Buildertrend's integration with QuickBooks enables the transfer of information directly to QuickBooks. This allows you to manage payments and receivables within QuickBooks without the need for duplicate data entry.
Setting up the integration is quick and straightforward. Once completed, information can be easily exchanged between the two systems moving forward.
Supported Versions
US Versions | Canadian Versions | UK Versions |
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*NOTE: Intuit does not offer a web connector solution for Mac iOS which is required to sync data between QuickBooks Desktop and Buildertrend.
However, there are solutions that Mac users can explore using by using Parallels. This would provide the ability to run Windows Desktop on a Mac.
Additional Information:
QuickBooks Desktop 2015 and 2016 versions - The Web Connector does not automatically download with QuickBooks. The latest version of the Web Connector must be downloaded separately.
QuickBooks Desktop Canadian version - The Web Connector does not automatically download with QuickBooks. The latest version of the Web Connector must be downloaded separately.
QuickBooks Desktop 2018 (and older) versions: The Web Connector does not work with Windows 11.
The Web Connector
The QuickBooks Web Connector will play a vital role in the integration process.
QuickBooks Desktop is a desktop application, meaning all information is saved directly to your computer.
Buildertrend is a cloud-based software, meaning all information is saved on the cloud and can be accessed through a web browser.
The QuickBooks Web Connector is a tool that allows users to integrate QuickBooks Desktop with cloud-based applications by acting as a bridge to link two softwares together.
Integrating Buildertrend with QuickBooks Desktop
Step 1: Initiate the Integration (Buildertrend)
Begin by navigating to Accounting in your Company Settings. From the Accounting setup modal, click Get started with QuickBooks.
Review the benefits of the QuickBooks integration, then select Begin Setup to select your QuickBooks version.
Review the list of requirements needed in order to integrate Buildertrend with QuickBooks, then select Continue Setup.
Select Download Configuration File and save the download to your computer.
‼️ Important ‼️
Ensure that you are on the computer (or cloud hosting environment) that QuickBooks Desktop is currently installed AND you are logged in as an admin in both Buildertrend and in QuickBooks.
❌ Do NOT select Complete Setup at this time ❌
Step 2: Establish and Authorize the Connect (QuickBooks)
‼️ Important ‼️
Buildertrend can be integrated with only one company file at a time. If you have multiple company files, make sure the one you want to connect to Buildertrend is open and selected before proceeding with the steps below.
Begin by launching the Web Connector by selecting:
QuickBooks Desktop 2021 and newer: File > App Management > Update Web Services.
QuickBooks Desktop 2020 and older: File > Update Web Services
From the Web Connector, click Add an Application in the lower right corner, then locate and open the Buildertrend Web Connector Configuration file you previously downloaded.
After selecting the configuration file, you’ll need to authorize the connection. Begin by clicking OK.
Next, choose Yes, always; allow access even if QuickBooks is not running, then click Yes from the pop-up to confirm. This selection ensures you can push important information from Buildertrend to QuickBooks even when QuickBooks is not open.
Select the option Allow this application to access personal data... at the bottom of the window, then click Continue. This is required for Buildertrend to push Time Clock data into QuickBooks.
Rest assured, Buildertrend WILL NOT access customer
credit card information or Social Security numbers
Click Done from the pop-up to acknowledge that you have successfully completed the Web Connector authorization process.
Step 3: Run the Web Connector (QuickBooks)
Click inside the empty password box. When the Password Required pop-up appears, enter your Buildertrend password, then click OK to continue.
To allow the Web Connector to run on its own at scheduled intervals, check the Auto-Run box and set a time frame. This will keep information updated between Buildertrend and QuickBooks without requiring you to run it manually each time.
Select the Buildertrend Web Connector application and click Update Selected to run the web connector and establish the official connection between Buildertrend and QuickBooks Desktop.
Ensure the web connector completed the sync successfully by confirming that both the Application Progress and Total Progress bars hit 100%.
Step 4: Finalize the Integration (Buildertrend)
To continue from where you left off in step 1, go back to Buildertrend and click Complete Setup to finalize your QuickBooks Desktop integration.
Once the connection is complete, you’ll return to your Accounting Settings to configure your default accounting options for the QuickBooks integration.
It is important to note that once the integration is established, only the admin that initiated the integration can modify the default accounting options.
Default Accounting Options
Once the initial QuickBooks integration has been completed, the Accounting tab within Company Settings houses your default accounting options.
Job linking options
To ensure financial data flows correctly from Buildertrend into QuickBooks, each job must be linked to a Customer or Customer: Job.
Link jobs to accounting during job creation by default – When enabled, creating a new job in Buildertrend will automatically generate a corresponding Customer or Job in QuickBooks, based on your selected preferred accounting item type.
Preferred accounting item type – Your selection sets the default QuickBooks structure (Customer or Job) that new Buildertrend jobs will link to during job creation.
Invoice options
Flat fee item – Select a QuickBooks Item to map flat fee invoice totals from Buildertrend, ensuring non-itemized costs (entered as flat fees) are properly categorized when pushed to QuickBooks.
Accounts receivable account – Select the QuickBooks Accounts Receivable account to be used for all unpaid invoices.
Create a new QuickBooks invoice when invoice is sent to clients – If enabled, an invoice in QuickBooks is automatically generated when the invoice has been released in Buildertrend. If this is not checked, the invoice can be pushed to QuickBooks manually from the invoice itself.
Create a new QuickBooks credit memo when credit memo is sent to clients – If enabled, a credit memo in QuickBooks is automatically generated when the credit memo has been released in Buildertrend. If this is not checked, the credit memo can be pushed to QuickBooks manually from the credit memo itself.
Bill/Purchase Order options
Accounts payable account – Select the Accounts Payable account you want Buildertrend generated Bills to be posted to in QuickBooks.
Link subs/vendors to accounting during sub/vendor creation by default – When enabled, creating a new sub/vendor in Buildertrend will automatically generate a corresponding vendor in QuickBooks. *You can override this on a sub-by-sub basis from the Accounting tab when creating a new sub/vendor.
Allow Buildertrend to sync bills with QuickBooks – When enabled, users with the appropriate permissions can create a corresponding QuickBooks Bill when adding or editing a bill in Buildertrend.
The following preferences are available only when this option is turned on:
Default the option to send bills to QuickBooks – When enabled, the Send to QuickBooks option will be selected by default when creating or editing a Bill.
Default the option to mark QuickBooks Bills as billable to client – When enabled, the Mark as Billable to Client option will be selected by default when creating or editing a Bill. This option is if you primarily run Open Book projects and DO NOT use Buildertrend's Invoice feature.
International Accounts ONLY
Your Tax option selection determines how you would like to have your taxes showcased:
Ignore Tax: No taxes are going to be applied to the bill in QuickBooks.
Tax Inclusive: QuickBooks need taxes to be deducted from the bill total.
Tax Exclusive: QuickBooks needs to add taxes to the bill total.
Budget options
Include costs entered in QuickBooks in the budget by default when linking jobs to QuickBooks – When enabled, the “Include QuickBooks Other Costs in the budget” option will be automatically selected in a job’s accounting settings when it’s linked to QuickBooks.
*Note: Including QuickBooks Other Costs will allow costs from the following QuickBooks entities to pull into Buildertrend apply to the budget Actuals column on the Job Costing Budget:
Bills | Checks | Credit Card Transactions
Determine how your Job Costing Budget reports your Actual Costs (Cash or Accrual) – Your selection allows Buildertrend to slightly alter the view of the Job Costing Budget to match the accounting method being utilized in QuickBooks
Time Clock options
Create a new QuickBooks time activity from a Time Clock shift when approved – When enabled, Buildertrend will automatically create a corresponding QuickBooks time activity once a Time Clock entry is approved.
Tax options
Your Tax option selection determines how you would like to have your taxes showcased:
Ignore Tax: No taxes are going to be applied to the invoice in QuickBooks.
Tax Exclusive: QuickBooks needs to add taxes to the invoice total.
Show client tax amount from QuickBooks on Invoices – If enabled, taxes applied to invoices by QuickBooks will be reflected on the Buildertrend invoices.
Buildertrend to QuickBooks: Entity Linking
In order for Buildertrend and QuickBooks to share data accurately, you need to link your cost codes, jobs, internal users, and subs or vendors to their corresponding records in QuickBooks.
This ensures each piece of information is sent to the correct place, allowing financial details like invoices, bills, time entries, and job costs to sync properly between the two systems. Without this mapping, data cannot be transferred!
💡Pro Tip
You can manage all entity links at anytime from Accounting in your Company Settings.
Select an entity to view and assign the corresponding QuickBooks match for each Buildertrend record.
Cost Codes
In order for financial data like invoices and bills to sync correctly between Buildertrend and QuickBooks, your Buildertrend Cost Codes must be linked to the corresponding Items in QuickBooks. This ensures accurate categorization and consistent financial reporting across both platforms.
Begin by navigating to Cost Codes from your Company Settings.
From Cost Code settings, click the Import dropdown and select QuickBooks.
Use the multi-select checkboxes to choose the QuickBooks Items you want to import into Buildertrend. Then, use the Buildertrend Cost Codes dropdown to link each selected item to an existing cost code or create a new one.
Create New Cost Code in Buildertrend – this will create a new Cost Code in Buildertrend and link it to the QuickBooks Item. (This is ideal if the Buildertrend account is new or has little to no existing Cost Codes.)
Select an existing Buildertrend Cost Code - This will link the selected Buildertrend Cost Code with the QuickBooks Item. (This is ideal if the Buildertrend account has already been established with Cost Codes prior to Integration.)
To expedite the linking process, if an existing cost code exactly matches a QuickBooks Item, Buildertrend will automatically suggest it in the Buildertrend Cost Codes dropdown.
Jobs
In order for financial data to sync correctly between Buildertrend and QuickBooks, your Buildertrend jobs must be linked to the corresponding QuickBooks Customer or Customer: Job.
This connection ensures that all job-related financial information is accurately routed, allowing for reliable tracking and reporting across both systems.
💡Pro Tip
Use the Manage links workflow to manage all existing jobs, linking them to an existing QuickBooks Customer or Job.
From the Job Details, click Link job from the QuickBooks card under Accounting.
Then use the dropdown(s) to select the corresponding Customer and Job, based on your preferred accounting item type selected in your defaulted accounting options.
While Buildertrend can create a Customer, Sub-Customer, or Project in QuickBooks for you, a client must be added to the job in Buildertrend in order for the Customer record to be created during the sync.
Once you have linked your job to QuickBooks, you can easily view the integration from the Accounting tab in Job Details.
Vendors
In order for bill and expense data to sync correctly between Buildertrend and QuickBooks, your Buildertrend subs and vendors must be linked to their corresponding vendors in QuickBooks.
This mapping ensures each bill or expense is attributed to the correct party, allowing for accurate tracking and consistent financial reporting across both systems.
💡Pro Tip
Use the Manage links workflow to manage all existing subs and vendors, linking them to existing QuickBooks Vendors.
From the sub/vendor contact card, navigate to the Accounting tab and click Link sub.
Then use the dropdown to select the corresponding Vendor. Click Link when done.
Internal Users
In order to successfully set up the QuickBooks payroll integration with Buildertrend's Time Clock feature, Internal Users will need to be linked to the corresponding employee in QuickBooks.
Buildertrend will not create employees in QuickBooks.
The employee will need to be manually created within QuickBooks
as well as in Buildertrend.
From the internal user contact card, navigate to the Accounting tab and click Link internal user.
Then use the dropdown to select the corresponding Employee. Click Link when done.
*Note: When adding a new internal user in Buildertrend, you must complete their setup and select Create before the Accounting tab becomes available. Linking to their QuickBooks counterpart can only be done after the user is fully created.
Interested in Learning More? 📚
The Buildertrend Learning Academy is your one-stop-shop for your online education, whether you're new to Buildertrend or an experienced user looking to learn more.
If you have any questions or require additional support, feel free to chat with us, send an email: support@buildertrend.com, or give us a call at 1-888-415-7149. We’re always happy to help.