How much does bookkeeping cost for a real estate investor?
Bookkeeping for real estate investors typically costs $300 to $800 per month, depending on transaction volume, number of properties and entities, and whether deals are job-costed. InvestorCFO charges $300 per month plus $200 to open and $100 to close each flip, with a one-time $1,000 onboarding fee.
InvestorCFO cost by deal volume
| Flips per year | Average per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $300 | $3,600 |
| 4 | $400 | $4,800 |
| 8 | $500 | $6,000 |
| 12 | $600 | $7,200 |
| 24 | $900 | $10,800 |
Add the fractional CFO service for $1,200 per month if you want budget vs. actual, a 13-week cash forecast, and a monthly review.
What drives the price
- Transaction volume: more bank and card activity means more to categorize and reconcile.
- Deal count: each property needs its own job, settlement statements, and closeout.
- Entities: separate LLCs mean separate books and intercompany entries.
- Lenders: hard money and private loans add draw, interest, and payoff tracking.
- Condition of the books: months of catch-up are priced separately from ongoing work.
What a low price usually leaves out
Bookkeeping at the bottom of the market often means transactions are categorized by account with no property-level tracking, settlement statements are booked as a single entry, and loan balances are never reconciled to lender statements. The books look tidy but cannot tell you what a deal made.
Before comparing quotes, ask whether the price includes per-deal job costing, line-by-line settlement statement entry, and a monthly deal-level report.
Catch-up and cleanup costs
Cleanup is typically priced per month behind. InvestorCFO charges about one month's fee for each month of catch-up, so six months behind with no deal activity is roughly $1,800. It is quoted in writing before work starts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bookkeeper cost for a real estate investor?
Typically $300 to $800 per month. InvestorCFO charges $300 per month plus $300 per completed flip, which averages $400 per month at 4 flips a year and $600 at 12.
Is there a setup fee for real estate bookkeeping?
Many firms charge one. InvestorCFO's onboarding fee is $1,000, one time, covering the chart of accounts, per-deal job setup, bank feeds, and the first monthly close.
How much does it cost to catch up on bookkeeping?
InvestorCFO prices catch-up at about one month's fee per month behind. Six months behind with no deals runs about $1,800.
Does bookkeeping include tax preparation?
Not at InvestorCFO. We are not a CPA firm and do not prepare taxes. Your CPA prepares the return from the clean books we deliver.
Is a fractional CFO worth it on top of bookkeeping?
It is worth it once you are running several deals at once or reporting to investors or lenders. At $1,200 per month it costs a fraction of a full-time finance hire and adds forecasting, variance analysis, and a monthly review.
Start with one deal.
Send the numbers from one closed flip. You get back a true deal P&L, side by side with what you underwrote. Free, with no obligation.