Free template for QuickBooks Online

Chart of accounts for HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies

75 accounts set up the way trade shops actually run, with the type and detail type QuickBooks Online needs. Download it, trim it, import it. It also lists what ServiceTitan needs mapped.

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By Nischal, CA, the senior accountant who reviews every client’s books. Free, no sign-up. Checked against Intuit and ServiceTitan guidance on October 10, 2026.

How to import it

Four steps

1Turn on account numbersIn QuickBooks Online: Settings, Account and settings, Advanced, Chart of accounts, Enable account numbers.
2Trim the fileDelete rows you will not use, and any account you already have under the same name, or the import stops on it.
3Import itSettings, Import data, Accounts. Upload the CSV or the Import sheet and map Account Number, Account Name, Type and Detail Type.
4Then everything elseImport the chart of accounts before customers, vendors, items and transactions, so they have somewhere to post.

Why it is set up this way

Built for job costing, not just for taxes

Revenue by type of workService and repair, installs and replacements, maintenance agreements, new construction and commercial each get their own line, so you can see which kind of work pays.
Job costs above the lineEquipment, materials, technician labor, subcontractors and permits sit in cost of goods sold. Gross profit then shows what the jobs earned before overhead.
The accounts trade shops forgetCustomer deposits, membership revenue paid ahead, and retainage on commercial jobs. Without them, deposits and prepaid plans show up as income too early.

Every account in the file

The 75 accounts

Numbers follow the common 1000 to 8000 layout. Not included because QuickBooks creates them: Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Undeposited Funds, Inventory Asset, Retained Earnings, Opening Balance Equity, and sales tax payable once sales tax is on.

Assets

Assets accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
1000	Operating Checking	Bank: Checking	Main business bank account.
1010	Savings	Bank: Savings	Tax and reserve savings.
1200	ST-Undeposited Funds	Other Current Assets: Other Current Assets	Payments from ServiceTitan waiting to be deposited, kept apart from QuickBooks own Undeposited Funds.
1210	Retainage Receivable	Other Current Assets: Retainage	Amounts held back by the general contractor on commercial jobs.
1220	Costs in Excess of Billings	Other Current Assets: Other Current Assets	Work done on long jobs but not billed yet (accrual, commercial work).
1230	Prepaid Expenses	Other Current Assets: Prepaid Expenses	Expenses paid ahead, such as a yearly software plan.
1240	Prepaid Insurance	Other Current Assets: Prepaid Expenses	Insurance paid ahead and used up month by month.
1250	Employee Advances	Other Current Assets: Employee Cash Advances	Money advanced to employees and paid back.
1260	Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	Other Current Assets: Allowance for Bad Debts	Invoices you do not expect to collect (accrual).
1500	Vehicles	Fixed Assets: Vehicles	Service vans and trucks you own.
1510	Machinery and Equipment	Fixed Assets: Machinery & Equipment	Large equipment such as recovery machines, lifts, generators.
1520	Tools	Fixed Assets: Machinery & Equipment	Tools large enough to depreciate. Small tools go to expense.
1530	Furniture and Fixtures	Fixed Assets: Furniture & Fixtures	Office and shop furniture, shelving.
1540	Computers	Fixed Assets: Fixed Asset Computers	Laptops and tablets the business owns.
1590	Accumulated Depreciation	Fixed Assets: Accumulated Depreciation	Depreciation taken on the assets above.

Liabilities

Liabilities accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
2100	Business Credit Card	Credit Card: Credit Card	One account per card.
2200	Customer Deposits	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Money taken before the work is done, owed back as work until the job is invoiced.
2210	Deferred Membership Revenue	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Maintenance agreements and memberships paid ahead, until the visits happen.
2220	ST Sales Tax Payable	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Sales tax collected on ServiceTitan invoices.
2230	Retainage Payable	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Amounts you hold back from subcontractors.
2240	Billings in Excess of Costs	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Billed ahead of the work on long jobs (accrual, commercial work).
2300	Payroll Clearing	Other Current Liabilities: Payroll Clearing	Net pay on its way out of the bank.
2310	Payroll Taxes Payable	Other Current Liabilities: Payroll Tax Payable	Withheld and employer payroll taxes not paid yet.
2320	Accrued Wages	Other Current Liabilities: Other Current Liabilities	Wages earned but not paid at month end (accrual).
2400	Line of Credit	Other Current Liabilities: Line of Credit	Bank line of credit balance.
2600	Vehicle Loans	Long Term Liabilities: Notes Payable	Loans on vans and trucks.
2610	Equipment Loans	Long Term Liabilities: Notes Payable	Loans on equipment.
2620	Loans from Owner	Long Term Liabilities: Other Long Term Liabilities	Money the owner lent the business.

Equity

Equity accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
3000	Owners Equity	Equity: Owner's Equity	The owner's stake in the business.
3100	Owner Contributions	Equity: Partner Contributions	Money the owner put in.
3200	Owner Distributions	Equity: Partner Distributions	Money the owner took out.

Income

Income accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
4000	Service and Repair Revenue	Income: Service/Fee Income	Diagnostic, repair and service calls.
4100	Installation and Replacement Revenue	Income: Service/Fee Income	New and replacement systems, water heaters, panels.
4200	Maintenance Agreement Revenue	Income: Service/Fee Income	Membership and maintenance revenue as the visits are done.
4300	New Construction Revenue	Income: Service/Fee Income	New construction and builder work.
4400	Commercial Revenue	Income: Service/Fee Income	Commercial service and projects, once they are a real share of sales.
4900	Discounts and Refunds	Income: Other Primary Income	Discounts and refunds given, shown as negative income.

Cost of goods sold

Cost of goods sold accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
5000	Equipment Costs	Cost of Goods Sold: Supplies & Materials - COGS	Units and major equipment installed on jobs.
5100	Materials and Parts	Cost of Goods Sold: Supplies & Materials - COGS	Parts, pipe, wire, fittings used on jobs.
5200	Direct Labor	Cost of Goods Sold: Cost of labor - COS	Technician and installer wages for job time.
5210	Direct Labor Payroll Taxes	Cost of Goods Sold: Cost of labor - COS	Employer payroll taxes on technician wages.
5300	Subcontractors	Cost of Goods Sold: Other Costs of Services - COS	Subcontracted work on jobs.
5400	Permits and Inspections	Cost of Goods Sold: Other Costs of Services - COS	Job permits and inspection fees.
5500	Job Equipment Rental	Cost of Goods Sold: Equipment Rental - COS	Lifts, cranes and other rentals for a job.
5600	Warranty and Callback Costs	Cost of Goods Sold: Other Costs of Services - COS	Parts and labor for warranty work and callbacks.
5700	Disposal Fees	Cost of Goods Sold: Other Costs of Services - COS	Old equipment disposal and refrigerant recovery fees.

Expenses

Expenses accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
6000	Advertising and Marketing	Expenses: Advertising/Promotional	Ads, website, lead services, vehicle wraps.
6050	Bank and Merchant Fees	Expenses: Bank Charges	Bank fees and card processing fees.
6100	Vehicle Fuel	Expenses: Auto	Fuel for service vehicles.
6110	Vehicle Repairs and Maintenance	Expenses: Auto	Repairs, tires, oil changes.
6120	Vehicle Insurance	Expenses: Insurance	Commercial auto insurance.
6200	General Liability Insurance	Expenses: Insurance	General liability and umbrella policies.
6210	Workers Compensation Insurance	Expenses: Insurance	Workers compensation premiums.
6300	Office Wages	Expenses: Payroll Expenses	Office, dispatch and management wages.
6310	Office Payroll Taxes	Expenses: Payroll Expenses	Employer payroll taxes on office wages.
6320	Employee Benefits	Expenses: Payroll Expenses	Health insurance, retirement plan contributions.
6400	Rent	Expenses: Rent or Lease of Buildings	Shop and office rent.
6410	Utilities	Expenses: Utilities	Power, water, gas for the shop.
6420	Phone and Internet	Expenses: Utilities	Office lines, technician phones, internet.
6500	Software and Subscriptions	Expenses: Dues & subscriptions	Field service software, QuickBooks, other subscriptions.
6510	Office Supplies	Expenses: Office/General Administrative Expenses	Paper, printer ink, postage.
6520	Small Tools and Shop Supplies	Expenses: Supplies & Materials	Tools and supplies too small to depreciate.
6600	Legal and Professional Fees	Expenses: Legal & Professional Fees	Lawyer and consultant fees.
6610	Accounting and Bookkeeping	Expenses: Legal & Professional Fees	Bookkeeping, CPA and tax preparation fees.
6700	Licenses and Certifications	Expenses: Other Business Expenses	Contractor licenses, EPA and trade certifications.
6710	Training	Expenses: Other Business Expenses	Courses and continuing education.
6720	Uniforms	Expenses: Other Business Expenses	Shirts, jackets, safety gear.
6800	Travel	Expenses: Travel	Travel to trainings and out-of-town jobs.
6810	Meals	Expenses: Entertainment Meals	Business meals.
6900	Shop Repairs and Maintenance	Expenses: Repair & Maintenance	Repairs to the shop and office.
6910	Equipment Rental	Expenses: Equipment Rental	Rentals not tied to a job.
6950	Taxes and Licenses	Expenses: Taxes Paid	Business taxes other than income tax and payroll.
6990	Interest Expense	Expenses: Interest Paid	Interest on loans and the line of credit.

Other expense

Other expense accounts for an HVAC, plumbing or electrical company in QuickBooks Online
Number	Account	Type: detail type	What goes here
8000	Depreciation	Other Expense: Depreciation	Depreciation on fixed assets.
8100	Penalties	Other Expense: Penalties & Settlements	Late fees and penalties.

If you run ServiceTitan

What ServiceTitan needs from your chart of accounts

ServiceTitan matches accounts by name, so each GL account in ServiceTitan must match the QuickBooks name exactly, sub-account colons included. Every pricebook item maps to one income account. To split revenue by business unit, use QuickBooks classes with matching names. Mapped this way, revenue and costs per job tie back to the books. See ServiceTitan job costing from the books.

How each QuickBooks Online account maps in ServiceTitan
Account	Number	In ServiceTitan
Accounts Receivable (A/R)	Already in QuickBooks	A ServiceTitan default. Do not rename it, reuse it or make it inactive.
Undeposited Funds	Already in QuickBooks	A ServiceTitan default. Payment types set to Export As: Payment land here.
ST-Undeposited Funds	1200	Use for payment types that need their own account. Payment types set to Export As: Payment go to QuickBooks Undeposited Funds instead.
Customer Deposits	2200	Map ServiceTitan customer deposits here. Deposits export as journal entries and do not reduce A/R.
Deferred Membership Revenue	2210	The liability side of ServiceTitan deferred revenue. Set it up before you create membership types if you use accrual.
ST Sales Tax Payable	2220	ServiceTitan's recommended account, paired with a service item named ServiceTitan Sales Tax. Keep the detail type Other Current Liabilities: QuickBooks will not link items to a Sales Tax Payable detail type.
Owners Equity	3000	No apostrophe in the name: ServiceTitan rejects special characters.
Service and Repair Revenue	4000	Map service and repair pricebook items here.
Installation and Replacement Revenue	4100	Map install and replacement pricebook items here.
Maintenance Agreement Revenue	4200	The income side of ServiceTitan deferred revenue.
Discounts and Refunds	4900	Point discount pricebook items here.
Equipment Costs	5000	Non-inventory equipment items post here. Inventory items move from Inventory Asset to COGS when invoiced.
Materials and Parts	5100	Non-inventory part items post here.
Inventory Asset	Already in QuickBooks	Inventory items post here and move to cost of goods sold when they go on an invoice.
Accounts Payable (A/P)	Already in QuickBooks	Every exported bill posts here. ServiceTitan cannot pick a different payable account per vendor.

Moving from QuickBooks Desktop? Customer Sync IDs only work with Desktop. On QuickBooks Online customers export by name, so names with an ID on the end create duplicates. Clean them up before you switch. The full checklist is in our guide to ServiceTitan to QuickBooks export errors. More on ServiceTitan bookkeeping.

Rather not set it up yourself?

We set it up and keep it clean every month

Monthly bookkeeping for trade shops on QuickBooks Online: from $599 a month, or from $995 a month with ServiceTitan. This chart is the one we set up for our HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractor clients.

QuickBooks bookkeeping ServiceTitan bookkeeping Book a 15-minute call

Booked calls: weekdays, 9am to 5pm Eastern. By phone, or 30 minutes on Teams.

Questions

About this template

Do I need all 75 accounts?

No. Delete what you will not use before you import. Simple Start, Essentials and Plus allow 250 active accounts, so leave room for growth.

Should technician labor be in cost of goods sold or expenses?

This file puts it in cost of goods sold, so each job and each month shows its real gross profit. Some CPAs prefer payroll in expenses. Either works for taxes; agree it with your CPA and stay consistent.

Will importing overwrite my current accounts?

No. The import only adds accounts. If a name already exists, QuickBooks stops on that row, so delete duplicates from the file first.

Why are Accounts Receivable and Undeposited Funds missing?

QuickBooks creates them, along with Accounts Payable, Inventory Asset, Retained Earnings and Opening Balance Equity. Importing them again would create duplicates.

Why is there no apostrophe in Owners Equity?

ServiceTitan's QuickBooks integration rejects special characters in account names, apostrophes especially. The names in this file are safe to map.

Does this work for QuickBooks Desktop?

The accounts do, but the file is built for the QuickBooks Online importer. Desktop uses a different import format.

Download Excel file Download CSV

General information, not accounting or tax advice. Check the setup with your CPA.