Every tier has a right-fit range.
We scope engagements by complexity — revenue, transactions, team size, number of accounts, number of service lines. These ranges tell you which tier is designed for your business. They're not hard rules, but they are where scope lives — go beyond the range, and pricing moves to a custom engagement.
Scoped engagements protect both sides.
Published tiers are for the 90% of small businesses whose scope falls inside these ranges. Businesses above or below get better service through a custom engagement — not by trying to squeeze into a package that wasn't built for them. We'd rather refer a 500-employee GC to a CAS firm than quietly let them sign up at a tier that can't deliver what they need.
Where each engagement lives.
These ranges reflect typical scope at each tier. Your business might be heavier on one dimension (high revenue, light transactions) and lighter on another — that's normal and we'll right-size on the call. Consistently across most dimensions is where fit happens.
| Parameter | Basic Business from $195/mo |
Contractor Essentials from $495/mo |
Contractor Pro from $995/mo |
Fractional CFO from $1,500/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual revenue | Up to $250K | $250K – $1M | $1M – $5M | $1M+ (add-on) |
| Transactions / month | Up to ~60 | ~60 – 300 | ~300 – 1,000 | Scope-dependent |
| Bank & credit accounts to reconcile | 1 – 2 | Up to 4 | Up to 8 | Scope-dependent |
| W-2 employees | 0 – 2 | Up to 10 | Up to 25 | Scope-dependent |
| 1099 subcontractors / year | Up to 5 | Up to 20 | Up to 60 | Scope-dependent |
| Service lines tracked | 1 | 1 – 3 | Multiple | Multi-entity |
| Entity structure | Single entity, single state | Single entity, single state | Multi-entity / multi-state considered | Multi-entity / multi-state |
| Active jobs / projects | None tracked | Up to 20 open at a time | Up to 60 open at a time | Scope-dependent |
| Close cadence | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly + board reporting |
| Review meeting cadence | Annual | Quarterly included | Monthly included | Bi-weekly included |
| Project Tools adoption expected | Owner dashboard only | Timekeeper + Receipt Capture required | Full suite deployment | Full suite + CFO Dashboard |
All ranges are typical fit. A business that sits slightly outside one parameter but well within the others is still a fit — we'll confirm on your strategy call. A business that sits well outside most parameters will get a better outcome through a custom engagement or a referral.
Too big? Too complex? Here's what happens.
Above the Contractor Pro range.
Businesses running $5M+ annual revenue, 25+ W-2 employees, 1,000+ monthly transactions, or multi-entity/multi-state operations at scale usually need a larger CAS firm with a bench of staff accountants. We'll do one of two things: scope a custom engagement that makes sense, or refer you to a firm that's better positioned to serve you. We'd rather refer than oversell.
Below the Basic Business range.
Pre-revenue startups, side hustles doing under $50K/year, and hobbyist businesses are typically better off with QuickBooks Online's own Live Expert Assisted tier ($50/mo add-on) or a DIY approach. We're not set up to serve at that volume at a price point that makes sense. If you're approaching $75K–$100K in revenue, let's talk — the math starts to work.
Unique complexity at any size.
Government contracts, construction WIP at scale, inventory-heavy businesses, businesses operating in 10+ states, non-profits, multi-owner partnerships with complex distribution rules — these all need scoped engagements regardless of which tier the base numbers suggest. We'll flag it on the call and quote accordingly.
Enterprise (2,000+ employees, 100K+ transactions / mo).
We don't serve enterprise. If you're at that scale, you need a full internal accounting team plus a Big 4 or regional CAS firm. We'll say so on the call and point you toward firms that are built for that work.
Starting rates reflect scope floors.
Every tier's "from $X" price is the floor for that tier. Your final quote lands above the floor based on your actual complexity inside the tier's range. A Contractor Essentials client at the low end of the range (say, $350K revenue, 90 transactions/month, 4 employees) pays closer to $495. A Contractor Essentials client at the top end ($950K, 275 transactions/month, 9 employees, 18 1099 subs) pays closer to $795. Both are still in the Essentials tier — the pricing just reflects the difference.
We scope you, honestly.
We walk the parameters.
Revenue, transaction volume, accounts, employees, 1099 subs, service lines, entities. Takes 15 minutes. You'll see exactly where your business sits in the ranges.
We recommend the tier.
Sometimes it's obvious. Sometimes you're on a tier boundary and we'll explain the tradeoff either way. If you're clearly outside our ranges, we say so — no guessing, no fudging.
We quote the number.
Real price, not a range. You leave the call knowing exactly what this would cost and what's included. No follow-up "let me get back to you with a number."
Your tier grows with you.
Most clients start in one tier and move up as their business grows. We review engagement scope annually. If your transaction volume, revenue, or complexity moves you into a different tier, we'll flag it at that annual review — no surprise bills, no silent drift. Conversely, if scope contracts (fewer jobs, fewer employees), we right-size you down. The goal is fit, not upsell.
Scope FAQ
What if my business hits the upper bound of my tier mid-year?
You keep the tier through the current engagement period. At our annual review (or sooner if scope changes materially — e.g., you double revenue in 6 months), we'll discuss moving to the next tier. We don't retroactively reprice.
Can I stay in a lower tier if I'm willing to do more work myself?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Some scope items (1099 filing, sales tax) scale with volume whether you help or not. Others (data entry, reconciliation) can be reduced if you're disciplined with Project Tools. We'll walk through what's flexible and what isn't.
What counts as a "transaction"?
One bank or credit card line, one invoice, one bill, or one manual journal entry. A single customer payment with 4 line items is still one transaction. A Home Depot receipt with 20 materials coded to 3 different jobs is one transaction (or three, if we split it).
What if I have seasonal revenue that swings way above/below the range?
We average. A landscaping business doing 80% of revenue in 7 months still sits in its annual tier. Extreme swings can change the conversation — scope around peak-volume reality.
Do you serve non-profits?
Occasionally, scoped. Non-profit accounting has its own reporting requirements (Form 990, fund accounting, donor restrictions) that sit outside our standard ranges. We'll discuss whether we're the right fit.
What if I run multiple small businesses?
Each entity is scoped separately. A client with three small LLCs typically sits in Contractor Pro or Fractional CFO because of the multi-entity complexity, not because any single entity is large.
Do you have minimum revenue requirements?
Not formally. Practically, at under $100K in annual revenue, our fees start to feel large relative to your gross — you're usually better off with QBO's own Live Expert Assisted tier or DIY.
Let's scope your business in 30 minutes.
Free, no sales script. You'll leave knowing which tier fits, what the real price is, and whether we're even the right answer for your business.