Buildertrend runs projects for remodelers and builders: budgets, change orders, purchase orders, bills, owner invoices, and the time clock. QuickBooks Online keeps the books. Unlike most field software, Buildertrend’s connection works in both directions for some records, and the cost code mapping decides whether your job budgets and your books ever agree.
Greg Neilsen, JD, LLM (Master of Laws in Taxation), reviews our guides. Checked against Buildertrend’s help articles on October 1, 2026. Zero Tax is not affiliated with Buildertrend.
Five points. Each one is explained below.
It needs QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite. Simple Start and Essentials do not work.
From Buildertrend into QuickBooks: jobs, clients, subs, vendors, bills, owner invoices, deposit payments, credit memos, and time clock entries. Each job becomes a customer, sub-customer, or project in QuickBooks.
From QuickBooks back to Buildertrend: bill payments, invoice payments, and expenses for budget actuals. When you pay a bill in QuickBooks, Buildertrend marks it paid.
Each record type has its own trigger. Bills go over when “Send to QuickBooks” is checked or when you push them. Invoices go over when sent, if that setting is on. Time entries sync on their own if you turn it on. Deposits go over by hand once fully paid.
Example: A remodeler sets cost codes for demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing, cabinets, and finish work. Each one maps to a QuickBooks item with an income account and a cost account. A kitchen job’s QuickBooks report now shows billed and spent by trade, the same breakdown as the Buildertrend budget.
Deposits post to Undeposited Funds. When the money reaches the bank, record the deposit in QuickBooks against those payments. For bills, pay them in QuickBooks, or match the bank feed to the synced bill, so Buildertrend marks them paid and the cost is counted once.
Buildertrend tracks four numbers for each cost code.
Turn on “Include costs entered in QuickBooks in the budget,” and QuickBooks expenses show up as actual cost too. Link a QuickBooks expense to its purchase order, so it is not counted twice in projected cost.
Example: A bathroom remodel budgets $6,000 for plumbing. The plumbing sub’s $5,500 purchase order is approved, so committed cost is $5,500. The sub bills $5,800 after a change, and the bill syncs to QuickBooks. Actual cost on the accrual method is now $5,800. Projected cost stays at $6,000, because Buildertrend uses the highest of the budget, committed cost, and actual cost. If the same $5,800 also came in from the bank feed as a new expense, actual cost would show $11,600. That is the double count to watch for.
Yes, through Intuit’s Web Connector. Buildertrend’s automatic sync to Desktop runs every two hours. Buildertrend describes Desktop as its legacy option, with more upkeep than QuickBooks Online.
We keep budgets and production in Buildertrend and the books in QuickBooks Online.
See how we work with remodelers and general contractors, roofing, and electrical companies. Read about our bookkeeping service.
Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite. Simple Start and Essentials do not work.
For some records. Jobs, bills, invoices, deposits, and time go to QuickBooks. Bill payments, invoice payments, and expenses come back for budget actuals.
Usually a synced bill plus the same payment added again from the bank feed. Match the bank transaction to the bill instead of adding it.
No. Add classes and locations in QuickBooks by hand.
Items. An item carries both an income account and a cost account, which gives better job profit numbers.
Software features change. This guide reflects Buildertrend’s help articles as of October 1, 2026. Zero Tax is not affiliated with Buildertrend or Intuit. Buildertrend and QuickBooks are trademarks of their owners.
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