911 Bookkeepers – Financial First Responders for Louisiana HVAC Companies

5 min read · Job Costing The short answer Credit card processing fees typically run 2 to 3.5 percent of every transaction, and on a big install ticket, that can be a meaningful dollar amount that never shows up as a line item most contractors think about. Left untracked, it just quietly reduces your margin on every card payment. Tracked and priced for, it becomes a manageable, predictable cost instead of a mystery in your bank deposits. Key takeaways Card fees are usually 2 to 3.5 percent, and they add up fast on large tickets. Untracked, the fee looks like a smaller deposit, not a cost, so it hides from your margin math. Some contractors pass a portion of the fee to the customer or offer a cash discount. Compare processors periodically. Rates and structures vary more than most contractors realize. Why this fee is easy to miss When a customer pays by card, the deposit that lands in your bank account is already net of the processing fee. Most contractors just see a slightly ...

5 min read · Job Costing The short answer Warranty work and callbacks are jobs where a tech returns to fix something, often at no charge to the customer, and the cost lands entirely on you. If it is not tracked, it disappears into general labor and materials and quietly drags down the margin on whatever original job it is tied to. Tracking it separately shows you which jobs, techs, or equipment lines generate the most repeat visits, which is often where a pricing, training, or supplier problem is hiding. Key takeaways Warranty and callback labor is a real cost even though the customer is not billed again. Untracked, it hides inside your normal labor numbers and understates true job cost. Patterns in callbacks point to training gaps, bad parts, or underpriced jobs. A callback rate by tech or job type is a number worth watching monthly. Why callbacks are more expensive than they look A callback costs a full truck roll, a tech's time, and sometimes parts, and none of it ge...

6 min read · Job Costing, Growth The short answer A loan puts the asset and the debt on your books and builds equity as you pay it down. A lease usually keeps payments off your balance sheet as debt and may offer lower monthly payments, but you often do not own the asset at the end. For an HVAC contractor deciding how to finance a truck, a diagnostic tool, or shop equipment, the right answer depends on how long you plan to keep it, how it affects your cash flow, and how it looks to a lender evaluating your business later. Key takeaways A loan builds ownership. A lease often trades ownership for lower monthly payments. The choice affects your balance sheet, which matters if you apply for financing later. Match the financing term to how long you will actually use the asset. Run the payment against your slowest month, not your best one. What each option does to your books A financed purchase shows up as an asset and a matching liability, and you depreciate the asset over time....

5 min read · Job Costing, Growth The short answer Adding a second truck makes sense once your current truck is turning away work, revenue per truck comfortably clears your cost per truck, and you have the cash or financing to cover a new truck's fixed cost before it produces a dollar. Buying a truck because you are busy this month is a gut call. Buying one because the numbers support it is a business decision. The difference shows up on the P&L a year later. Key takeaways Being busy is not the same as being ready to add overhead. A second truck should already be paid for by the backlog you are turning away. Know your cost per truck before you add another one to carry. Financing terms matter as much as the sticker price. The question behind the question Most contractors ask can I afford a second truck when the better question is whether the first truck is proving the model works. If your existing truck and tech are consistently profitable, covering cost per truck wit...