Pricing guide
Bookkeeper Pricing Guide
How bookkeepers can price monthly retainers, cleanup projects, payroll support, and reporting.
Start with a floor rate
A bookkeeper should first calculate the minimum hourly rate needed to cover income goals, expenses, taxes, time off, and non-billable work. The floor rate is not always the quote; it is the line below which the work becomes unhealthy.
Costs to include
- accounting software
- client onboarding
- cleanup complexity
- month-end review time
Package ideas
- monthly bookkeeping retainer
- catch-up cleanup project
- payroll support add-on
Pricing checklist
- Define the deliverable, revision limit, and response time.
- Charge more for rush work, unclear scope, or high coordination load.
- Use a deposit or milestone billing when delivery risk is high.
- Review the margin before accepting fixed-price work.
After calculating your floor rate, use the profit margin calculator to test whether a project quote still works after direct costs and payment fees.