Business operations

Running a building business means running a business: quoting, invoicing, job costing, BAS, payroll, subcontractor withholding, and financial reporting. This pillar covers the business systems that residential builders actually use: Xero for accounting, Buildxact for estimating and project management, and the spreadsheet workflows that sit between them. It also covers the tax obligations that trip up small builders most often: GST on progress claims, PAYG withholding for subbies, the taxable payments annual report, and what triggers a BAS audit.

It is for owner-operators, estimators, and office managers in residential building businesses who need practical guidance on how the numbers flow through a project, from quote to final account, and how to set up their accounting system to make that visible. Coverage includes job costing structure for residential new homes and alterations and additions, how to use Xero's tracking categories to manage multiple concurrent jobs, and the ATO's benchmark data for building trades.

Chalkline does not give financial advice. These articles explain how the tools work and what the ATO requires, so that conversations with your accountant start in the right place rather than from scratch.