Give every project a consistent reference
Labour, materials, subcontractors, equipment and site costs need the same job identifier across invoices, timesheets and purchase records. Approved changes are linked to the original scope so extra work does not disappear inside a general expense category.
Deposits, progress billings and holdbacks are tracked separately from ordinary overdue invoices. The contract, invoice dates and certification or notice documents help your accountant and legal adviser assess the relevant treatment and payment obligations. Bookkeeping should preserve those facts rather than infer a release date from a bank entry.
Keep site administration visible
Permit costs, parking and access charges, inspections and supplier deliveries can belong to different jobs even when one card pays them. We organize project-level documents and a payable list that distinguishes approved bills from disputed work. Ontario construction holdback and payment questions require current contract-specific review, including applicable transition rules.
Illustrative example: an occupied-building renovation
A Toronto contractor works in a commercial building where access is limited to evenings. Separate time codes for ordinary installation, after-hours work and approved extras show why labour differs from the original estimate. Matching those codes to change orders gives the owner evidence for billing instead of only a higher payroll total.
Questions about this work
Do you determine when a holdback can be released?
No. We track balances and the supporting contract dates. Legal entitlement and statutory release timing should be confirmed by the responsible adviser before money moves.
Can you show cash committed to each job?
The scope can include job costs, supplier commitments and receivables. The quality of that view depends on timely approved purchase and billing information.
Put this into practice
A practical next step
Bring the records you have.
We can identify missing information, agree on the scope and organize the next bookkeeping step.
Request a bookkeeping review