Comparison
Level vs Pilot
Pilot publishes bookkeeping and CFO plans for startups and growing businesses. Level specializes in trades contractors. Compare the job-level records, close cadence and decisions each engagement will actually cover.
Source check: Pilot published bookkeeping and CFO plans, October 7, 2026. A bookkeeping entry price and a CFO retainer buy different work; compare identical inputs, close dates and outputs.
| Capability | Level | Pilot |
|---|---|---|
| Industry specialization | HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, general contractors | Published plans serve startups and growing businesses; ask about your contractor workflows and required outputs |
| Job costing | Job-level profitability by customer, crew, and service type | Ask whether job-level profitability by customer, crew, and service type is in scope |
| Cash flow forecasting | Rolling cash forecast for seasonal and project-based cycles in Scale and Platform engagements; horizon and cadence follow signed scope | CFO Custom lists 13-week cash-flow analysis; ask whether your contract billings, retainage, payroll and job identifiers are included. |
| Benchmark data | The Level Index, drawn from 2,200+ contractors (job margins, billing speed, collection rates, billing capture; each metric has its own sample) | CFO plans publish industry-specific KPI dashboards. Ask which contractor data and sample definitions support the comparison. |
| Service agreement analysis | Agreement-level profitability, renewal rates, mispricing detection | Ask how recurring maintenance agreements, deferred revenue, and renewals are analyzed |
| Field software integration | ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro, FieldEdge, Sera, and other field platforms (confirm your system and fields in a demo) | Ask which field-software records, job IDs and native exports are included, and how they reconcile to your accounting books |
| Team composition | Scope-dependent: ask which roles (CPA advisor, financial analyst, data engineering) are assigned at your tier | Essentials is AI-led cash-basis bookkeeping; Core adds a US-based bookkeeper. CFO plans have separately defined call cadences and financial-model scope. |
| Pricing model | Bookkeeping from $500/month; Scale $1,500-$5,000/month, scope-dependent; Platform custom quote for multi-office. See tiers below. | Pilot pricing page as checked October 7, 2026: Essentials $99/month cash-basis bookkeeping, capped at $100K monthly expenses; CFO Basic from $1,750/month billed annually. Custom CFO plans list 13-week cash analysis. Core pricing depends on the expense slider; confirm a scoped quote. |
| Tax strategy | Construction-specific depreciation, equipment and subcontractor compliance, per signed scope; CPA coordination, with filing only if contracted | Published tax plans vary by entity; R&D credits and stock administration are separate offerings. Confirm contractor-specific obligations and signed scope |
| Exit readiness | Buyer-diligence reporting, EBITDA normalization, management packages organized for QoE providers | CFO Essentials lists investor reporting and basic M&A support; ask for the transaction scope and deliverables |
Use Level if you are
- ✓An HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, or general contractor
- ✓Running a trades business from early-stage through multi-office (Platform is custom-quoted)
- ✓Struggling with job costing, cash flow, or margin visibility
- ✓Integrating ServiceTitan, Jobber, or similar field platforms
- ✓Preparing for PE acquisition or a business sale
- ✓Tired of a bookkeeper who doesn't understand job cost accounting
Use Pilot if you are
- ✓A tech startup or SaaS company
- ✓VC-backed and managing investor reporting
- ✓Handling cap table, equity, and 409A valuations
- ✓Focused on R&D tax credits and startup-specific incentives
- ✓Running on a standard SaaS software stack (Stripe, Gusto)
- ✓Able to confirm your industry workflows in the proposed scope
What Level brings for contractors
The Level Index, 2,200+ contractors
We compare your job margins, collection rate, billing speed, and billing capture with Level Index distributions drawn from 2,200+ contractors. Each metric has its own sample (for example, collection rate n=464, billing speed n=733), and the samples are cross-trade rather than separate HVAC, plumbing, or electrical subsets, so you see where you sit on each distribution.
Trades-fluent team
Level founder Sam Yang is an ex-CFO across trades and spent 4 years building financial tooling at BuildOps. Advisor Lewis Goldsmith, CPA, advises on pricing, gross margin, labor utilization, and cash flow for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and roofing businesses. Ask on your first call who will staff your account and what trades experience each person has.
Field software integration
We connect to ServiceTitan, Jobber, and other field service platforms. Data pulls and matching across job, labor, and financial records are automated where your system exports allow, and the team reviews flagged exceptions. Confirm your platform and the fields you need in a demo.
Simple pricing
Three tiers, one ladder.
$500+/mo
Bookkeeping
The clean data layer: monthly books, reconciliations, and organized financials AI can work with.
$1,500-$5,000/mo
Scale
The full AI operating layer: custom agents, weekly actions, and benchmarks to grow margin per hour.
Custom
Platform / Multi-Office
Multi-branch benchmarking and scorecards for PE-backed and multi-location groups.
Built around contractor financial decisions.
We can review your books and scope what a profitability review would cover.
No commitment. Real numbers, not generic advice.