Currently available for select engagements

Hire Bookkeeper for Architecture Firms

Most architecture firms owners know their bank balance but not their margins.

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Architecture Firms — Bookkeeper

A senior bookkeeper for architecture firms

Most architecture firms owners know their bank balance but not their margins. The books here cover project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses. The gap between those two numbers is where bookkeeping earns its keep: categorised, reconciled, and reported monthly.

Behind that is a familiar pattern: project files, consultant drawings, and client revisions scatter across inboxes and drives. Receipts pile up, invoices go out late, and the first time anyone looks closely is when a tax deadline or a loan application forces it.

The engagement usually starts with the existing books: what is categorised, what is reconciled, and what is missing. Cleanup comes first, because a monthly routine built on messy opening balances only preserves the mess.

Billing follows the pattern of stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones. The calendar is set by revenue recognition follows project phases, so work-in-progress must be reviewed monthly. The calendar is set by revenue recognition follows project phases, so work-in-progress must be reviewed monthly.

What you get

What this engagement covers for architecture firms

Chart of accounts and categorisation — Transactions are categorised against a chart built for this business: project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses. Categories match how the owner thinks about the business, not a generic template.
Invoicing and receivables — The invoicing routine matches how the business actually charges: stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones. Ageing reports show who owes what, and follow-ups are sent on a rhythm the owner approves.
Payables and expenses — Payables are tracked per supplier and per job, with due dates visible and payments approved by the owner. The books show what is owed, not just what was paid.
Payroll and contractor pay — Staff and contractor pay is handled as part of the monthly close: salaried architects plus contract visualisers and surveyors billed per project. Payroll figures reconcile to bank payments, and contractor invoices are tracked per person.
Monthly close and reports — Month-end means reconciled accounts and a readable report: what came in, what went out, what is owed, and what stands out. The owner sees the business, not a ledger dump.
Tax-season preparation — Tax season is prepared for all year: revenue recognition follows project phases, so work-in-progress must be reviewed monthly. Records are kept in a form an accountant can use directly, so year-end is a review, not a reconstruction.

The systems architecture firms businesses actually run

Built on your stack, not on top of it

Work happens in standard bookkeeping software: Xero and project-cost trackers. Bank feeds, categorisation rules, and reconciliation routines are set up once and then run monthly, with the owner able to see the books at any time.

There are limits to the role, and they protect the owner: bookkeeping is recording and reporting, not tax advice or audit. Returns and advice stay with a licensed professional, fed by books that are actually ready.

The first project should have a visible finish line: a month closed cleanly, with reconciliation done and a report the owner understands. That close is what turns a trial into a routine.

Staff pay follows salaried architects plus contract visualisers and surveyors billed per project. The recurring problem is that project files, consultant drawings, and client revisions scatter across inboxes and drives. The business sells design, planning, and project documentation.

How it works

From kickoff to delivery for architecture firms

Books review and cleanup
The review establishes the starting point: opening balances checked, uncategorised transactions cleared, and duplicates removed. Nothing is assumed correct. For architecture firms, that includes project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses.
Chart and routines set up
Setup means a chart that matches the business, rules for recurring transactions, and a simple receipt habit. The owner is not asked to become an accountant. For architecture firms, that includes stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones.
Monthly close
The monthly close runs the same way every month: categorise, reconcile, review receivables and payables, and report. Consistency is the whole point. For architecture firms, that includes salaried architects plus contract visualisers and surveyors billed per project.
Tax-season readiness
As the year progresses, the tax file builds itself: categorised deductions, reconciled accounts, and complete records, ready whenever the accountant asks. For architecture firms, that includes revenue recognition follows project phases, so work-in-progress must be reviewed monthly.

Why Omer

Why hire Omer

Accountant-ready, not accountant-dependent — the books are organised for professional review without replacing it For architecture firms, that means project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses.
Tax-season readiness built in — records are kept in a form an accountant can use directly For architecture firms, that means stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones.
No invented figures, no estimates dressed as facts — reconciled numbers only, with unusual items flagged, not smoothed over For architecture firms, that means salaried architects plus contract visualisers and surveyors billed per project.
Your books, your access — work happens in the owner's own accounting software, fully visible at any time For architecture firms, that means project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses.
Reports the owner can read — income, spending, receivables, and payables in plain language, not ledger dumps For architecture firms, that means stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones.

Outcomes

What changes in practice

What changes in practice is visibility. Instead of guessing from a bank balance, the owner sees monthly income, spending, receivables, and payables, and can spot a late payer, a rising cost, or a profitable line of work before it becomes a surprise.

The business sells design, planning, and project documentation. The books live in Xero and project-cost trackers. The books live in Xero and project-cost trackers.

If the first clean close answers your real questions, the engagement has earned its monthly rhythm. <a href="/hire/">Browse all hire engagements</a> or <a href="/contact.html">discuss your books</a> directly.

FAQ

Questions, answered

How are late-paying customers handled?

Receivables ageing is reviewed monthly, and follow-ups go out on a schedule the owner approves, so late payers surface early rather than at year-end.

What does the chart of accounts cover for architecture firms?

The books here cover project fees by phase, consultant pass-through costs, and reimbursable expenses. Categories follow how the business actually earns and spends, so monthly reports read as business sense rather than accounting jargon.

How does invoicing work for architecture firms?

Stage invoices tied to planning, tender, and construction milestones. Outstanding invoices are reviewed monthly, so late payers surface while a follow-up can still recover them.

What software do you work in?

The business's own accounting software, with bank feeds connected and receipts captured digitally, so the owner and the accountant can open the books at any time.

What do you need to start?

Access to the existing books and bank feeds, plus a short conversation about how the business charges, pays staff, and handles receipts. Cleanup comes before routine.

Currently available for select engagements