Chart of Accounts Generator

Generate a QuickBooks-ready chart of accounts tailored for civil engineering firms. Select your firm size and services, then export to CSV for direct import.

Firm Size

Larger firms get additional accounts for executive comp, benefits, recruiting, and deferred revenue

Service Types

Select all disciplines your firm offers — each adds revenue, direct cost, and specialty accounts

Generated Chart of Accounts

57 accounts based on your selections

Assets

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
1000	Checking Account	Bank	Checking
1010	Savings Account	Bank	Savings
1100	Accounts Receivable	Accounts Receivable	Accounts Receivable
1150	Retainage Receivable	Other Current Asset	Other Current Assets
1200	Work in Progress (WIP)	Other Current Asset	Other Current Assets
1300	Prepaid Expenses	Other Current Asset	Prepaid Expenses
1400	Employee Advances	Other Current Asset	Other Current Assets
1500	Furniture & Equipment	Fixed Asset	Furniture & Fixtures
1510	Vehicles	Fixed Asset	Vehicles
1520	Computer Equipment	Fixed Asset	Machinery & Equipment
1550	Accumulated Depreciation	Fixed Asset	Accumulated Depreciation
1600	Security Deposits	Other Asset	Other Long-term Assets

Liabilities

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
2000	Accounts Payable	Accounts Payable	Accounts Payable
2050	Retainage Payable	Other Current Liability	Other Current Liabilities
2100	Credit Card Payable	Credit Card	Credit Card
2200	Accrued Liabilities	Other Current Liability	Other Current Liabilities
2300	Payroll Liabilities	Other Current Liability	Other Current Liabilities
2400	Sales Tax Payable	Other Current Liability	Other Current Liabilities
2500	Line of Credit	Other Current Liability	Line of Credit
2600	Long-term Debt	Long Term Liability	Notes Payable

Equity

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
3000	Owner's Equity / Retained Earnings	Equity	Retained Earnings
3100	Owner's Draw	Equity	Owner's Equity
3200	Owner's Contribution	Equity	Owner's Equity

Revenue

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
4000	Engineering Services Revenue	Income	Service/Fee Income
4010	Design Services Revenue	Income	Service/Fee Income
4100	Reimbursable Expenses Revenue	Income	Service/Fee Income
4900	Other Revenue	Income	Service/Fee Income

Direct Costs (Cost of Services)

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
5000	Direct Labor	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
5100	Subconsultant Costs	Cost of Goods Sold	Subcontractors
5200	Reimbursable Expenses	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
5300	Project Travel	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
5400	Printing & Reproduction	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
5500	Permits & Filing Fees	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services

Operating Expenses (Overhead)

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
6000	Salaries & Wages (Indirect)	Expense	Payroll Expenses
6050	Payroll Taxes	Expense	Payroll Expenses
6100	Employee Benefits	Expense	Payroll Expenses
6150	Workers Compensation	Expense	Insurance
6200	Rent / Office Lease	Expense	Rent or Lease of Buildings
6210	Utilities	Expense	Utilities
6220	Office Supplies	Expense	Office/General Administrative Expenses
6250	Software & Subscriptions	Expense	Office/General Administrative Expenses
6300	Professional Liability Insurance	Expense	Insurance
6310	General Liability Insurance	Expense	Insurance
6320	Auto Insurance	Expense	Insurance
6400	Professional Development / Training	Expense	Office/General Administrative Expenses
6410	Licenses & Certifications (PE, etc.)	Expense	Taxes Paid
6500	Marketing & Business Development	Expense	Advertising/Promotional
6600	Vehicle Expenses	Expense	Auto
6700	Depreciation Expense	Expense	Other Miscellaneous Service Cost
6800	Legal & Accounting Fees	Expense	Legal & Professional Fees
6900	Miscellaneous Expense	Expense	Other Miscellaneous Service Cost

Other Income / Expense

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
7000	Interest Income	Other Income	Interest Earned
7500	Interest Expense	Other Expense	Other Miscellaneous Expense

Service-Specific Accounts

Account #	Account Name	Type	Detail Type
4030	Civil Design Revenue	Income	Service/Fee Income
5020	Design Direct Labor	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
5410	Plotting & Plan Production	Cost of Goods Sold	Other Costs of Services
6255	CAD / BIM Software	Expense	Office/General Administrative Expenses

How to Import into QuickBooks Online

Click Download CSV above to save the file
Log in to QuickBooks Online → Settings (gear icon) → Import Data
Select Chart of Accounts
Upload the CSV file and map columns: Account Number, Account Name, Type, Detail Type
Review the preview and click Import
After import, customize account names and merge any duplicates with existing accounts

Do this automatically in QuickBooks

Connect your QuickBooks account and we'll set up your chart of accounts, track progress billing, and generate pay applications — all in one place.

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