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
Advanced | Plus | Essentials | Simple Start | Self-Employed |
✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
How can I find out what version of QuickBooks I have?
Click the gear icon in the top-right corner and select Subscriptions and billing under Profile. From here, you will see Subscribed below the subscription type you are actively subscribed to.
Integrating Buildertrend with QuickBooks Online
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.
Use your QuickBooks credentials to log into your QuickBooks Online account.
*NOTES*
If you have multiple company files, you will need to select the one you'd like to integrate with from the dropdown.
If you are already logged into your QuickBooks Online account, the log in step will likely be skipped.
Review the Terms and Conditions outlining how data will be shared between Buildertrend and QuickBooks, then select Connect to complete the 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, Customer: Sub Customer, or Customer: Project.
Link jobs to accounting during job creation by default – When enabled, creating a new job in Buildertrend will automatically generate a corresponding Customer, Sub Customer, or Project in QuickBooks, based on your selected preferred accounting item type.
Preferred accounting item type – Your selection sets the default QuickBooks structure (Customer, Sub-Customer, or Project) that new Buildertrend jobs will link to during job creation.
Invoice options
Flat fee product/service – Select a QuickBooks Product & Service item to map flat fee invoice totals from Buildertrend, ensuring non-itemized costs (entered as flat fees) are properly categorized when pushed to QuickBooks.
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.
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 invoice in QuickBooks.
Tax Inclusive: QuickBooks need taxes to be deducted from the invoice total.
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.
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.
Allow bill edits to sync to QuickBooks – When enabled, bills sent from Buildertrend to QuickBooks can be edited in QuickBooks, and those changes will sync back to Buildertrend. However, there are exceptions:
If the bill is fully paid, it cannot be edited in Buildertrend unless the payment is removed in QuickBooks.
If the bill is edited in QuickBooks, Buildertrend will detect it as the most recent version and will not sync any changes made in Buildertrend.
*You can still edit the bill in Buildertrend, but a prompt will appear letting you know those changes will not be sent to QuickBooks. This prevents overwriting updates made directly in QuickBooks.
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 | Expenses | Vendor Credits | Credit Card Credits
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
*NOTES*
Upon initial integration, Buildertrend will automatically sync the Accounting Method set within QuickBooks.
If the Accounting Method is changed within QuickBooks at any time after integration, the Sync from QuickBooks button will allow Buildertrend to sync up with the updated Accounting Method in QuickBooks.
If you do not want Buildertrend to use the same accounting method as QuickBooks, you can manually select the accounting method that you'd like Buildertrend to use by selecting the corresponding radio button.
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.
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 Products and Services 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 Products and Services 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 Product and Service. (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 Product and Service. (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 Product or Service, 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, Customer: Sub Customer, or Customer: Project.
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, Sub Customer, or Project.
From the Job Details, click Link job from the QuickBooks card under Accounting.
Then use the dropdown(s) to select the corresponding Customer as well as the Project or Sub-Customer, 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 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.