Public contracts demand clean books. Most contractors aren't ready.
Winning a public contract is only half the battle. The real risk is the paperwork behind it — and most RGV contractors are flying blind.
Messy Books
Receipts in a shoebox. Bank feeds ignored. Come bond application time, you have no clean financials to show a surety company — and the contract slips away.
Payroll Chaos
Misclassified workers, late filings, and missing certified payroll reports are the fastest way to lose a public contract — and face IRS penalties.
1099 Nightmare
Subcontractors paid cash, no W-9s on file, no 1099s issued. Each violation is a $280 penalty. A busy year can mean tens of thousands in IRS fines.
Blind Bidding
Without real job costing data, you're guessing on every bid. One low bid on a public project can drain six months of profit from your business.
What SmartBook Contractor Includes
Every plan is built around the six pillars RGV contractors need to stay compliant, profitable, and bond-ready.
Job Costing
Track labor, materials, and overhead by project so you know your true margin on every contract — before you bid the next one.
Payroll & Certified Payroll
Weekly payroll processing, certified payroll reports for public projects, Davis-Bacon compliance, and quarterly 941 filings.
1099 Tracking
W-9 collection, subcontractor payment tracking, and year-end 1099-NEC filing — so you're never scrambling in January.
Bond-Ready Financials
Clean balance sheets, current P&Ls, and WIP schedules that surety companies and public agencies expect before they write a bond.
P&L by Project
Monthly profit-and-loss reports broken down by job so you can see exactly which projects made money and which ones cost you.
Tax Coordination
We organize and reconcile every document your CPA needs — quarterly estimates, depreciation schedules, subcontractor records. Your tax filing becomes a formality.
Transparent Monthly Pricing
No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. One flat monthly rate that covers everything your business needs.
For solo contractors and small crews doing up to 3 active jobs.
- ✓Monthly bookkeeping
- ✓Bank & card reconciliation
- ✓Basic job costing (up to 3 jobs)
- ✓1099 tracking
- ✓Quarterly P&L report
- ✓Tax coordination package
For contractors with 4–10 active projects and a payroll to run.
- ✓Everything in Essential
- ✓Full payroll processing
- ✓Certified payroll reports
- ✓Job costing (up to 10 jobs)
- ✓Monthly P&L by project
- ✓WIP schedule
- ✓Surety-ready financial package
For established contractors pursuing large public contracts.
- ✓Everything in Growth
- ✓Unlimited job costing
- ✓Dedicated bookkeeper
- ✓Weekly check-ins
- ✓Cash flow forecasting
- ✓Davis-Bacon compliance review
- ✓Quarterly strategy call
McAllen-based bookkeepers who know the RGV contracting world
National Bookkeeping Company was founded to serve RGV small businesses that couldn't afford big-firm prices but needed big-firm accuracy. Over two decades later, we serve 30+ contractors, electricians, plumbers, and general contractors across Hidalgo and Cameron counties.
Our office is on Nolana in McAllen. Our clients are the people building schools, roads, and commercial spaces across the Valley. We understand certified payroll, surety requirements, and what it takes to survive audit season — because we've been doing it here for 20 years.
Meet the team →Frequently Asked Questions
What is SmartBook Contractor?
SmartBook Contractor is a monthly bookkeeping package built specifically for contractors doing public and commercial work in the Rio Grande Valley. It includes job costing, payroll, 1099 tracking, and bond-ready financial reporting — everything a surety company or public agency needs to see before awarding a contract.
How long does it take to get bond-ready?
Most contractors are bond-ready within 30 days of onboarding. We start with a books cleanup, reconcile your accounts, and build out the financial package your surety company requires. The timeline depends on how far back your books need to go.
Do you do tax preparation?
No — we do tax coordination. That's a meaningful difference. We organize every document your CPA needs: quarterly estimates, depreciation schedules, payroll tax filings, subcontractor records, and clean P&Ls. Your CPA spends their time on strategy, not chasing receipts. Tax coordination is included in every SmartBook Contractor plan.
Don't win the contract and lose the profit.
Get the bookkeeping infrastructure your contracting business needs — before the next bid drops. We're in McAllen, Mon–Fri 11AM–5PM.