The Best Accounting Software for Plumbers

As a plumber, your focus usually rests on the essential work of installing, servicing, and maintaining the systems, bringing water and gas into people’s homes and business places. You’re the expert in fittings, pipes, and fixtures, ensuring everything flows smoothly and safely. Therefore, it’s important that nothing disrupts your capacity for practical problem-solving as you handle different plumbing projects.

However, the reality of running a plumbing business goes beyond just knowing the tools of your trade. At times, managing the administrative side of things can often be daunting and leave you feeling like you’re navigating an endless maze of paperwork. Juggling invoices, keeping track of expenses for materials and labor, and dealing with the varied costs of different projects can quickly become overwhelming.

Many plumbers find themselves spending countless hours on tasks that take them away from what they do best: providing excellent plumbing services. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

This article will guide you through the best accounting programs designed to alleviate these administrative burdens and streamline your plumbing business. We’ll explore the top 5 accounting software options available to you, highlighting their key features, benefits, and costs.

Our best tested picks

• Zoho – Best for comprehensive accounting
• Xero – Best for user-friendly accounting
• Melio – Best for payment processing
• Moss – Best for expense management
• FreshBooks – Best for intuitive, service-based accounting

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Zoho

Starting at
$10 p/month

Expert review

4.7 / 5

• Free trial

Read more

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Xero

Starting at
$2.90 p/month

Expert review

4.5 / 5

• Free trial

Read more

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Melio

Starting at
$19 p/month

Expert review

4.3 / 5

• Free trial

Read more

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Moss

Starting at
$0 p/month

Expert review

4.2 / 5

• Free trial

Read more

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Freshbooks

Starting at
$6.30 p/month

Expert review

4.1 / 5

• Free trial

Read more

These are the best accounting programs for plumbers

This list was carefully put together after extensive research and testing of different accounting software solutions. We understand that plumbers may all have unique needs, depending on how they work, so our selection process went beyond general accounting features.

We go deeper into how each software specifically addresses the challenges faced by plumbing professionals. We considered factors such as ease of use for those who may not have a strong accounting background, the ability to manage project-specific finances, and the practicality of using the software on the go.

Our selection criteria aims to reflect the core requirements of a successful plumbing business:

• Ease of invoicing and payment processing: After hard work, one doesn’t want to go through complex invoice making. This software helps you generate professional invoices quickly and customize them with your business branding. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about recurring invoices for your regular clients.
  
• Expense tracking for materials and jobs: Tracking costs is one of the most important aspects of a business. It helps you stay on top of your financial obligations, reduce extra costs, and save money. Tracking material costs, labor expenses, and managing receipts are necessary to measure profitability accurately.
  
• Integration with other tools plumbers use: As a busy worker, you don’t want to handle multiple apps. These tools are easily compatible with plumbing software like work scheduling, customer relationship management (CRM), and inventory management.
  
• Reporting and tax compliance features: Tax compliance is another big part of the business. No one wants those hefty penalties. These tools provide comprehensive financial reports, including profit and loss statements and balance sheets, track key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the health of your plumbing business, analyze project profitability to inform pricing decisions, and simplify tax preparation by providing accurate and organized financial data.
  
• Mobile accessibility for on-site management: Easy accessibility is an advantage for site workers that enables you to access and manage your accounting software from smartphones and tablets, allowing for on-site invoicing, expense tracking, and real-time access to financial data.

Read on to learn the best accounting software to help you control your finances and allow you to focus on delivering quality plumbing services.

Top 5 Accounting Programs for Plumbers

Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 accounting programs that can make a significant difference in how you manage your plumbing business. Each of these platforms offers a range of features tailored to streamline your financial operations, but they also have unique strengths. We’ll explore what each program brings to the table, specifically for plumbers.

#1 Zoho – Comprehensive Accounting for Growing Plumbing Businesses

Serving businesses from 1996, Zoho offers a full package to individuals and big companies. Zoho Billing is such a robust accounting solution within the Zoho suite that it is well-suited for growing plumbing businesses needing a platform for their comprehensive financial management. Zoho CRM is another rich feature in the pack, as it easily manages workflow, service, and scheduling in a single place.

Expert score 4.7

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Key Features

Invoicing and Quoting

• With Zoho billing, users can create professional invoices and quotes and customize them with the company’s logo, brand colors, and legal language.
• Managing recurring clients becomes easy as the invoices for regular clients are automated.
• Direct payment gateways can be integrated into a single platform.

Expense Tracking

• Easy auto scan option to upload the receipt to update the expense information.
• Categorize expenses by project to easily assess the profit and loss statements.
• Real-time metered cost tracking option.

Comprehensive Business Insights

• Easily generate financial reports (profit and loss, balance sheet)
• Track KPIs to assess business health
• Simplify tax preparation.

Mobile Accessibility

• Access Zoho Billing and manage tasks on-site with iOS and Android mobile apps.

Integrations

• Integrates with other Zoho applications and may offer integrations with third-party tools like scheduling apps and CRM systems.
• There is an API available for custom integrations.

Key Benefits for Your Plumbing Business

• Supports billing per project or hour, project-based invoicing, and managing retainers/deposits.
• Caters to both solo plumbers and plumbing businesses with employees.
• Accurate and easy expense tracking with a receipt reading facility.
• Enables accurate job costing for correct pricing.
• Increases efficiency with mobile accessibility.
• Provides data-driven insights to improve structure and cost for better profitability.

Zoho: Customer Support

• Comprehensive Online Resources: Nowadays, going online is the way to go. You can visit Zoho’s extensive knowledge bases and frequently asked questions (FAQs) section to find answers to common inquiries.
• Various Reachout Channels: To solve your queries, you can contact Zoho’s support team via email, phone support, and live chat. For urgent or complex matters, you can speak directly with support representatives.

#2 Xero – User-Friendly Accounting for Efficient Plumbing Management

Xero is a popular cloud-based accounting software known for its user-friendly offering for efficient plumbing business management. Like Zoho, it offers many features, including cost tracking, invoicing, and report generation. Its extensive accounting features and user-friendly interface make it a top choice for plumbers who value quality and on-the-go financial management.

Expert score 4.5

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Key Features

Online Invoicing

• Users can easily customize business invoices and quotes with logos and branding.
• Streamline payments with recurring clients by automating the process.
• Generate and send invoices easily by hand using Xero’s mobile app.
• Create automated reminders for online payments.

Invoice Payment Integration

• This software helps businesses make easy online payments through various payment integrations like the  “Pay now” button in the invoice itself.
• Online invoices help plumbers to get paid sooner.
• Various payment options like Stripe, debit, and credit cards.

Manage Expenses Better

• Xero Expenses helps plumbers track spending and manage expenses through a simple mobile application.
• Capture bills and receipts with Hubdoc.
• Employees can directly send their own expenses to a plumbing company to get reimbursed right away.
• Expense tracker reduces errors with accurate cost numbers.

Reporting and Analytics

• Helps plumbers and businesses to get an idea of short term cash-flow.
• Predictions based on past performances.
• Simplify tax preparation with organized financial records.

Key benefits for plumbers

• Easy to use and simple interface for financial management providing on-site billing and quotation.
• Customizable invoices with automation for recurring customers like commercial properties, hotels, corporate buildings, etc.
• Easy online payments are synced with invoices in different modes.
• Mobile accessibility for on-site tasks.

Xero: Customer Support

• 24/7 Availability of Online Support: The platform provides round-the-clock online support, ensuring that users can access assistance and resolve issues anytime.
• Interactive Community Forums: Xero also has a collaborative environment through community forums, where users can connect with fellow Xero users and experts to exchange knowledge, seek advice, and find solutions.
• Flexible Email and Chat Support: Similar to Zoho, Xero also provides phone, email, and live chat support.

#3 Melio – Streamlined Payment Processing for Plumbing Businesses

Melio is one of the best solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses to boost efficiency and streamline payment processing. It is mainly known for smooth payment. The integration and incredible tools offer plumbers a user-friendly way to manage their payment workflows.

Expert score 4.3

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Key Features

Payment Processing

• Melio provides various payment benefits, including 50% time savings on bill payment processes and no-cost ACH bank transfers.
• Instant payment transfer capabilities so you don’t have to wait for payments.
• Offers plumbers various online payment options for clients, including bank transfers, credit card payments, and checks, providing flexibility for both plumbers and their customers.
• It enables businesses to pay suppliers and contractors even if they prefer to receive a check. Melio can print and mail the check on your business’s behalf.

Easy Accounting Integration

• Facilitates easy online payment of invoices generated in accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero.
• Workflow becomes efficient with scheduling and tracking workflow and easy payments to vendors and workers.

Project Management

• You can efficiently time and manage the payments to suppliers and subcontractors, helping to maintain project schedules and avoid delays.
• A mobile application is available so that on-site payment requests can be made after work.

Reporting

Provides reports on payment transactions, offering valuable insights into payment history, spending trends, and outstanding payables.

Plumbing Business Benefits

• Melio is one of the most secure payment software applications, with an easy-to-use interface that saves plumbers from hassles.
• Simplifies and accelerates payments to suppliers and subcontractors, helping plumbers maintain strong relationships with vendors and secure favorable terms.
• No barrier in payment collection from clients because it offers multiple easy online payment options, making it more convenient for customers to pay invoices promptly.
• Improves cash flow management by providing greater control over when payments are sent and received, enabling plumbers to manage their working capital better.

Melio: Customer Support

• Informative Help Center: You can consult Melio’s help center, which features articles and guides designed to address common questions related to payment processing and platform usage.
• Direct Email Support Channel: You can contact Melio’s support team through email. Live chat support provides users with the opportunity to receive immediate assistance and resolve urgent issues.

#4 Moss – Comprehensive Spend Management for Plumbing Businesses

Moss is a streamlined spend management platform designed for small—to medium-sized businesses. Plumbers and plumbing businesses can use its specific tools to control spending, manage expenses, and automate financial workflows, offering greater visibility and efficiency in business operations.

Expert score 4.2

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Key Features

Expense Management

• Moss provides real-time expense tracking across all spending.
• Companies can create virtual and physical corporate cards with customizable spending limits for controlling employee expenses on equipment, materials, and travel.
• It automatically categorizes and pre-codes data for your review, saving time and work from manual calculation.
• Uses AI to categorize transactions, auto-fill accounting fields, and accelerate reviews, helping you automate manual work.
• Automatically reconciles paid items in the accounting system, reducing manual work during month-end closing.

Invoice Management

• Moss can auto-capture receipt collection via the app, Gmail, and Outlook, reducing lost receipts and improving compliance.
• Moss can be used in combination with software like Xero and DATEV to streamline workflow and invoice management.

Budgeting and Control

• Moss can help plumbers increase profitability with deeper insights into business spending patterns and budgets.
• Bank transfers integrated with your Accounts Payable and Reimbursement workflows.
• Customizable Approvals enable you to set up approval workflows tailored to your business needs.
• Easy to manage expenses through a mobile app on the go.

Plumbing-Specific Benefits

• Plumbing businesses can issue corporate cards for controlled spending on materials and fuel.
• Extra costs can be reduced with real-time expense tracking and reporting, hence increasing overall profitability.
• Simplifies expense reporting for tax purposes.
• Automated invoice processing and approval.

Moss: Customer Support

• Moss has a help center that offers self-service support options, enabling you to find solutions to common questions and issues independently.
• Users can typically reach Moss support representatives through convenient channels such as email or chat.
• Moss offers the opportunity for users to receive personalized advice and guidance through consultations with knowledgeable product experts.

#5 FreshBooks – Intuitive Accounting for Plumbing Businesses

Starting as invoice management software, FreshBooks has grown into full-fledged accounting software. It is a cloud-based accounting software made for service-based businesses. Freshbooks is a popular choice for plumbers seeking user-friendly financial management focusing on invoicing and client management.

Expert score 4.1

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Key Features

Invoicing and Quoting

• FreshBooks’s pack of invoicing features is one of the highlights of the software.
• Businesses can easily create personalized invoices, where they can add their logo and branding.
• Recurring digital invoices can be automated, and users can easily include discounts.
• You will receive an instant update when invoices are viewed or paid online.
• Create an invoice from your smartphone or tablet using the mobile app.
• Online payment integration is another benefit, as client payments are made easily through various payment gateways.

Expense Tracking

• You can connect your bank account to Freshbooks to save time from manual entry.
• Automatic mobile receipt reader helps to log and categorize expenses readily.
• Tracking expenses means your team can monitor what they’re spending on projects.

Integrations

• Integrate with various other business tools.
• FreshBooks offers an API for custom integrations.

Reporting and Analytics

• Simple dashboard where users can see the key metrics to assess business health.
• Projections and suggestions help make key changes to improve efficiency.
• Analyze project profitability.
• Categorization of expenses in FreshBooks is made with tax time in mind, so tax filing becomes a walk in the park.

Plumbing-Specific Benefits

• Provides a user-friendly platform for managing finances with options to make changes on-site.
• Immediate on-site invoicing after work, so no delays on payments.
• Can track mileage and expenses of the plumbing business.
• Various payment gateways allow plumbers to easily collect payments.

FreshBooks: Customer Support

FreshBooks is well-regarded for its customer support services, providing users with a variety of support channels and resources:

• Dedicated Support Staff Assistance: FreshBooks emphasizes the availability of its support staff, who are committed to providing assistance and guidance to users.
• Multiple Contact Options Including Phone, Email, and Chat: Users can conveniently contact FreshBooks support through various channels, including phone, email, and chat, ensuring accessibility and flexibility.
• Comprehensive Help Resources and Knowledge Base: FreshBooks provides a comprehensive help center and knowledge base, offering users a wealth of information and self-service support options.

Top 5 Accounting Applications for Plumbers Comparison Table

Without Good Accounting Software, You’re Missing Out

With the work knowledge and capability in the plumbing business, modern work requires the adaptation of technology for better efficiency. Nowadays, Plumbers face unique financial management challenges like invoicing, billing, and tax filing due to the nature of their work. These challenges can become a headache despite the hard work you are putting into plumbing work and can significantly affect your profitability and growth.

• Inefficient Financial Management: Typically, plumbers have to manage multiple clients simultaneously with varying budgets and work requirements, which create difficulties to manually maintain accurate financial records. Spreadsheets and paper-based records are time-consuming and require the skill to be used efficiently. This wastes time on financial tracking, reduces productivity and causes a lack of control over financial operations.

Difficulty Tracking Expenses and Income

• Expense Tracking: Recording expenses like fuel, labor, and materials is very important for a profitable plumbing business. Manual systems require time and effort after every project, which could become a big problem if errors occur. Accounting software helps plumbers categorize all costs accurately, helping in project costing and controlling spending.
  
• Income Tracking: Accurately recording income from diverse plumbing services, such as installations, repairs, and maintenance, can be complex without a system allowing easy categorization and tracking of revenue streams. This can result in inaccurate revenue reporting and difficulties in analyzing business performance.

Challenges in Invoicing and Getting Paid

• Invoicing: To be professional at work, creating accurate and customized invoices that capture all costs is a necessary and time-sensitive task. Manual invoicing can seem unprofessional, cause delays, and be prone to errors.
  
• Payment Processing: After hard work, one doesn’t need problems with the payment, which is why plumbers need efficient systems for processing payments, whether on-site or remotely. Without accounting software, offering clients convenient payment options, tracking outstanding invoices, and managing overdue payments is complex and can cause cash flow problems.

Lack of Insights into Business Profitability

• Job Costing: Cost tracking and estimation are crucial factors in determining the success of any business and are also required in plumbing jobs. Calculating direct and indirect expenses is essential for accurate pricing and profitability analysis.
  
• Profitability Analysis: Profitability is the key metric for any business, which helps to determine its overall health. With a detailed profit-loss analysis, plumbers can get an idea of how to focus on a specific job or client. However, without accurate financial data, identifying their most profitable services can be a struggle.
  
• Risk of Errors in Financial Records: Manual accounting methods are prone to errors in data entry, calculations, and record-keeping. These errors can lead to inaccurate financial statements, incorrect tax filings, and potential legal issues. Hiccups in record  keeping could cause difficulties in tax compliance  which could lead to heavy penalties.
  
• Time-Consuming Manual Processes: Plumbers who rely on manual accounting methods spend a significant amount of time on administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping, invoicing, and expense tracking. Time is a valuable commodity for plumbers, and saved time could be used for better customer service and planning for better spending to generate revenue.

Insight into the Financial Situation of Your Plumbing Business

Good accounting software provides useful insights into the financial health of your plumbing business.

• Real-Time Financial Reporting: Financial reports, such as profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, provided in real-time by accounting software, help you see your business’s current financial standing at any time rather than waiting for monthly or quarterly reports. This information is helpful to plumbers who want to check whether their work aligns with the project budget and whether they are meeting financial targets on time.

• Analyzing Profitability by Project or Service: Accounting software enables you to analyze the profitability of individual projects or services. This allows plumbers to see which types of plumbing jobs are most profitable and which ones might be losing money.

• Forecasting Cash Flow: Some accounting software includes cash flow prediction tools that are useful for visualizing your future cash flow based on current trends and data. This allows you to anticipate potential cash shortages or surpluses, enabling you to plan accordingly. For plumbers, this can be particularly useful for managing cash flow during slow seasons or when investing in new equipment.

• Making Data-Driven Business Decisions: Accounting software empowers you to make informed business decisions by timely delivering accurate financial data. For example, you can use financial data to decide whether to hire additional staff, invest in new marketing campaigns, or expand your service offerings. Whether you are looking for help with pricing your services, managing your expenses, or planning for growth, you can rely on data rather than guesswork.

Price Information Per Program

It’s important to consider the cost of each accounting software when making your decision. Here’s an overview of the pricing structures for the programs we’ve discussed. Pricing can change, so it’s always best to check the software provider’s website for the most current information.

Zoho Billing

Zoho Billing uses a subscription-based model.

Plans include:

• Standard: $50 per organization per month. Best suited for businesses with one-time billing requirements.
• Premium: $100 per organization per month. Best suited for businesses with one-time and subscription billing requirements.
• Custom: Contact for pricing. Best suited for enterprises with advanced billing requirements.
• Add-ons are available for users ($9/user/month), timesheet users ($3/user/month), advanced auto scans ($10/50 scans/month), branches ($12/branch/month), and timbres (Mex$69/100 timbres).

Zoho offers a 14-day free trial for the Standard and Premium plans. Prices are exclusive of local taxes.

Xero

Xero uses a subscription-based pricing model. Plans include (USD per month):

• Starter: Usually $29, now $2.90 for 3 months.
• Standard: Usually $46, now $4.60 for 3 months.
• Premium: Usually $69, now $6.90 for 3 months.
• Additional costs may apply for optional features like expenses, projects, and analytics plus.

Xero offers a 30-day free trial.

Melio

Melio’s pricing is primarily focused on transactions. There are generally no fees to receive payments.

• Fees may apply for certain payment methods, such as instant transfers.

Moss

Moss uses a modular pricing structure, determined by the chosen spend modules and add-ons, as well as the volume of transactions.

• Moss offers a free option for Corporate Cards (up to 3 users) and Accounts Payable (up to 20 invoices per month). Eligibility verification may be required.
• Pricing is customized by choosing spend modules (Corporate Cards, Employee Reimbursements, Accounts Payable), add-ons (Advanced Controlling, Advanced Accounting, Procurement, ERP), and transaction volume.

FreshBooks Pricing

FreshBooks uses a subscription-based model. Plans include (USD/month, with 70% off for 4 months):

• Lite: $6.30 (was $21.00)
• Plus: $11.40 (was $38.00) – Most Popular
• Premium: $19.50 (was $65.00)
• Select: Contact for pricing.
• Add-ons are available for Advanced Payments ($20/month), Team Members ($11/person/month), and FreshBooks Payroll ($40/month plus $6/month per user).

FreshBooks offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

When evaluating the cost of accounting software, consider not only the subscription fee but also potential additional costs, such as:

• Fees for extra users
• Add-ons or integrations
• Transaction fees
• Support costs (if applicable)

It’s also a good idea to take advantage of free trials to test the software and see if it meets your needs before committing to a paid plan.

Product	Zoho	Xero	Melio	Moss	FreshBooks
Learn more	>>>Learn More	>>>Learn More	>>>Learn More	>>>Learn More	>>>Learn More
Free trail period	14 days	30 days	30 days	30 days	30 days
Starting price	$10 p/month	$2.90 p/month	$19 p/month	Free	$6.30 p/month
Mobile Accessibility	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Payments and Banking	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Integration options	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Rating	4.7 / 5	4.5 / 5	4.3 / 5	4.2 / 5	4.1 / 5

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions plumbers might have about accounting software:

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Mark Rosbergen

Expert business software

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About Software Pointer

Softwarepointer.com is a platform that was created from a lot of passion for the accountancy profession. Founder Mark Rosbergen started the platform with aim of helping people with their entrepreneurial questions, especially in the field of accounting. With more dan 20 years of experience in accountancy, entrepreneurs are helped every day tot move forward with their business. How? Offering solutions for all entrepreneurial issues in the form of comparison tools, templates, rich articles and tops! We help your company move forward.