You finished a water heater install at 6pm. The homeowner hands you a check. Your next call is across town, and you'd rather not drive to a branch before it closes. The right business checking account lets you submit a mobile check deposit from your truck in under a minute, send a clean invoice for the parts markup, and drop the transaction into QuickBooks so your accountant isn't chasing receipts in April. Funds availability depends on the bank's review and timing rules.

Plumbing businesses need a business checking account that supports mobile check deposit, field invoicing, card and ACH payments, QuickBooks syncing, and a clear plan for cash.

Novo is a fintech, not a bank. Banking services provided by Middlesex Federal Savings, F.A., Member FDIC.

What do plumbers need from a business banking solution?

Plumbing is a margin-sensitive trade with mixed payment types. An account that works for an e-commerce seller probably won't fit your workflow. Prioritize these features when evaluating accounts.

Fast mobile check deposit. Residential customers still pay by check, especially older homeowners and property managers. You want to snap a photo from your phone and move on to the next job, not detour to a branch.

Built-in invoicing with card and ACH acceptance. Commercial accounts (property managers, GCs, restaurants) often want a formal invoice with Net 15 or Net 30 terms. Residential emergency calls usually want to pay by card on the spot. Your business checking should handle both without forcing you into a separate payment processor with its own monthly fee.

QuickBooks integration. Job costing — what each install actually netted after parts, fuel, and labor — only works if your bank feed is clean. A direct integration saves hours of manual categorization and keeps Schedule C or your S-corp return defensible.

Low or no monthly fees. A $15 monthly maintenance fee is $180 a year. On a service call with $40 in margin, that's more than four jobs covering your account.

A plan for cash. Some plumbers see almost no cash. Others, especially in residential repair, see it weekly. Your account choice has to fit which camp you're in.

What are the best business banking options for plumbers?

No single account is best for every plumbing operation. Choose Novo if most customers pay by check, card, or ACH. Choose a national branch bank if you deposit cash every week. Choose a local credit union if relationship lending matters more than mobile tools.

Novo: best for digital-first plumbers who invoice and accept card payments

Novo is built for service businesses that get paid by check, card, and ACH and want their bookkeeping to stay clean. No monthly fees, no minimum balance, and the invoicing tool is built in rather than bolted on. The honest tradeoff: Novo does not accept cash deposits, so if a meaningful share of your jobs pay in cash, you will need a hybrid setup.

Chase Business Complete: best if you take significant cash deposits

If a meaningful share of your revenue is paper money, a brick-and-mortar bank with a nearby branch matters. Chase Business Complete has wide branch coverage and accepts cash deposits, though it charges a monthly fee that requires a minimum balance or qualifying activity to waive.

A local credit union: best for owner-operators who want a relationship banker

If you've been in your town for 20 years and want a banker who picks up the phone when you need a small equipment loan for a new sewer camera, a local credit union or community bank can be a better fit than any national option. The tradeoff is usually weaker mobile tools and no built-in invoicing.

Why is Novo a good fit for plumbing businesses?

Novo charges no monthly fees and has no minimum balance requirement. For a plumber running tight margins on service calls, a $0 monthly fee keeps more revenue available for parts, payroll, fuel, and taxes.

Invoicing built into your account

Novo Invoices lets plumbers send invoices and accept ACH or card payments directly. You can send an invoice from your phone before you've pulled out of the driveway, and the customer can pay by card or bank transfer from the email. Invoice payments connect to your Novo account, so deposits and spending are easier to review in one place; card and ACH settlement timing may vary.

Here's a copy-ready invoice template you can adapt for residential and commercial plumbing work:

INVOICE

[Your Plumbing Company Name]
[License #] | [Phone] | [Email]
[Business Address]

Bill To:                          Invoice #: 2025-0142
[Customer Name]                   Invoice Date: [Date]
[Service Address]                 Due Date: Net 15
[Phone / Email]

------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION                          QTY      RATE     AMOUNT
------------------------------------------------------------
Service call / diagnostic            1        $95      $95.00
Labor: water heater replacement      3.5 hr   $145     $507.50
50-gal gas water heater (parts)      1        $720     $720.00
Expansion tank + fittings            1        $85      $85.00
Permit fee (pass-through)            1        $65      $65.00
Haul-away of old unit                1        $40      $40.00
------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Subtotal:  $1,512.50
                                          Tax (—):       $0.00
                                          TOTAL:    $1,512.50

Payment methods: Card, ACH, or check payable to [Company].
Warranty: 1 year on labor, manufacturer warranty on parts.
Thank you. Call [phone] for any follow-up questions.

Paste this template into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to generate a fillable PDF or Google Sheet version with formulas. A working prompt: "Turn this plumbing invoice template into a Google Sheet where I enter quantity and rate per line and the subtotal, tax, and total calculate automatically. Add a second tab for a commercial Net 30 version."

If you do a lot of work as a sub for builders or remodelers, the invoice template for general contractors covers Net 30, retainage, and progress billing in more detail.

Mobile check deposit from the job site

Novo offers mobile check deposit so plumbers can deposit customer checks from the field. Take a photo of the front and back of the check in the Novo app, submit, and move on. You avoid a branch trip and reduce the chance of checks piling up in the truck's center console. Funds availability can vary by check amount, account history, and review.

Integrations that match how plumbers actually work

Novo integrates with QuickBooks, Stripe, Square, and Shopify for bookkeeping and payments. For most plumbing shops, that means QuickBooks Online for job costing and tax prep, plus Square or Stripe if you already use a card reader on-site. Connected transactions can flow into QuickBooks, where you or your bookkeeper can review categories instead of entering every deposit manually.

Free incoming wires and ATM fee refunds

Novo refunds ATM fees and offers free incoming wires. Commercial customers, especially property management companies, sometimes pay by wire on larger jobs. Not paying $15 to receive your own money matters when you're already netting less than 20% on materials.

The honest tradeoff

Novo does not accept cash deposits. Plumbers who collect significant cash from residential calls should use a local bank or hybrid setup for cash deposits.

How should plumbers handle cash payments?

Cash is the part most online accounts dodge. You will need a dedicated approach for depositing physical currency. Here are three workable options, ranked by how much cash you take in.

If you take occasional cash (under 10% of revenue)

A retail-partner cash deposit network, such as Green Dot, lets you deposit cash at participating grocery stores, pharmacies, and convenience stores, then transfer it to your account. Fees typically run a few dollars per deposit. For a plumber who sees a cash tip or a small repair payment once a month, this works.

If you take regular cash (10–40% of revenue)

Run a hybrid setup: a local bank or credit union for cash deposits, Novo for digital operations. You deposit cash weekly at the local branch, then ACH-transfer it into Novo to keep your books and bill pay in one place. Most plumbers in this bracket find the local account becomes a "cash bucket" while the day-to-day account stays with the platform that handles invoicing and integrations.

If you take heavy cash (over 40% of revenue)

A traditional brick-and-mortar account is probably your primary, with Novo as a secondary account for invoicing and card acceptance. Confirm any monthly cash deposit limits at your traditional bank before they're charged per $1,000 over.

Reduce cash where you can

Offering card, Apple Pay, ACH, and check options can reduce the number of cash payments you handle. Add this line to your invoice: "We accept cards, Apple Pay, ACH, and checks." Pair it with tap to pay on your phone so customers can pay without writing a check. Less cash means less bookkeeping, less risk in the truck, and faster availability of funds.

How do plumbers open a business checking account?

The online application can be quick; the slower part is usually gathering your EIN, formation documents, plumbing license, and owner ID.

Step 1: Form your business

If you're operating under your own name as a sole proprietor, you can open a business account with just your Social Security number and a DBA in some states. Many plumbers choose an LLC to separate business and personal finances, but liability protection depends on state law, insurance, contracts, and how the business is operated. File your LLC with your state's Secretary of State; fees typically run from $50 up to about $500 depending on state. Once your LLC is approved, see what a business checking account for LLC owners actually requires before you start the application.

Step 2: Get your EIN

Most plumbing LLCs need an EIN and business formation documents to open a business bank account; sole proprietors may be able to apply with an SSN and DBA, depending on the bank and state. The IRS issues EINs free of charge. You can apply online and receive the number immediately during the application session.

Step 3: Gather your documents

Have ready:

• EIN confirmation letter (Form CP 575) from the IRS
• LLC articles of organization or sole-proprietor DBA filing
• State plumbing license number
• Government-issued ID for each owner with 25%+ stake
• Business address (your home office address is fine)

A full business checking account requirements checklist walks through what every bank typically asks for if you want to double-check before applying.

Step 4: Apply

Plumbers can complete Novo's online business checking application in about 10 minutes, and approval timing depends on application review. Novo's online application does not require a hard credit pull for opening a business checking account.

What questions do plumbers ask about business bank accounts?

Do I need a business account if I am a sole-proprietor plumber?

A sole proprietor may be able to use a personal account, but a dedicated business account usually makes taxes, records, and customer payments cleaner. Commingling funds can weaken liability claims and makes Schedule C filing harder, and commercial customers expect to write checks payable to "Smith Plumbing," not "John Smith." Many personal checking agreements are not designed for business activity, so check your bank's terms before using a personal account for plumbing revenue. If you're weighing the move, this breakdown of business vs personal checking covers the practical differences.

Can I deposit customer checks from my phone?

Yes. Novo's mobile app supports check deposit by photo. Endorse the back of the check, take a photo of the front and back, and submit. Funds availability can vary by check amount, account history, and review.

How do I accept card payments on a job site?

A few options work for plumbers:

• Send a Novo invoice from your phone; the customer pays by card or ACH from the email link. Good for jobs where you can wait a few minutes for the customer to open their phone.
• Use a card reader from Stripe or Square paired to your phone. Tap-to-pay on iPhone or Android works without any hardware for in-person payments.
• Take payment over the phone for repeat customers by sending a hosted payment link.

Whichever you pick, payments land in your business account and sync to QuickBooks if you've connected the integration.

What if most of my customers pay in cash?

Use the hybrid approach described above: a local bank for cash deposits, plus Novo for invoicing, card payments, and bookkeeping. If cash dominates your revenue, lead with a traditional bank account and add Novo as a secondary for the digital workflows. Be honest with yourself about your cash mix before choosing, because switching accounts later is more work than picking the right setup the first time.

Does Novo report to credit bureaus?

Novo is a business checking account, not a credit product. Opening or using the account doesn't affect your personal or business credit score. There's no hard credit pull during the application.

Can two business partners both have access to the account?

If you have a partner or employee who needs access, check Novo's current user, role, and debit-card options before you apply.

What's the difference between an EIN and a business license?

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business's federal tax ID, issued by the IRS, used to file taxes and open business accounts. A plumbing license is issued by your state or local jurisdiction and authorizes you to perform plumbing work. You need both, but they serve different purposes: the EIN is for the IRS and your account application, the license is for the work itself.

What is the best business banking choice for plumbers?

For solo operators and small plumbing shops, Novo handles the daily reality: invoicing from the field, depositing the customer check before you leave the driveway, accepting a card for the emergency call, and keeping your QuickBooks clean for tax time. The cash limitation is real, and the right answer for cash-heavy operations is a hybrid setup rather than a compromise on the rest of your workflow.

Open a Novo business checking account in about 10 minutes with your EIN, LLC docs, and plumbing license.