Fractional controller services that keep your books close-ready every month
Get an experienced controller for a few days a month: a clean close, reconciled accounts and numbers your CFO, lender and auditor can rely on, without hiring a full-time accounting lead.
What a fractional controller does for you
A controller owns the accuracy of your books. Where a fractional CFO looks forward at cash, fundraising and strategy, the controller makes sure the historical numbers are right, complete and on time. For most companies between roughly $3M and $50M in revenue this is the gap that causes late reports, surprise adjustments and painful audits.
- 01 Designs and runs a month-end close calendar with owners, deadlines and a checklist
- 02 Reconciles bank, credit card, payroll, intercompany and balance sheet accounts
- 03 Supervises your bookkeeper or outsourced accounting team and reviews their entries
- 04 Sets up revenue recognition, accruals, prepaid expenses and deferred revenue schedules
- 05 Builds internal controls such as approval limits, segregation of duties and vendor setup rules
- 06 Prepares the audit or review package and works with your outside CPA firm
- 07 Cleans up the chart of accounts and the general ledger after rapid growth or a system change
- 08 Produces monthly financial statements with a short variance commentary for leadership
Typical ways to engage a controller
Controllers are usually engaged on a predictable monthly rhythm, because the close itself is monthly. ExpertMatcher supports every format through the same contract and payment flow.
- 01 Expert call of 30, 60 or 90 minutes to review your close process or a specific accounting question before you commit to more
- 02 Fractional retainer of 2 to 6 days a month, concentrated around the close, with timesheets visible in your workspace
- 03 Cleanup project with a fixed scope and milestones, for example a twelve-month ledger cleanup before an audit or a raise
- 04 System migration support when you move accounting software, rebuild the chart of accounts or add a new entity
How we verify every controller
A controller sees your bank data and payroll, so verification is not optional. Every profile you see on a shortlist has passed the same checks before it can be matched.
- Identity check before the profile goes live
- Work history reviewed against the roles and industries the expert claims
- References from previous employers or clients checked
- Certifications such as CPA licenses verified where the expert lists them
- A published rate card with hourly and monthly retainer pricing
- An availability calendar, so you know how many days the expert can actually give you
What fractional controller services cost
As a general US market range, experienced fractional controllers charge roughly $75 to $175 per hour, and monthly retainers commonly fall between $2,500 and $8,000 depending on transaction volume, number of entities and how much cleanup is needed. Rates are set by each expert, and you see the rate on the profile before the first call. Your company pays the expert's rate plus the platform fee of your plan (12 percent on Starter down to 4 percent on Enterprise), with no agency markup layered on top. Plan details are on the pricing page.
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$75 to $175
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$2,500 and $8,000
When it is time to bring in a controller
- Your close takes longer than ten business days or never really finishes
- Leadership stops trusting the monthly numbers and rebuilds them in spreadsheets
- An audit, review, lender covenant or due diligence request is on the calendar
- Your bookkeeper is capable but nobody senior reviews the work
- You added a second entity, a new revenue stream or inventory and the books did not keep up
- A part time CFO or investor keeps asking for reports that take days to prepare
How hiring a controller works on ExpertMatcher
The process is the same one described on how it works, tuned for accounting work.
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01
Brief: describe the close problem, your accounting software, entity count and deadline in a sentence or two
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02
Match brief: ExpertMatcher structures it into role, industry, competencies with weights, seniority, budget band and timeline
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03
Shortlist: you see 3 to 15 verified controllers, depending on your plan, each with a fit score per criterion and the reason for the match
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04
Call or project: send an NDA, book a paid intro call, then agree a retainer or a fixed cleanup project with a SOW
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05
Payment and rating: pay by card or ACH, receive one invoice, and rate the engagement once it is complete
Need someone more senior who also owns forecasting and investor reporting? Compare the controller role with other fractional executives, or read what the senior role costs in our guide to fractional CFO cost.
What is the difference between a fractional controller and a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper records transactions. A fractional controller designs the close, reviews the bookkeeper's entries, reconciles accounts, sets accounting policies and signs off on the monthly financial statements. Most companies keep the bookkeeper and add a controller a few days a month to review and own accuracy.
Do I need a controller or a CFO?
If the problem is that the numbers are late or wrong, start with a controller. If the numbers are reliable and you need forecasting, fundraising support or pricing decisions, you need a CFO. Many growing companies use a fractional controller for the close and a fractional CFO for planning.
How many days a month does a fractional controller usually work?
Most retainers sit between 2 and 6 days a month, concentrated in the first two weeks after month end. Cleanup projects are often more intensive for the first one or two months and then drop to a steady monthly rhythm.
Can a fractional controller work with our existing accounting software?
Yes. Accounting software is one of the competencies in your match brief, so ExpertMatcher weights experts who already work in your system. Mention it in your brief to see it reflected in the fit score.
Will the controller help with our audit?
Audit preparation is one of the most common reasons companies hire a fractional controller. The controller prepares schedules, reconciliations and support for the auditor's requests and coordinates with your outside CPA firm. The audit opinion itself stays with the independent auditor.
How are fractional controller rates set and paid?
Rates are set by each expert and shown on the profile before you book. You pay through the platform by card or ACH, receive an invoice that includes the platform fee of your plan, and the expert is paid out by ExpertMatcher.
Get your close under control this month
Describe your accounting problem in one sentence and see the controller profile that fits, with rates and availability before the first call.