If you're running a small construction or trades business in the Netherlands, whether that's painting, tiling, or general contracting, bookkeeper costs for a small construction business run higher than the flat rates quoted for a solo freelancer. That's not a markup for the sake of it: buying materials before you invoice for them, working under the VAT reverse-charge scheme as a subcontractor, and putting staff on payroll all add real work a bookkeeper handling a single freelancer's invoices simply doesn't have. Here's what to actually expect, what drives the difference, and a worked example for a small crew.
Bookkeeper costs for a small construction business: rates at a glance
| Situation | What you pay | What's usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader, no staff | €85 - €175 per month | Invoice processing, VAT returns, annual accounts |
| Small business with 1-3 staff | €175 - €400 per month | Bookkeeping, VAT reverse-charge handling, payroll administration |
| Ad-hoc help by the hour | €50 - €125 per hour | One-off questions, or review of a return you prepared yourself |
| Full annual package (with staff) | €2,200 - €5,000 per year | Complete bookkeeping, VAT returns, annual accounts, and payroll |
These figures exclude VAT and reflect what bookkeeping firms typically charge small construction businesses in the Netherlands in early 2026. Where you land in that range depends mostly on the factors below.
Why a construction business costs more than a solo freelancer
A painter, tiler, or small contracting business looks similar to any other freelancer on paper, but a few things push the real cost up as the business grows.
- Buying materials. Paint, timber, tiles: if you buy materials before passing the cost on to a client, that needs separate tracking so your bookkeeping doesn't just record cash going out with no matching sale.
- VAT reverse-charge (btw-verlegging). Work as a subcontractor for a main contractor, and you typically don't charge VAT on your invoice at all, the client accounts for it instead. Get this wrong on either side and you're looking at a correction from the Belastingdienst later.
- Staff on payroll. The moment you hire someone, payroll administration comes into play: payslips, wage tax withholding, and the filings that go with it. That's a separate discipline from ordinary bookkeeping, and it's priced separately for the same reason.
- Several jobs running at once. A freelance service provider often has a handful of recurring clients. A small construction business usually has multiple jobs running in parallel, each with its own materials and invoices. More volume means more time, and a higher rate follows.
A worked example: a small crew of three
Take a small contracting business: the owner plus two employees, roughly 20 invoices a month, materials bought from a building supplier and wholesaler, and a quarterly VAT return where part of the revenue is reverse-charged.
- Doing it yourself: no direct cost, but expect 12 to 15 hours a month of your own time, plus a separate line for annual accounts (easily €700 to €1,000) since preparing those yourself gets a lot harder once you have staff on the books.
- Ad-hoc help by the hour: 6 hours of bookkeeper time a month at €85 comes to €510 a month, with payroll for the two employees and the annual accounts still to arrange separately.
- A fixed monthly package: at Sophy &Co. the base bookkeeping package starts from €49 a month, with payroll administration for your staff added as a separate module that scales with your headcount.
The real difference isn't just the monthly number, it's how much of the work is already bundled into that fixed fee versus arranged, and paid for, piece by piece.
Frequently asked questions
What does it cost once I hire staff? Expect a surcharge on top of the base bookkeeping fee, usually calculated per employee, for payroll administration. With one or two staff that stays fairly modest, but it grows with your headcount.
Is bookkeeping for a construction business more expensive than for a solo freelancer? Usually, yes, mainly once materials, VAT reverse-charge, or payroll come into the picture. A freelancer only invoicing their own hours doesn't carry those extra items.
Do I need to apply the VAT reverse-charge as a construction business, or only as a subcontractor? The reverse-charge scheme applies specifically to work you do as a subcontractor for a main contractor. Invoice an end client directly, and you charge VAT as usual.
Can I outsource just the payroll if my general bookkeeping is somewhere else? Most bookkeepers can take on payroll on its own, but it's usually more efficient, and less error-prone, to keep both with the same provider, especially since payroll figures also feed into the annual accounts.
New to running a business in the Netherlands?
Setting up a construction or trades business here as a newcomer raises questions that don't come up in most general small-business guides, VAT reverse-charge, chain liability rules, payroll obligations the moment you hire your first employee. At Sophy &Co. we start advising expat entrepreneurs before the paperwork is even filed, not only once the company already exists. Book a call and we'll talk you through what actually applies to your situation, no Dutch required.
Our bookkeepers work across English, Dutch, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, Papiamento, German, and some French and Polish, so you can explain your business however feels most natural. We're a woman-led, diverse team, both women and men, and proudly LGBTQIA-friendly, and we're happy to connect you with trusted partners, banks, lawyers and notaries as you get set up.
How we handle this for you
At Sophy &Co. you pay one flat monthly fee, starting from €49, with no setup or cancellation costs. Take on staff, and payroll administration scales in alongside it, handled by the same dedicated bookkeeper you reach directly for both. Clients in construction and trades save the hours that would otherwise go into receipts and payslips, hours that go back into the next job instead.
Take a look at our bookkeeping for construction and trades, read what a G-account in Dutch construction actually is, or compare these rates with bookkeeper costs for a sole trader. Check our pricing or get in touch for a free, no-obligation conversation.
For the official rules on the VAT reverse-charge scheme, see the Belastingdienst, and for industry-specific guidance, Bouwend Nederland.