Construction
Accounting, tax, and advisory built for contractors and builders — from job costing and WIP to bonding, taxes, and the bottom line.
Overview
Construction runs on tight margins, long project cycles, and cash flow that rarely matches the schedule. Pease Bell works with contractors, subcontractors, and builders who need a CPA firm fluent in WIP schedules, change orders, retainage, and the demands of sureties and lenders. Based in Cleveland, Ohio and serving clients across all 50 states, we combine the depth of a Top 200 U.S. firm with a boutique, partner-led touch. Whether you self-perform, manage subs, or run multiple entities across state lines, we help you read your numbers, plan for tax, and build a stronger financial foundation on every job.
How we help contractors
Practical accounting, tax, and advisory work tailored to how construction companies actually operate.
Job Costing & WIP Reporting
We build and review work-in-progress schedules, track over- and under-billings, and tie job costing to your financials so you know which projects are actually making money.
Revenue Recognition (ASC 606)
We apply percentage-of-completion and ASC 606 correctly to long-term contracts, handling contract modifications, variable consideration, and the disclosures your auditors and sureties expect.
Financial Statement Audits & Reviews
We deliver audits, reviews, and compilations that satisfy sureties and lenders, presented in the format bonding agents look for so your credit and bonding capacity stay strong.
Bonding & Surety Support
We work alongside your surety and agent to strengthen bondability, improve working capital presentation, and answer the questions underwriters ask about backlog and job status.
Construction Tax Planning & Compliance
We manage equipment depreciation, bonus and Section 179 planning, the look-back method, multi-state filings, and prevailing-wage considerations to keep your tax position efficient and compliant.
Outsourced Accounting & CFO Support
Our client accounting services cover bookkeeping, monthly close, cash flow forecasting, and CFO-level guidance so you get timely numbers without building out a full back office.
Contact Us
Tell us about your projects and a member of our construction team will be in touch.
The pressures we help you manage
Construction accounting is unforgiving: a small error in your WIP schedule or revenue timing can distort profit, spook a surety, or trigger a tax surprise. Here are the pressures we help contractors stay ahead of.
- ✓WIP accuracy and billings — Keeping over- and under-billings, estimated costs, and percentage complete accurate so reported profit reflects reality on each job.
- ✓Bonding capacity — Presenting working capital and financials in a way that supports your bonding line and gives your surety confidence.
- ✓Revenue recognition — Applying percentage-of-completion and ASC 606 to contracts, change orders, and claims without misstating earnings.
- ✓Cash flow and retainage — Managing the gap between costs incurred, progress billings, and retainage held so you are not funding jobs out of pocket.
- ✓Multi-state and prevailing wage — Handling nexus, apportionment, and prevailing-wage requirements when work crosses state and jurisdiction lines.
Why contractors choose Pease Bell
We speak construction
WIP schedules, change orders, retainage, backlog, and bonding are everyday language for our team. You spend less time explaining your business and more time acting on numbers you can trust.
Partner-led, boutique touch
You work directly with senior professionals who know your jobs and your surety, not a rotating cast. Full service, boutique touch, with the resources of a Top 200 U.S. CPA firm behind them.
Nationwide reach from Cleveland
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio and serving contractors in all 50 states, we handle multi-state filings, prevailing-wage rules, and projects that cross jurisdictions without missing a beat.
Construction Team
Jennifer A. Barnes, CPA, MT
Partner
Dan Black, CPA
Manager
Russell Burgett, CPA
Partner
Charles Federanich, CPA, MT, AEP
Senior Advisor
Todd M. Kennedy, CPA
Partner
Sarah Koderl, CPA
Manager
Matthew Migal, CPA, MBA
Director
Robert P. Mikovsky, CPA
Partner
Kathleen Moran, CPA, MBA, MT
Partner
Joe Rokas, CPA
Director
Construction insights from our team
Practical guidance on the accounting and tax issues that hit contractors hardest.
- Revenue recognition
ASC 606 revenue recognition: what auditors scrutinizeDirectly relevant to contractors applying percentage-of-completion under ASC 606.
- Equipment depreciation
100% bonus depreciation is back, and now permanentKey for contractors buying equipment and vehicles; ties to tax planning capability.
- Equipment write-offs
Section 179 deduction: write off equipment in year onePairs with bonus depreciation for contractor equipment purchases.
- Tax reporting
The OBBBA Act: Form 1099 reportingRelevant to contractors managing subcontractor and vendor 1099 obligations.
Construction accounting FAQs
What is a WIP schedule and why does it matter?
A work-in-progress (WIP) schedule reconciles each contract’s total value, costs incurred, estimated costs to complete, percentage complete, and billings to date. It matters because it drives how much revenue and profit you recognize under percentage-of-completion, and it reveals over- and under-billings. Sureties and lenders read your WIP closely, so an accurate, well-presented schedule protects both your reported earnings and your bonding capacity.
How does ASC 606 affect construction revenue recognition?
ASC 606 governs how contractors recognize revenue on long-term contracts, generally over time as work is performed. It requires you to identify performance obligations, allocate the transaction price, account for variable consideration and change orders, and provide specific disclosures. For most contractors this looks similar to traditional percentage-of-completion, but the documentation, contract analysis, and disclosure requirements are more rigorous.
Do you help contractors satisfy surety and bonding requirements?
Yes. We prepare audits, reviews, and compilations in the format sureties and bonding agents expect, and we present working capital and financial results in a way that supports your bonding line. We also work directly with your surety and agent to answer questions about backlog, job status, and financial trends so your bonding capacity stays strong.
Can contractors still use bonus depreciation and Section 179?
Yes. Both remain available for qualifying equipment and vehicles, and 100% bonus depreciation has been restored on a permanent basis. Section 179 lets you expense qualifying purchases up to annual limits, while bonus depreciation applies more broadly. The right mix depends on your income, entity structure, and state rules, which is why we plan equipment purchases with tax impact in mind.
How do you handle multi-state and prevailing-wage work?
We manage the state tax and compliance issues that come with working across jurisdictions, including nexus, income apportionment, and multi-state filing obligations. For public and government projects, we help you account for prevailing-wage and certified-payroll requirements. Serving contractors in all 50 states, we are used to projects that cross state and municipal lines.
What size construction companies do you work with?
We work with contractors, subcontractors, and builders across a wide range of sizes, from growing single-entity firms to established companies running multiple entities and out-of-state projects. As a Top 200 U.S. CPA firm with a boutique, partner-led approach, we scale the engagement to your needs, whether that is an annual audit, ongoing outsourced accounting, or full CFO-level advisory support.