How much does it cost to start a bookkeeping business?

Updated October 29, 2026By ProfitDrawer

Short answer

ProfitDrawer's bookkeeping business guide gives an example budget of about $750 to $5,200 for a home-based bookkeeper, where the low end assumes you already own a computer. The biggest lines are a laptop or computer upgrade ($0 to $1,200), a training or certificate course ($200 to $1,000) and professional liability insurance for the first year ($300 to $1,000), plus software, a website and a secure document portal. These are example ranges; your costs will differ.

Example budget (your costs will differ):

Item	Low	High
Laptop or computer upgrade	$0	$1,200
Second monitor and scanner	$100	$400
Bookkeeping software and practice tools (first year)	$0	$600
Training or certificate course	$200	$1,000
Business registration and license	$50	$400
Professional liability insurance (first year)	$300	$1,000
Website, domain and email (first year)	$50	$300
Secure document portal and password manager	$50	$300
Total	$750	$5,200

Overhead stays low because you mostly need a computer, software, insurance and registration.

Many bookkeepers price by monthly package rather than by the hour. In the guide's worked example, a small client takes 4 hours a month: $220 at $55 an hour plus a $20 overhead share is $240, and a 25% buffer gives $300 a month. Twelve clients at that price is $3,600 a month in revenue, before your own expenses and taxes. Put your own numbers into the free startup cost calculator.

Source: How to Start a Bookkeeping Business (ProfitDrawer guide) · Updated October 29, 2026