invoiced |
| Jobs and schedule | BRIX scheduling and dispatch | No |
| Invoices | Created from finished jobs in BRIX | Yes, synced |
| Payments | Recorded against the invoice | Yes, synced |
| Expenses, bills, payroll, bank feeds | Your QuickBooks file | Already there; BRIX helps keep expenses categorized |

_Sync scope as listed in BRIX's feature list. Ask us during setup how your accounts, items and tax settings will map._

That split matters. QuickBooks is excellent at being the books. It was never built to answer a call at 9 p.m., chase an estimate, or remind a homeowner about an invoice. BRIX does the work that happens before and after the invoice, and QuickBooks stays the ledger your accountant trusts.

## QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop: which is better for contractors?

For most small and mid-size trades shops, QuickBooks Online is the practical choice in 2026. Intuit stopped selling new subscriptions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus and Enhanced Payroll to US customers after September 30, 2024. Existing subscribers can keep renewing, and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is still sold, including industry editions for contractors. New buyers choosing between the two are really choosing between QuickBooks Online and Desktop Enterprise.

**QuickBooks options for a contractor buying today (US)**

| Option | Who it fits | Job costing | Watch out for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| QuickBooks Online Simple Start / Essentials | Solo operators who just need invoicing and expenses | No projects or classes | You'll outgrow it once you want profit by job |
| QuickBooks Online Plus | Most 1–25 person trades shops | Projects (income and costs per job) and up to 40 classes and locations | 5 users included |
| QuickBooks Online Advanced | Larger shops with more users and reporting needs | Advanced project financials, estimate vs. actuals, unlimited classes | Price; 25 users included |
| QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise (contractor edition) | Commercial and construction firms with heavy job costing | Job Costing Center, committed costs and work-in-progress reports, change orders | Desktop install or hosting; pricing by quote |
| Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus | Existing subscribers only | Basic job tracking | Not sold to new US subscribers since Sept 30, 2024 |

_Verified 2026-10-12 from Intuit's pricing page, the QuickBooks Desktop stop-sell announcement and Intuit's Enterprise contractor job costing page._

**QuickBooks Online list prices (US), per month**

| Plan | List price | Users | Job costing tools |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Simple Start | $38 | 1 | None |
| Essentials | $85 | 3 | None |
| Plus | $140 | 5 | Project profitability; 40 classes and locations |
| Advanced | $340 | 25 | Advanced project financials; unlimited classes and locations |

_From quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing on 2026-10-12. Intuit was showing 50% off for the first 3 months on each plan. Prices change often; check the page before buying._

So what's the best QuickBooks version for contractors? If you want to see profit by job and you're not a large commercial builder, **QuickBooks Online Plus** is the usual answer. Go to Advanced when you need more than five users or estimate-versus-actual reporting. Desktop Enterprise makes sense for firms whose accountant already runs it and who need committed-cost and WIP reporting. Is there a "QuickBooks Contractor Edition"? Yes, as an industry edition of Desktop Enterprise. The old Premier Contractor edition falls under the Premier stop-sell for new US buyers.

## How do you do job costing in QuickBooks?

In QuickBooks Online, job costing means tagging every income and cost transaction to a job so you can run profit by job. You do it with **projects** (one project per job, available in Plus and Advanced) or **classes** (one class per job type, crew or division), or both. Projects answer "did the Miller kitchen make money?" Classes answer "is our install division more profitable than service?"

**Projects vs. classes for contractors**

|  | Projects | Classes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Best for | Profit on an individual job | Profit by job type, division, crew or trade |
| Plans | QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced | QuickBooks Online Plus (up to 40 with locations), Advanced (unlimited) |
| How you tag | Pick the project in the Customer/Project field on invoices, bills, checks and expenses | Pick a class on the whole transaction or on each line |
| Reports | Project profitability; Advanced adds estimate vs. actuals | Profit and loss by class |
| Typical use | Remodels, installs, multi-visit jobs | Service vs. install, residential vs. commercial |

_From Intuit's help articles on projects and class tracking, checked 2026-10-12._

1. **Turn on the tools.** In QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced, turn on projects, and if you'll use classes, turn on class tracking under Settings, Account and settings, Advanced. Decide whether classes apply to the whole transaction or each line.
2. **Set up a contractor chart of accounts.** Split cost of goods sold into labor, materials, subcontractors and equipment so job reports mean something. Start from our [contractor chart of accounts](https://www.brix.so/templates/quickbooks-chart-of-accounts-for-contractors).
3. **Tag income to the job.** Every invoice goes to the right customer and project. When invoices come from BRIX, they arrive in QuickBooks against the customer, so your bookkeeper isn't guessing.
4. **Tag costs to the job.** Materials, subcontractor bills and equipment rentals get the project (and class) when they're entered, not at year-end. Mark costs billable if you pass them through.
5. **Get labor onto the job.** Labor is usually the biggest cost and the one most often missing. Track hours by job and bring labor cost into the project. BRIX's crew timesheets keep job hours on the job record.
6. **Review monthly.** Run project profitability or profit and loss by class every month and compare against what you quoted.

Step-by-step screens are in [how to do job costing in QuickBooks](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-do-job-costing-in-quickbooks), and the trade-offs are in [QuickBooks classes vs. projects](https://www.brix.so/learn/quickbooks-classes-vs-projects). If you bill large jobs in stages, QuickBooks Online supports progress invoicing from an estimate on all plans; if you use projects, add the estimate to the project before creating the progress invoices. See [progress billing](https://www.brix.so/learn/progress-billing).

## One-way vs. two-way QuickBooks sync: what's the difference?

A one-way sync pushes records from your field software into QuickBooks and never reads anything back. A two-way sync also brings changes made in QuickBooks back into the field software, such as a payment recorded by your bookkeeper. Two-way sounds better, but only if both systems agree on which one owns each record. Otherwise it just copies mistakes in both directions faster. More in [two-way sync](https://www.brix.so/learn/two-way-sync).

**How common field service apps sync with QuickBooks Online**

| App | What it sends to QuickBooks Online | Direction |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jobber (new integration) | Clients, products and services, invoices, payments (including payouts, tips, refunds), timesheets | One way, Jobber to QuickBooks; "Paid" status no longer syncs back. No QuickBooks Desktop sync. |
| Housecall Pro | Invoices, payments (including service plan payments), new customers, new price book items | Typically one way; QuickBooks payments can be pulled in manually |
| ServiceTitan | Invoices, payments and other financial records, exported in batches | Supports QuickBooks Online and Desktop; payment terms export only to Desktop and Intacct |

_From each vendor's help center, checked 2026-10-12. Integrations change; read the current article before you connect._

## What are the most common QuickBooks sync problems?

The most common QuickBooks sync problems are duplicate customers, duplicate invoices, payments that don't close invoices, and mismatched items or tax settings. Almost all of them trace back to one cause: more than one system, or more than one person, creating the same record.

- **Two writers, one invoice.** Your field app syncs the invoice, then someone also types it into QuickBooks. Now revenue is doubled. Fix: one system creates invoices; QuickBooks receives them.
- **Duplicate customers.** "Bob Smith" in one tool and "Robert Smith" in the other. The sync creates a second customer. Fix: clean up names before the first sync and keep creating customers in one place.
- **Merging the wrong way.** Merging duplicate customers in QuickBooks can break the link an integration uses to match records. Check your integration's instructions before you merge anything.
- **Payments recorded twice.** A payment is recorded in the field app and the bookkeeper also matches the bank deposit to a new payment in QuickBooks. Fix: match the bank deposit to the synced payment instead of creating a new one.
- **Item and tax mapping.** Line items and sales tax codes that don't map cleanly land in the wrong income account. Fix: agree the mapping with your bookkeeper at setup.
- **Payment terms and due dates.** Some integrations don't carry terms into QuickBooks Online, which changes due dates in your aging report. Check after the first sync.

> **If you run Jobber, Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan and BRIX**
>
> Don't let two systems send the same invoices to QuickBooks. Decide which one owns invoicing and the QuickBooks connection, and leave the other one's QuickBooks sync for those records off. We'll set this up with you; see [Jobber](https://www.brix.so/integrations/jobber), [Housecall Pro](https://www.brix.so/integrations/housecall-pro) and [ServiceTitan](https://www.brix.so/integrations/servicetitan).

## How to connect BRIX to QuickBooks

1. **Clean up first.** Merge obvious duplicate customers and make sure your QuickBooks is reconciled through last month.
2. **Pick the owner of each record.** Customers, invoices and payments from BRIX; bills, payroll and bank feeds stay in QuickBooks.
3. **Map accounts and items.** Decide which income accounts and sales tax settings BRIX invoices should use. Bring your bookkeeper into this step.
4. **Connect and test.** Connect BRIX to QuickBooks, send one test invoice and payment, and check they land on the right customer and account.
5. **Reconcile after the first month.** Match deposits to synced payments, check AR aging, and fix any mapping before it compounds.

Setting up QuickBooks from scratch? Read the [QuickBooks setup guide for contractors](https://www.brix.so/guides/quickbooks-setup-for-contractors) first, then come back here.

## Do you need a CRM if you already use QuickBooks?

Yes, if you want to stop losing jobs before they're invoiced. QuickBooks tracks money after a sale. It doesn't answer calls, track leads, follow up estimates, schedule crews or remind customers. A CRM that syncs with QuickBooks handles everything up to the invoice and hands clean records to the books. That's the job BRIX does: the [AI receptionist](https://www.brix.so/features/ai-receptionist) answers, [quotes](https://www.brix.so/features/quotes-estimates) go out on site, [invoices](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments) get chased, and [bookkeeping help](https://www.brix.so/features/bookkeeping-taxes) keeps expenses categorized and your books tax-ready.

## QuickBooks by trade

**What each trade should set up in QuickBooks**

| Trade | Set up | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HVAC | Classes for service, install and maintenance agreements | Maintenance revenue and install margins behave very differently |
| Plumbing | Projects for repipes and remodels; service work by class | Big jobs need job costing; service calls need volume reporting |
| Electrical | Projects for panel upgrades and new construction | Permits, materials and inspections stretch over weeks |
| Roofing | Projects per roof; track insurance and deposit payments | Insurance-funded jobs pay in pieces |
| General contracting | Projects, progress invoicing, retainage accounts | Draws and [retainage](https://www.brix.so/learn/retainage) need clean tracking |
| Landscaping | Classes for maintenance routes vs. installs | Recurring route revenue and install jobs have different margins |

BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks, so the books match the jobs. It also answers the calls, follows up the estimates, chases the invoices and keeps expenses categorized, which is the work QuickBooks leaves to you.

- [QuickBooks sync](https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks): Syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks so the books match the jobs.
- [Invoicing and payments](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments): Turns finished jobs into invoices and politely chases unpaid ones until the money is in your account.
- [Bookkeeping and tax help](https://www.brix.so/features/bookkeeping-taxes): Keeps expenses categorized, tracks 1099 subcontractors and sales tax, and reminds you of quarterly estimated tax dates. BRIX does not file taxes or give tax advice.
- [CRM](https://www.brix.so/features/crm): One record for every customer, lead, call, job, quote and invoice.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does BRIX work with QuickBooks Online or Desktop?

BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks. Tell us whether you're on QuickBooks Online or Desktop during setup and we'll confirm how the connection works for your file. Most new contractors start on QuickBooks Online, since Desktop Pro Plus and Premier Plus are no longer sold to new US subscribers.

### Is the BRIX QuickBooks sync one-way or two-way?

BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments with QuickBooks. Which direction each record flows is configured during setup so only one system owns each record. That prevents the duplicate invoices and customers that cause most sync problems. Ask us to walk through your exact setup before you connect.

### Which QuickBooks is best for contractors?

For most small and mid-size trades businesses, QuickBooks Online Plus. It adds projects and class tracking, which you need for job costing, and includes five users. Move to Advanced for more users or estimate-versus-actual reports, or consider Desktop Enterprise if you're a larger construction firm with heavy job costing.

### Is there a QuickBooks Contractor Edition?

Yes. Intuit sells QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise with industry editions, including one for contractors, with a Job Costing Center, committed-cost and work-in-progress reports, and change order tools. The older Premier contractor edition isn't available to new US subscribers.

### How often should my field software sync with QuickBooks?

Records should sync as they happen or at least daily, so your accountant sees current numbers. What matters more is a weekly check: unmatched deposits, open invoices that were actually paid, and new duplicate customers. Fix them weekly while they're small.

### How do I fix duplicate customers caused by a QuickBooks integration?

Stop the duplicates first by deciding which system creates customers. Then clean up the existing ones following your integration's instructions, because merging in QuickBooks can break the link the sync uses. Back up or export before merging.

### Can I do job costing in QuickBooks Online?

Yes, in Plus and Advanced. Use projects to track income and costs for each job, and classes to compare job types or divisions. Tag every invoice, bill and expense to the job when it's entered, and bring labor costs in, or the job reports will overstate profit.

### Do quotes and estimates sync to QuickBooks?

BRIX syncs customers, invoices and payments. Quotes stay in BRIX, where they're followed up automatically; once the job is done and invoiced, the invoice and its payment flow into QuickBooks.

### Can I sync progress billing to QuickBooks?

QuickBooks Online supports progress invoicing from an estimate on all its plans. If you use projects, add the estimate to the project before you create progress invoices. Talk to us about how your staged billing should map before you connect.

### Does BRIX replace QuickBooks?

No. QuickBooks stays your accounting system and the file your accountant works in. BRIX handles calls, follow-up, quoting, scheduling and invoicing, keeps expenses categorized, and syncs customers, invoices and payments into QuickBooks.

## Related

- [Bookkeeping for contractors that keeps your books tax-ready all year](https://www.brix.so/features/bookkeeping-taxes)
- [Contractor invoicing software that sends the invoice and chases the money](https://www.brix.so/features/invoicing-payments)
- [How to Set Up QuickBooks for a Contracting Business](https://www.brix.so/guides/quickbooks-setup-for-contractors)
- [How to Do Job Costing in QuickBooks Online](https://www.brix.so/learn/how-to-do-job-costing-in-quickbooks)
- [QuickBooks Classes vs. Projects: What's the Difference?](https://www.brix.so/learn/quickbooks-classes-vs-projects)
- [What Is Two-Way Sync?](https://www.brix.so/learn/two-way-sync)
- [What Is Job Costing?](https://www.brix.so/learn/job-costing)
- [QuickBooks Chart of Accounts for Contractors (Import CSV)](https://www.brix.so/templates/quickbooks-chart-of-accounts-for-contractors)
- [Jobber integration: keep Jobber, add BRIX's AI on top](https://www.brix.so/integrations/jobber)
- [ServiceTitan integration: keep ServiceTitan, add BRIX's AI on top](https://www.brix.so/integrations/servicetitan)

## Sources

- [Intuit, QuickBooks Online pricing](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/pricing/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit QuickBooks Blog, QuickBooks Desktop to stop selling to new U.S. subscribers](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/whats-new/quickbooks-desktop-stop-sell/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit, QuickBooks Desktop](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/desktop/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit, QuickBooks Enterprise contractor job costing](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/enterprise/industry-solutions/contractor/job-costing/) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit Help, Create projects in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/small-business-processes/projects-faq/L5Jnvtk7v_US_en_US) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit Help, Turn on class tracking](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/regular-payroll/set-up-class-tracking/00/369849) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Intuit Help, Set up and send progress invoices in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-global/help-article/invoicing/set-send-progress-invoices-quickbooks-online/L0Ymm6WjR_ROW_en) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Jobber Help Center, QuickBooks Integration FAQs (new integration)](https://help.getjobber.com/hc/en-us/articles/12642621815831) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [Housecall Pro Help, QuickBooks Online: Syncing Information from Housecall Pro](https://help.housecallpro.com/en/articles/6293215-quickbooks-online-syncing-information-from-housecall-pro) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [ServiceTitan Help, Accounting integrations](https://help.servicetitan.com/landing-page/accounting-integrations) (checked 2026-10-12)
- [ServiceTitan Help, Due date changes when exported to QuickBooks Online](https://help.servicetitan.com/v1/docs/due-date-changes-to-after-invoice-date-when-exported-to-qbo) (checked 2026-10-12)

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Written by BRIX Editorial Team. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Canonical: https://www.brix.so/integrations/quickbooks