QuickBooks Chart of Accounts for Contractors (Import CSV)
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
A QuickBooks chart of accounts for contractors is a list of income, job cost, overhead, asset and liability accounts set up the way a trades business actually makes and spends money. The key is separating job costs (materials, subcontractors, field labor, permits) from overhead so your Profit and Loss shows gross profit on the work.
Key takeaways
- Download the CSV below and import it in QuickBooks Online under Settings › Import data › Chart of Accounts.
- The file has 50 accounts, using the same columns and type/detail-type spellings as Intuit's own import templates.
- Job costs go in Cost of Goods Sold, overhead in Expenses. That split is what gives you a real gross margin.
- Review it with your bookkeeper or CPA before importing, and delete accounts you won't use.
The contractor chart of accounts
Here's the full chart, grouped by QuickBooks account type. Each line shows the account number, the account name and the QuickBooks Online detail type. Subaccounts use QuickBooks' Parent:Child naming, the same way Intuit's sample templates do.
QuickBooks Online chart of accounts: contractors and service trades
Other Current Assets
13100 · Prepaid Insurance · Other Current Assets
Fixed Assets
15000 · Vehicles · Other fixed assets
15100 · Tools and Equipment · Other fixed assets
15200 · Furniture and Office Equipment · Other fixed assets
17000 · Accumulated Depreciation · Other fixed assets
Other Current Liabilities
24000 · Payroll Liabilities · Payroll Tax Payable
24600 · Customer Deposits · Other Current Liabilities
Long Term Liabilities
27000 · Vehicle and Equipment Loans · Other Long Term Liabilities
Income
40000 · Service and Repair Income · Service/Fee Income
40100 · Installation and Replacement Income · Service/Fee Income
40200 · Maintenance Agreement Income · Service/Fee Income
40300 · Parts and Materials Sales · Service/Fee Income
Cost of Goods Sold
50000 · Job Materials and Parts · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50100 · Equipment for Installs · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50200 · Subcontractors · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50300 · Field Labor · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50400 · Equipment Rental for Jobs · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50500 · Permits and Inspection Fees · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50600 · Dump and Disposal Fees · Supplies & Materials - COGS
50700 · Warranty and Callback Costs · Supplies & Materials - COGS
Expenses
60000 · Advertising and Marketing · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60010 · Advertising and Marketing:Online Ads and Lead Services · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60020 · Advertising and Marketing:Print and Vehicle Graphics · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60100 · Vehicle Expenses · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60110 · Vehicle Expenses:Fuel · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60120 · Vehicle Expenses:Repairs and Maintenance · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60130 · Vehicle Expenses:Registration and Tolls · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
60400 · Bank and Merchant Fees · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
61000 · Licenses and Permits · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
61500 · Small Tools and Supplies · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
61600 · Uniforms and Safety Gear · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
61700 · Software and Subscriptions · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
61800 · Phone and Answering Services · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
62000 · Training and Certifications · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
62400 · Depreciation Expense · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
63300 · Insurance Expense · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
63310 · Insurance Expense:General Liability · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
63320 · Insurance Expense:Commercial Auto · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
63330 · Insurance Expense:Workers Compensation · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
63400 · Interest Expense · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
64300 · Meals · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
64900 · Office Supplies and Postage · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
66000 · Payroll Expenses · Payroll Expenses
66010 · Payroll Expenses:Office Wages · Payroll Expenses
66020 · Payroll Expenses:Payroll Taxes · Payroll Expenses
66700 · Professional Fees · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
67100 · Rent · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
68600 · Utilities · Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
Other Income
70000 · Late Fees and Finance Charges · Other Miscellaneous Income
Other Expense
80000 · Ask My Accountant · Other Miscellaneous Expense
Download the template
How do you import a chart of accounts into QuickBooks Online?
In QuickBooks Online, go to Settings, choose Import data, then Chart of Accounts. Upload the CSV (or connect a Google Sheet), match your columns to QuickBooks' fields, review and import. Intuit says the file needs Account Name, Type and Detail Type columns, with Number optional.
- 1
Edit the file first
Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets. Delete accounts you won't use, rename income accounts to match your services, and keep the header row as is.
- 2
Check what's already in QuickBooks
New companies come with default accounts. Rename or make inactive the defaults you don't want, so you don't end up with two Fuel accounts.
- 3
Open the importer
In QuickBooks Online, go to Settings › Import data › Chart of Accounts, then browse to the CSV or connect the Google Sheet.
- 4
Map the columns
Match Account to Account Name, Type to Type, Detail type to Detail Type and Account No. to Account number. Intuit notes every field except Account Name can be set to No Match.
- 5
Review and import
Fix any rows QuickBooks flags (usually a misspelled type or a subaccount listed before its parent), then import.
- 6
Turn on account numbers
To see the numbers in lists and reports, turn on account numbers in your QuickBooks account settings, then check a Profit and Loss to make sure the structure reads right.
Why does a contractor need a different chart of accounts?
A contractor needs a chart of accounts that separates the cost of doing jobs from the cost of running the business. Generic setups lump materials, fuel and software into one Expenses list, so you can't see gross margin. With job costs in Cost of Goods Sold, your P&L shows revenue, minus job costs, equals gross profit, and that number tells you whether your pricing works.
| Section | What goes there | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Income | Service and repair, installs and replacements, maintenance agreements | Splitting income by type shows which work pays. Many owners find service and agreements carry better margins than installs. |
| Cost of Goods Sold | Job materials, installed equipment, subcontractors, field labor, permits, disposal, callbacks | Everything you spend because a specific job happened. Revenue minus COGS is gross margin. |
| Expenses | Marketing, vehicles, insurance, office wages, software, rent | Overhead you pay whether or not you work. See overhead. |
| Customer Deposits (liability) | Money collected before the job is done | A deposit isn't income until you do the work. Booking it as income overstates revenue. |
| Fixed Assets | Trucks, larger tools and equipment | Big purchases get depreciated rather than expensed all at once; ask your CPA how to handle them. |
Want profit by job too, not just by account? Use QuickBooks projects or classes on top of this chart. See how to do job costing in QuickBooks and QuickBooks classes vs. projects.
Example: coding a week of costs for an HVAC shop
Here's how a three-truck HVAC company would code a few typical transactions with this chart. Amounts are illustrative.
| Transaction | Account | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Supply house: capacitors, contactors, refrigerant for repair calls, $1,240 | 50000 Job Materials and Parts | Cost of Goods Sold |
| Distributor: furnace and coil for the Miller job, $3,850 | 50100 Equipment for Installs | Cost of Goods Sold |
| Electrician sub for a new circuit on an install, $450 | 50200 Subcontractors | Cost of Goods Sold |
| Mechanical permit for the Miller job, $150 | 50500 Permits and Inspection Fees | Cost of Goods Sold |
| Fuel for three trucks, $610 | 60110 Vehicle Expenses:Fuel | Expenses |
| Search ads, $900 | 60010 Advertising and Marketing:Online Ads and Lead Services | Expenses |
| Field service software subscription, $250 | 61700 Software and Subscriptions | Expenses |
| Deposit from a customer for next week's install, $1,000 | 24600 Customer Deposits | Liability (not income yet) |
How should the chart change by trade?
| Trade | Income accounts to use | Job cost accounts to add |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC | Service and Repair, Installation and Replacement, Maintenance Agreement | Refrigerant (if you want it apart from parts), Equipment for Installs |
| Plumbing | Service and Repair, Drain and Sewer, Water Heaters, Remodel and New Construction | Camera and jetter rental, Fixtures |
| Electrical | Service and Repair, Panel and Upgrade, Generator and EV Charger, New Construction | Wire and devices, Utility fees |
| Roofing | Residential Replacement, Repairs, Insurance Claims, Gutters | Dumpsters, Shingles and Underlayment, Crew Labor |
| Landscaping | Recurring Maintenance, Installs and Hardscape, Snow Removal | Plants and Mulch, Fuel for equipment, Seasonal labor |
| Cleaning | Recurring Residential, Deep and Move-out, Commercial | Cleaning supplies, Cleaner wages |
| Remodeling / GC | Contract Income, Change Order Income | Subcontractors by trade, Dumpsters, Retainage receivable (asset) if you bill with retainage |
Common chart of accounts mistakes
- Putting job materials in Expenses. Your P&L will show no gross profit line, and you'll misjudge pricing. Job costs belong in Cost of Goods Sold.
- Too many accounts. Fifty is plenty for most small shops. Use projects, classes or items for detail, not a new account for every vendor.
- Booking deposits as income. Record them to Customer Deposits until the work is done, unless your CPA tells you otherwise.
- Duplicates after import. Clean up QuickBooks' default accounts first, or you'll code fuel to two different places.
- Changing account types mid-year. Changing an account's type moves its history. Talk to your bookkeeper before you do it.
- No Ask My Accountant account. Without a parking spot for unclear transactions, they get coded wrong and stay wrong.
Frequently asked questions
What chart of accounts should a contractor use in QuickBooks?
One that separates income by type of work, puts job costs (materials, installed equipment, subcontractors, field labor, permits) in Cost of Goods Sold, and keeps overhead in Expenses. The CSV on this page is a starting point; trim it to fit your business with your bookkeeper.
What columns does the QuickBooks chart of accounts import need?
Intuit says you need Account Name, Type and Detail Type, with account Number optional. This file uses the column names from Intuit's own templates (Account No., Account, Type, Detail type, Description) and you map them during import.
How do I add subaccounts in a QuickBooks import file?
Put the subaccount in the account name column with the parent name, a colon and the subaccount name, like Insurance Expense:General Liability. List the parent account on an earlier row. Intuit's sample templates use this format.
Should labor go in Cost of Goods Sold?
Field labor on jobs usually belongs in job costs so your gross margin is accurate, while office and dispatch wages stay in overhead. How it flows depends on your payroll setup, so confirm the mapping with your bookkeeper or payroll provider.
Can I import a chart of accounts into QuickBooks Desktop with this file?
This file is formatted for QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Desktop uses different import formats and type names, so you'd need to adapt it or enter the accounts manually.
What's the difference between account type and detail type?
Account type decides how transactions hit your financial statements, for example Income versus Cost of Goods Sold. Detail type is a sub-label that, per Intuit, doesn't change your books but helps you choose and name accounts. You can change detail types later.
Does the chart of accounts affect my taxes?
It affects how easily your numbers map to your tax return. Clean categories make your CPA's job faster and help you spot deductions. It doesn't change tax rules, so ask your tax professional how each account should be reported.
Related
- What Is a Chart of Accounts?How a chart of accounts works for contractors: the five account types, a sample numbered list, job cost accounts, QuickBooks setup and mistakes to avoid.
- How to Do Job Costing in QuickBooks OnlineJob costing in QuickBooks Online: turn on Projects, set hourly cost rates, code bills and time to jobs, read project profit and avoid mistakes.
- QuickBooks Classes vs. Projects: What's the Difference?QuickBooks classes vs. projects explained for contractors: what each tracks, plan limits, how to turn them on, setups by trade and using both together.
- What Is Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a Contractor?What counts as cost of goods sold for a contractor, the COGS formula, a worked P&L example, COGS vs. overhead by trade, and IRS inventory rules.
- What Is Gross Margin?Gross margin is the share of revenue left after direct job costs. The formula, what counts as COGS for trades, and why service and install margins differ.
- Bookkeeping Checklist for Contractors (Weekly, Monthly, Year-End)A weekly, monthly, quarterly and year-end bookkeeping checklist for contractors: reconciliations, job costing, A/R review, WIP, estimated taxes and 1099s.
- Job Costing Spreadsheet TemplateFree job costing spreadsheet for contractors: estimated vs. actual cost by category, gross margin, overhead and net profit per job, plus a cost log.
- QuickBooks for contractors: the right version, real job costing and a sync that keeps the books matched to the jobsQuickBooks for contractors: Online vs Desktop, job costing with projects and classes, sync pitfalls, and how BRIX keeps QuickBooks matched to your jobs.
- Contractor invoicing software that sends the invoice and chases the moneyTurn finished jobs into invoices the same day, send polite automatic reminders on unpaid ones, and sync invoices and payments to QuickBooks.
- Bookkeeping for contractors that keeps your books tax-ready all yearContractor bookkeeping that stays current: categorized expenses, 1099 subcontractor tracking, sales tax and quarterly tax reminders, synced to QuickBooks.
Sources
- Intuit QuickBooks, Import your chart of accounts to QuickBooks Online (required columns and steps) (checked October 19, 2026)
- Intuit QuickBooks, Import Chart of Accounts templates (QuickBooks Online Excel import templates by industry) (checked October 19, 2026)
- Intuit QuickBooks Community, Learn about account types and detail types in QuickBooks Online (checked October 19, 2026)