Pool Bookkeeping and Fractional CFO Services
Will was Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a pool company during its growth from $3M to $42M in revenue. Pool construction has its own financial rhythm: large deposits up front, long builds, and costs spread across every stage. Will has managed that rhythm from the inside.
In person across Tampa Bay (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee, Sarasota). Remote for pool contractors nationwide.
Problems Will fixes for pool contractors
- Large deposits received with no percentage-of-completion accounting
- Long build timelines opening cash gaps between deposits and costs
- Cash-basis books masking true project margins
- No Work in Progress (WIP) schedule for the bank or surety
Why a generalist bookkeeper isn't enough
Most bookkeepers record transactions, reconcile the bank and hand you a Profit and Loss statement once a month. Will reads your numbers the way a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) does: which service lines make money, where costs are drifting, what cash looks like 60 days out, and whether the books are telling you the truth.
Software Will works with
Pool contractors collect large deposits at signing, build over weeks or months, and incur material costs throughout. Cash-basis bookkeeping makes margins swing every month depending on when deposits land, not on what was actually earned. Will sets up percentage-of-completion accounting and a monthly WIP schedule so you see your true position on every pool under construction.
The numbers pool contractors should watch every month
- Gross margin by pool type and package
- Deposits held versus work completed (over-billing)
- Material markup consistency across project types
- Average build duration from dig to final
Bookkeeping or fractional CFO?
Construction bookkeeping
Weekly books, job costing, monthly financials and a CPA-ready year-end, about $1,000–$3,500 a month. Best for companies up to roughly $5M. See the tiers.
Fractional CFO
Cash forecasting, WIP and bonding reports, budgets, pricing and growth strategy, typically $6,000–$12,000 a month. Best for companies from roughly $5M to $50M. Fractional CFO services.
Frequently asked questions
What is percentage-of-completion accounting for pool builders?
It recognizes revenue as each pool is built, based on costs incurred, instead of when deposits arrive. It shows real monthly profit and is what banks and sureties expect.
Why do two similar pools produce different profits?
Often a markup or price list that has not kept up with equipment costs. In one engagement Will traced it to a markup set three years earlier and never updated.
Do you offer fractional CFO services to pool companies?
Yes. For larger pool builders and service companies, Will provides fractional CFO leadership: cash forecasting, WIP reporting, budgets and lender reporting.