Home Service Companies
High volume means small mistakes add up fast. We track costs by service type so you know what's actually making money and what needs repricing.
The Industry
Home service companies run on volume. Whether you’re cleaning houses, treating lawns, or servicing pools, you’re completing dozens of jobs every week. Each one needs to cover labor, fuel, supplies, and drive time. At $150 or $200 per visit, there’s not much room for error on any individual job.
The financial complexity isn’t in the size of the work. It’s in the quantity. When you’re running 40 service calls a week across multiple crews and routes, tracking what each job actually costs becomes a real challenge. Most owners have a general sense of profitability but can’t tell you which services make money and which ones barely break even.
Who This Covers
Who This Covers
Cleaning services, lawn care and landscaping maintenance, pest control, pool service, window washing, pressure washing, handyman services, appliance repair, and similar residential service businesses operating in the Santa Fe area and Northern New Mexico.
What Makes It Tricky
What Makes It Tricky
Every job involves labor, drive time, fuel, and supplies. When you’re running tight routes with tight schedules, those individual costs blur together. Knowing the true cost of a $175 lawn service call requires more than just tracking payroll.
What We Handle
We set up your books to show profitability by service type. Not just total revenue for the month, but how much you actually made on recurring lawn maintenance versus one-time deep cleans versus pest control treatments. This tells you which services to push and which ones need repricing.
We also handle the New Mexico compliance side. Gross Receipts Tax has to be calculated and filed correctly. If you’re operating across multiple locations in Northern New Mexico, the rates can vary by jurisdiction. Getting this wrong creates problems with the state that compound over time.
Service Type Profitability
Service Type Profitability
We track revenue and direct costs by service category. You’ll see that pool maintenance runs at 35% margin while window washing barely hits 18%. This data informs what you quote and what work you decline.
GRT Returns
GRT Returns
Gross Receipts Tax filed accurately and on time. We track your taxable receipts by location and ensure the right rates are applied. No more guessing or hoping you calculated it correctly.
Common Problems
The most common mistake is underpricing. You quote based on time on site but forget to factor in drive time, fuel, and supplies that get used. A 90-minute job that seems profitable at $175 might actually cost $140 when you include the 45 minutes of driving and the chemicals or materials consumed.
The other issue is cash flow timing with seasonal work. Lawn care revenue drops in winter. Pool service picks up in summer. If you’re not planning for those swings, a slow month catches you without enough cash to cover payroll and fixed expenses.
Hidden Costs
Hidden Costs
Drive time between jobs, fuel for the truck, supplies consumed on site, equipment wear. These costs are real but often don’t get allocated to specific services. Your pricing ends up based on incomplete information.
Seasonal Swings
Seasonal Swings
Revenue isn’t steady throughout the year. Some months are heavy, some are light. Without cash flow awareness, a slow January creates scrambling even when the full year looks profitable.
What Changes
You stop guessing on quotes. Historical data shows what each type of service actually costs to deliver. When a customer asks for a price on recurring pest control, you have the numbers to back up your answer instead of hoping it works out.
The administrative weight lifts. GRT gets filed on time. Monthly financials are accurate and delivered without you chasing receipts. You spend your time managing routes and crews instead of sorting through bank statements on Sunday night.
Data-Backed Pricing
Data-Backed Pricing
You know exactly what it costs to send a crew for a two-hour cleaning job versus a quarterly pest treatment. Pricing becomes a math problem, not a gut feeling. You take the work that makes money and adjust what doesn’t.
Compliance Without Stress
Compliance Without Stress
GRT returns are handled. Your books are current and reviewed before delivery. When tax season arrives or you need a report for a bank, the information is ready. No scrambling or reconstruction required.
Santa Fe's Small Business Bookkeeper
The Next Step:
A Quick Conversation
Tell us about your business and what you're dealing with. We'll listen, ask a few questions, and give you a straightforward quote.
