What Does a Bookkeeper Actually Cost in Houston?

You’ve reached the point where doing your own books doesn’t make sense anymore. Too many transactions. Too little time. Too much stress when tax season arrives.

So you start Googling “Houston bookkeeper cost” and find answers ranging from $20/hour to $2,500/month. Now you’re more confused than before.

Here’s the reality: bookkeeping pricing varies wildly because the work involved varies wildly. The right question isn’t “what does a bookkeeper cost?” It’s “what does a bookkeeper cost for my business?”

Let me break it down.

Houston Market Rates: The Quick Version

Hourly rates:

Entry-level bookkeeper: $20-35/hour
Experienced bookkeeper: $35-50/hour
CPA-level bookkeeping: $75-150/hour

Monthly packages:

Basic (under 100 transactions): $200-400/month
Standard (100-300 transactions): $400-800/month
Comprehensive (300+ transactions): $800-1,500/month
Full-service with payroll: $1,000-2,500/month

In-house bookkeeper salary:

Annual: $42,000-65,000
Plus benefits: $8,000-15,000
Plus payroll taxes: $3,200-5,000
Plus software/equipment: $1,000-3,000
Total annual cost: $54,000-88,000

That’s $4,500-7,300 monthly for an in-house employee. And that doesn’t include management time, training, or coverage when they’re sick or on vacation.

What Drives the Price Up or Down

Transaction Volume

More transactions require more time. A Houston restaurant processing 500 transactions monthly pays more than a consulting firm with 50. This is the single biggest factor in bookkeeping costs.

Industry Complexity

Some industries demand specialized knowledge:

Construction: Job costing, progress billing, retention tracking, lien waivers Restaurants: Tip reporting, inventory, multiple payment processors, food cost analysis E-commerce: Multi-state sales tax, platform reconciliation, returns management Real estate: Property-by-property accounting, 1099 management, complex ownership structures

Specialized knowledge commands premium pricing. A generalist bookkeeper might charge $400/month. An industry specialist might charge $600 for the same transaction volume.

Scope of Services

Basic bookkeeping is fundamentally different from comprehensive financial management:

Basic:

Transaction recording
Bank reconciliation
Expense categorization

Comprehensive:

Everything basic, plus:
Accounts payable/receivable management
Payroll processing
Financial reporting
Cash flow analysis
Tax preparation support
Bill payment execution
Vendor management

The more services included, the higher the fee.

Cleanup Requirements

If your books are behind, expect catch-up fees. Houston bookkeepers typically charge $500-2,000+ to clean up a year of neglected records. Some quote per-month-of-backlog pricing.

Clean books from the start cost less than messy books that need archaeology.

Comparing Your Options

Option 1: DIY Bookkeeping

Costs:

Software: $0-80/month
Your time: 5-20 hours/month

Best for: Very small businesses with simple transactions and owners comfortable with accounting basics.

Hidden costs nobody mentions: Missed deductions from incorrect categorization. Errors that cost more to fix later. Time away from revenue-generating activities. Stress that affects your work quality.

A Houston consultant billing $200/hour who spends 10 hours monthly on bookkeeping effectively pays $2,000/month. Professional bookkeeping would cost a fraction of that.

Option 2: Freelance Bookkeeper

Costs: $25-50/hour or $300-800/month

Best for: Small businesses wanting personal attention without employee overhead.

Considerations:

Availability may be limited
No backup coverage when they’re unavailable
Range of expertise may be narrow
Quality varies significantly

Option 3: Bookkeeping Firm

Costs: $400-1,500/month for most small businesses

Best for: Growing businesses wanting professional systems, consistent processes, and multiple experts.

Advantages:

Team coverage (no single point of failure)
Specialized knowledge across industries
Established processes and quality control
Scalability as you grow
Usually CPA oversight

Option 4: In-House Employee

Costs: $54,000-88,000/year fully loaded

Best for: Larger businesses with complex daily financial operations requiring 30+ hours weekly.

Considerations:

Management time required
Training investment
Turnover risk and replacement costs
Benefits and overhead

What Should YOU Pay?

Match your investment to your business stage:

Under $500K Annual Revenue

Monthly packages of $200-500 typically provide adequate support. Focus on clean records and basic reporting. Skip the bells and whistles.

$500K-2M Annual Revenue

Budget $500-1,000/month for comprehensive bookkeeping with regular financial reporting and cash flow visibility. At this stage, the investment pays for itself through better decisions.

$2M+ Annual Revenue

Expect $1,000-2,500/month for full-service bookkeeping, or consider blending outsourced and in-house support. Advisory-level insight becomes more valuable than basic record-keeping.

Questions to Ask Before You Hire

1. What’s Actually Included?

Get specifics. How many transactions are covered? What reports do you receive? How often? What costs extra?

“Monthly bookkeeping” means different things to different providers.

2. How Do You Handle Questions?

Unlimited email? Scheduled calls only? Per-question billing? Some providers nickel-and-dime you for every interaction. Others include reasonable communication in their fee.

3. What Software Do You Use?

Ensure compatibility with your existing systems. Switching software mid-engagement adds costs and complexity.

4. Who Works on My Account?

Meet your actual bookkeeper, not just the salesperson. You’ll be communicating with this person regularly. Make sure it works.

5. What’s Your Industry Experience?

A bookkeeper who knows your industry catches things a generalist misses. Construction? Restaurants? E-commerce? Ask for references from similar businesses.

6. How Do You Handle Year-End?

Tax prep support should be clear upfront. What documents do you provide? When? Do you coordinate with the CPA, or does everything come through you?

Red Flags to Watch For

No written pricing. If they won’t commit to numbers, expect surprises.

Significantly below market rates. $150/month for comprehensive bookkeeping usually means corners are cut.

Can’t explain their process. If they can’t describe how they work, they probably don’t have a reliable system.

No professional liability insurance. Mistakes happen. Insurance protects both of you.

No references from similar businesses. If they can’t connect you with happy clients, there might be a reason.

The ROI of Professional Bookkeeping

Good bookkeeping pays for itself through:

Tax savings. Proper categorization and documentation maximize legitimate deductions. One missed deduction category could cost more than a year of bookkeeping fees.

Time savings. Hours returned to revenue-generating work. If your hourly value exceeds bookkeeping costs, outsourcing is pure profit.

Error prevention. Avoiding penalties, interest, and expensive corrections. One IRS notice can cost more in professional fees than a year of proactive bookkeeping.

Better decisions. Accurate financial data enables smart choices. Knowing your true profitability changes how you price, hire, and invest.

Loan readiness. Clean books accelerate financing approvals. Banks move faster when financials are organized.

The Bottom Line

For most Houston small businesses, professional bookkeeping between $300-1,000 monthly provides the best balance of cost and value.

That’s less than one day of your time per month. And it comes with expertise, consistency, and peace of mind you can’t replicate yourself.

Every business is different. Transaction volume, industry complexity, and service needs all affect pricing.

At EZQ Group, we provide transparent, fixed-fee bookkeeping tailored to Houston businesses. No surprise charges. No hidden fees. Just clear pricing based on your actual needs.