About the platform
What is FieldLedger?
FieldLedger is DCAA-compliant accounting and project costing software for small and mid-sized federal contractors. It runs the FAR 31.2 indirect rate engine, DCAA-aligned timekeeping, USACE equipment costing under EP 1110-1-8, multi-CLIN federal invoicing, and a per-row audit log built to survive a DCAA review. Methodology is public and versioned.
Who uses FieldLedger?
Small and mid-sized federal contractors that need to bill the government on cost-type or T&M contracts.
- Construction firms with USACE work needing EP 1110-1-8 equipment costing.
- Services and IT firms with cost-plus-fixed-fee or T&M awards.
- Veteran-owned and SDVOSB contractors preparing for SF1408 pre-award survey.
- Contractors outgrowing QuickBooks-plus-spreadsheets but not ready for Costpoint.
How does FieldLedger work?
- Connect data. QuickBooks Online sync, or direct payroll + time import.
- Code to projects and CLINs. Time, equipment, and direct costs tagged at entry. Daily timekeeping with electronic signature.
- Indirect rate engine applies pools.FAR 31.2 Structure A or B. Fringe, overhead, G&A, fee. Year-end true-up. Circular references resolved.
- Outputs that auditors expect. Provisional billing rate letter, labor distribution, equipment usage with related-party flag, ICE Model schedules H, I, K, L. Multi-CLIN federal invoices signed under FAR 52.212-4.
- Audit log retained at the row level. Every figure traces back to the timestamped underlying record. Methodology version stamped on every output.
See the public methodology for the full rate engine, allocation rules, and consistency enforcement.
What FieldLedger is not
- Not a general bookkeeping tool. The system assumes a federal contracting cost structure.
- Not "DCAA-approved" — DCAA approves contractors via SF1408, not vendors.
- Not a replacement for legal or accounting counsel. It produces the records counsel needs to defend.
Frequently asked questions
- What is FieldLedger?
- FieldLedger is DCAA-compliant accounting and project costing software for small and mid-sized federal contractors. It runs the FAR 31.2 indirect rate engine, DCAA-aligned timekeeping, USACE equipment costing under EP 1110-1-8, multi-CLIN federal invoicing, and a per-row audit log designed to survive a DCAA review.
- Who uses FieldLedger?
- Small and mid-sized federal contractors — construction, services, and IT firms — that need to bill the government on cost-type or T&M contracts. Customers typically replace QuickBooks-plus-spreadsheets when they take on their first cost-type award or face a DCAA pre-award survey.
- How does FieldLedger work?
- You connect QuickBooks Online (or import payroll directly), code time and equipment to projects and CLINs, and FieldLedger applies your indirect rate pools to produce burdened project P&Ls, certified payroll, provisional billing rate letters, and ICE Model schedules. Every output carries a methodology version and links back to the underlying records.
- Is FieldLedger DCAA-approved?
- No accounting system is "DCAA-approved" — DCAA approves contractors after a Standard Form 1408 pre-award survey. FieldLedger is built to satisfy the SF1408 criteria and produces the artifacts a DCAA auditor expects: segregated direct/indirect costs, consistent allocation, and a complete audit trail.
- How is FieldLedger different from Unanet, Deltek Costpoint, or Procas?
- FieldLedger is sized for the contractor that has outgrown QuickBooks but is too small for Costpoint. It ships with the methodology pre-wired (FAR 31.2, EP 1110-1-8, certified payroll) instead of requiring a six-figure consultant engagement, and the audit log is publicly methodology-versioned so an auditor can verify the underlying logic.
- How much does FieldLedger cost?
- Pricing is published on the products page. Plans scale by user count and contract complexity, not by transaction volume.
- Who is behind FieldLedger?
- FieldLedger is operated by Startvest LLC, a veteran-owned, SDVOSB-certified company. The methodology is open and versioned at /methodology.