Services · What we run

What Sherpa actually does, day to day.

Sherpa runs the financial operating system for construction businesses: accounting, finance, tax, and advisory. A senior team that understands WIP, AIA billing, retainage, lien waivers, job costing, and the decisions owners have to make every month.

Each practice is clear. Each service has a role. And every engagement is built around the same goal: better numbers, better decisions, and fewer surprises.

Operating layer

We don't sell you software and call it a service. We run the work.

Sherpa is the finance function for growing residential construction businesses, taken off the owner's plate and run with discipline.

Monthly books that reconcile. Billing that goes out on schedule. Tax planning before the year closes. Clear reporting after month-end. And senior advisory when the next decision is too big to make from gut feel.

We organize the work into four connected practices: Accounting, Finance, Tax, and Advisory. Most builders start with Accounting and Finance, add Tax as planning becomes more important, and grow into Advisory as the business gets more complex.

Each practice stands on its own. Together, they create one financial operating rhythm for the business.

AccountingFinanceTaxAdvisory
Sherpa · the work, in motion
Monthly rhythmClose, Pulse Report, quarterly planning, and advisory. Run on cadence, the week after month-end, every month.
Practice group 01 · Accounting

The books, built around how construction actually works.

Day-to-day accounting on a construction-specific general ledger, with job costs, WIP, AR, AP, payroll, and retainage kept current. This is the foundation every other Sherpa practice sits on.

01

Construction bookkeeping

A general ledger structured around jobs, cost codes, revenue streams, and how builders actually earn and spend.

02

Dependable monthly close

Books closed on a consistent monthly rhythm, so owners are working from current numbers, not stale reports.

03

Job costing

Costs tied to estimates, actuals, and cost codes so every job’s margin is visible while there is still time to act.

04

WIP reconciliation

Work-in-progress reconciled to the general ledger and job schedules, so overbilling, underbilling, and margin fade are caught early.

05

Accounts receivable

Invoices issued on schedule, aging monitored, and collections followed up so earned revenue does not sit unpaid.

06

Accounts payable & subs

Vendor and subcontractor bills organized, scheduled, and matched to the work, job, or cost category they belong to.

07

Payroll

Run by us, not handed off. Certified payroll and prevailing-wage reporting included where the job requires it.

In-house
08

Retainage tracking

Retainage tracked by job, owner, and age, so earned cash does not quietly disappear for months.

09

Year-end & CPA coordination

Clean, CPA-ready financials at year-end, handed to your CPA or coordinated with Sherpa Tax if paired.

Sorted in the 2-minute assessment
Practice group 02 · Finance

The numbers, turned into decisions you can act on.

Finance is the forward-looking layer: billing discipline, cash visibility, margin analysis, and reporting that tells you what the books actually mean. The goal is simple. Help owners see what is happening, what is coming, and what to do next.

01

The Pulse Report

Your monthly numbers translated into owner-ready KPIs, trends, and plain-English commentary from your Sherpa manager.

Signature
02

AIA, draw & milestone billing

Billing schedules managed by date, job, milestone, and approval status so earned revenue gets billed on time.

03

Lien-waiver & COI workflow

Lien waivers and certificates of insurance built into the billing and AR process, not chased after the fact.

04

Cash-flow visibility

A clear view of where cash is, where it is going, and when the next pressure point is likely to hit.

05

13-week cash forecasting

A rolling forecast that accounts for payroll, draws, retainage, collections, payables, and upcoming project needs.

06

Project margin analysis

Margin reviewed by job, phase, and cost category so pricing, estimating, and execution improve over time.

07

Annual budget & operating plan

A yearly plan the monthly numbers are measured against, not a spreadsheet that disappears after January.

08

Banking, bonding & capital readiness

Financial packages, covenant tracking, and planning support for banks, sureties, credit lines, and growth capital.

09

Credit-line & draw management

Draw schedules, borrowing needs, and credit-line usage monitored so financing supports the work instead of reacting to it.

10

Owner-distribution planning

Guidance on how much cash owners can take, and when, without starving the next job of working capital.

Sorted in the 2-minute assessment
Practice group 03 · Tax

Year-round tax planning. Not filing-season surprises.

Tax planning every quarter, not just when the return is due. We help owners map estimated payments, coordinate entities, evaluate tax-saving opportunities, and make the right moves before the window closes. Pairs with any accounting tier or stands on its own.

01

Year-round tax planning

Planning decisions made while there is still time to act, not after the year is already closed.

02

Estimated tax payment planning

Quarterly estimates mapped throughout the year so the cash impact is expected, not surprising.

03

Entity structure

Operating companies, property-holding LLCs, development entities, and ownership structures reviewed so the setup supports the business.

04

Multi-entity coordination

Filings and planning coordinated across every entity, so nothing falls between the cracks at year-end.

05

Federal, state & multi-state filing

Business returns prepared and filed on time, including multi-state filings where the work crosses lines.

06

Construction credits & deductions

Applicable credits, deductions, depreciation, equipment purchases, and other opportunities reviewed before deadlines pass.

07

Owner & business integration

Personal and business tax planning coordinated together, because for most builders the two are connected.

08

Notice support & representation

IRS and state notices reviewed, explained, and handled with a clear response plan.

Sorted in the 2-minute assessment
Practice group 04 · Advisory

CFO-level guidance when the decision is too big for gut feel.

Senior financial leadership for the moments that change the business: growth, capital planning, new markets, acquisitions, banking, bonding, and ownership decisions.

01

Fractional-CFO advisory

Senior financial guidance for strategic decisions, backed by a team that already knows the numbers.

02

Growth & expansion modeling

Scenario planning for new markets, new divisions, larger jobs, and the move from where you are to where you want to go.

03

Acquisition & diligence support

Financial review, deal modeling, quality-of-earnings support, and post-close integration planning when buying or being bought.

04

Banking, bonding & capital strategy

Financial packages, capacity planning, and lender or surety support so financing does not become the thing that limits growth.

05

Quarterly strategic reviews

Time on the calendar to review trends, risks, opportunities, and the next decisions that need to be made.

Sorted in the 2-minute assessment
How it's packaged

Three tiers wrap the practices. Pick where you are.

The practices above don't get bought à la carte. They come bundled into three tiers that scale with the depth of advisory and the complexity of your numbers. Pricing is calibrated after the roadmap; the figures below are honest floors.

Tier 01

Foundation

Starting at $800/mo

Clean books and a real close. Often $1–3M.

Accounting, lighter reporting
Tier 03

Acceleration

Starting at $6,000/mo

Planning the next stage. Typically $8M+.

Everything, plus Advisory depth
Tax pairs with every tier, or stands alone. See the Tax page →See full packages & pricing
Common questions

The things owners ask before they sign.

How long does it take to get me onto the monthly rhythm?
Most clients are operating on the Sherpa monthly rhythm within about 30–60 days. We begin with a full assessment of your current financial environment, then design the right structure for your industry, business model, and stage of growth. From there, we roadmap the transition and implement the accounting, reporting, billing, and planning cadence. The exact timeline depends on the state of the incoming books and how much cleanup or restructuring is needed.
Do I have to fire my current bookkeeper or CPA?
No. We come in alongside what you have. If something isn’t working we’ll say so, but we don’t make you change anything on day one. Many clients keep their existing CPA for a year while we run the books.
Do I have to buy all four practices?
No. Most builders start with Accounting and Finance, add Tax, and grow into Advisory as the business gets more complex. Each one stands on its own.
What if my business doesn’t fit a tier exactly?
Most don’t. The tiers are the starting point. Real pricing is calibrated to your business after the roadmap. The “starting at” numbers are honest floors, not bait.
Do you serve businesses outside the US?
No. We serve US-based businesses only.
Find your tier

The fit assessment takes two minutes and tells you which practices you actually need.

We're happy to be on a call with you. We're also happy to disqualify on the first round if we're not a fit. The quiz takes two minutes and gives you a real answer either way.

Take the 2-minute fit assessment