Who Answers What? Bookkeeper vs. Controller vs. CFO in a Restoration Company
If you’ve ever asked your bookkeeper a strategic question and gotten a blank stare—or asked your CFO why the bank balance doesn’t match QuickBooks—you’re not alone.
In a growing restoration company, financial roles serve different purposes—and they answer very different questions.
Here’s a breakdown of who answers what, and why having all three roles (even part-time or outsourced) gives you the financial visibility to grow with confidence.
📘 The Bookkeeper: “What happened?”
Your bookkeeper is the historian. They’re responsible for capturing and organizing every financial transaction—accurately and on time.
The questions they answer:
Did that vendor bill get entered yet?
Has the AmEx been reconciled?
What was the total spent on materials last month?
Why does the bank balance in QuickBooks look off?
Is this expense job-related or overhead?
**Their job is to record what happened—**but not necessarily to interpret it.
📊 The Controller: “Is it correct, and does it follow our process?”
Your controller reviews the data your bookkeeper enters and adds structure, consistency, and internal controls. They create systems for accuracy and reporting.
The questions they answer:
Are we coding subcontractor labor consistently?
Why did our job costing report look off this month?
How should we recognize revenue for multi-phase jobs?
Is the labor being split correctly between mitigation and rebuild?
Can I trust this P&L to make hiring or pricing decisions?
Their job is to validate what happened, ensure it's complete, and enforce financial best practices.
📈 The Fractional CFO: “What should we do next?”
The CFO is your strategic financial advisor. They use clean data and accurate reporting to help you make decisions that protect and grow the business.
The questions they answer:
Can we afford to hire another tech or PM?
Why are we busy but not profitable?
What’s our cash flow forecast for the next 90 days?
Which service line is most profitable—and which one is draining cash?
How do we set up a budget that actually drives decisions?
Their job is to translate numbers into strategy. They help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Together, They Give You a Full Financial Picture
No one role is better than the others—they’re just answering different types of questions:
Bookkeeper: Tracks what happened
Controller: Verifies it’s right and structured
CFO: Tells you what it means and what to do
Not Sure Which Role You’re Missing?
Many restoration companies grow past the bookkeeper stage without realizing it. If you're relying on one person to do it all, you're likely missing key insights.
👉 Schedule a free consultation and we’ll walk you through what roles your business actually needs—and where better financial visibility can unlock growth.